DIY Ironing Board Cover

I've been complaining about not being able to find a cover that actually fits my ironing board for about three years, so I finally did something about it. After seeing Tilly and the Button's post on how to make an ironing board cover, I decided it was finally time to give it a go. After having finished the ironing board cover, I honestly can't believe I didn't do this sooner. This is one of the easiest things I've ever made!

The instructions are pretty simple really. The first thing you need to do is get all of the materials required. I bought most of my supplies from Lincraft, but then went to Spotlight to buy the felt underlay by Lockstock & Barrel. This is a beautiful underlay and much thicker than the standard foam that you get with most cheap ironing board covers.

• Cut the fabric.
• Lay the underlay on the board and measure a 2cm allowance around all edges. Cut the underlay.
• Open the bias binding and place it on the fabric with right sides facing. Fold the end on the fabric by 1cm. Pin the bias binding around the edges of the fabric.
• Sew along the outer crease of the bias binding until you are about 2cm away from where you began. Cut the binding leaving 4cm. Double fold the end of the bias binding, pin and sew along the same outer fold.
• Fold the bias binding over to the wrong side of the fabric and fold the crease under, leaving a few millimetres of the right side of the fabric showing. Pin the bias binding in place and edge stitch.
• Place a small safety pin on an end of the cord or string and thread it through the tube created by the bias binding.
• Place the underlay on the ironing board and then place the cover over the top. Pull the string to tighten around the edges and gather along the curves.
• You may find that you need a bit of extra support to stop the cover from shifting. You can sew some elastic across the width underneath the ironing board to stop the cover from moving.
• Tie the ends of the string and you're done!