How to Make a Table Top Ironing Board Cover

Tabletop ironing boards are convenient and easy to store, and provide an alternative to regular ironing boards, especially in small spaces like apartments or dorm rooms. The options for tabletop ironing board covers, however, can be extremely limited and most often consists of basic solids that really aren't cute. It is easy to make your own cover that can coordinate with your decor. With a few basic sewing supplies, you can make over your ironing board cover into a cover that you love.

• 1

  Lay your tissue paper on a hard flat surface and place your ironing board, ironing surface down, on top of the tissue paper. Hold the ironing board in place with one hand and carefully trace around the edges of the board with your pencil. Remove the ironing board.

• 2

  Use a ruler to trace a line 2 inches outside the perimeter tracing you just marked. Cut out the pattern on the new line you made.

• 3

  Wash and dry your fabric. Iron it carefully to remove wrinkles and place it on a hard, flat surface. Pin your pattern to your fabric and cut out your fabric carefully with a pair of sharp scissors. Remove your pins and pattern piece.

• 4

  Fold down the entire raw outer edge 1/4 inch toward the wrong side of the fabric and iron into place. Fold down again another inch toward the wrong side of the fabric and iron carefully into place. Pin along your lower folded edge.

• 5

  Sew along your lower pinned edge with a straight seam and a 1/4-inch seam allowance to create a casing for your clothesline rope. End your seam 2 inches before the seam beginning so you will have a 2-inch opening. Backstitch at the beginning and end of your seam.

• 6

  Tie your clothesline rope securely around your safety pin. Thread the safety pin and rope through the casing, pushing the pin through the casing carefully and gathering the excess fabric behind it to advance it. Continue until the safety pin is threaded completely through the casing and comes out the opposite side of the opening. Remove the pin.

• 7

  Place your cover on your ironing board. Turn it upside down and pull the clothesline rope to cinch it tightly around the board. When it is pulled tightly enough the the cover lays flat and doesn't move easily. Tie both ends of the clothesline rope in a double knot and trim each end to 1 inch.