Ironing Board Revamp

My ironing board is tired. I bought it on clearance to use at college about 6 years ago. It's a mini one, that stands only about 10 inches high and is about 36" long. It has been perfect for use in my sewing room, because it folds up easily and has a hook so I can store it in the closet.

Just the perfect size for pressing blocks.

But I noticed the original fabric is looking rough- yellowed and covered with little bits of old fusible interfacing residue. I didn't want to chuck it, because the frame is still perfectly fine, so I decided I'd make a new cover for it. It was a quick afternoon project and now I have a lovely looking ironing board again.

The batting underneath didn't look good, so I replaced it, too.

 This is what is looked like when I slipped the cover off. It had a string that held it tight, so I pulled that out to reuse. Then I ripped out the seam that had held the string and flattened it out a bit.

I seem to have an affinity for bright colors, don't I?

 I went to iron it flat when it dawned on me that I had just taken my ironing board apart. Duh. I tossed a towel on top of the frame and it worked out fine. Good thing I thought this project through before I started, huh?

Lay the old top on the new fabric- instant template.

 Once it's flattened, you can use the old fabric as a template to lay over your new fabric. I only needed a half yard, since the board is small. I chose a Robert Kaufman fabric with owls on it that I had been saving for something fun. You can also use the old batting as a template for a new piece.

I then ironed the edges of the new fabric in a little to keep the raw edges from showing. Next, I ironed about a 1/2 inch seam and pinned to make sure I had enough room to thread the string through. I stitched the edge all the way around, but left a small gap at the end for threading.

You just need a small opening for the needle.

 Threading things like this is usually the most agonizing process of any project it is required in. It turned out, however, to be completely painless this time. I used a big plastic needle used for knitting/crocheting and it was a breeze.

Voila!

I put the batting on top of the frame, slipped the cover on, and pulled the string tight. I tucked the loose ends under the fabric, and I was done. It only took me the afternoon to do and now I have a lovely "new" ironing board.

You can very easily do the same with your own ironing board, you'll just need to get more fabric if you have a full sized ironing board.

Now I just have to learn to be more careful when using fusible interfacing.