Don't discard an old bed sheet. Sew it into a stylish ironing board cover

Household essentials like bedsheets tend to wear out over time. Especially for those with little ones running around, it can seem like bedsheets last only moments before it’s time to replace them with something cleaner, newer and brighter. Instead of throwing bedsheets out as they are no longer needed, consider turning them into stylish and useful ironing board covers that help keep housework fun.

While this DIY project requires basic sewing skills, the effort is worth it when the final product saves from having to take an extra trip to the store and keeps hard-earned cash in the wallet. Heat resistant fabric works as a base while a decorative bedsheet cut to size acts as the ironing board’s ultimate covering. Whether the design is made up of a fun watermelon pattern or more traditional with a solid hue, the cover will successfully work to keep clothes wrinkle-free in the end. Easy to adjust and remove as needed, this simple to sew ironing board cover is as charming as it is useful in the home.

-Heat resistant white sheet
-Ironing board
-Red colored pencil
-Scissors
-Decorative bedsheet
-Ruler
-Sewing pins
-Pink thread
-Sewing machine
-Large safety pin
-Pink yarn
-Thread cutters

Instructions
 
1. Smooth out a heat resistant white sheet on a flat working surface.

2. Place a folded ironing board on top of the sheet with the legs facing up so the ironing surface is flat against the table.

3. Trace the outline of the ironing board with a red colored pencil. Remove the ironing board from the sheet.

4. Cut out the shape of the ironing board from the sheet.

5. Unfold and smooth out a decorative bedsheet on a flat working surface.

6. Position the white, heat resistant cutout of the ironing board in the center of the decorative sheet and smooth out all wrinkles.

7. Trace the white sheet cutout onto the decorative sheet using the red colored pencil.

8. Use a ruler to mark 8-inches out from the red trace line to create a wide oval around the entire perimeter of the tracing on the decorative bedsheet.

9. Cut the oval from the decorative bedsheet. The outline of the ironing board will still be in the center of the cutout.

10. Roll the edges of the fabric over twice using a ruler to help create even folds. Once the fabric is folded to meet the trace line of the ironing board shape on the sheet, use sewing pins to secure the fabric in place. Continue folding and securing around the entire piece of fabric.

11. Load a sewing machine with light pink thread to match the decorative sheet pattern if watermelons have been chosen.

12. Sew around the perimeter of the folds to create a space for a tightening string to be added. Remove sewing pins as the machine reaches them. Leave a small 1-inch opening at the wide end of the cover to insert the string later. Knot the thread when complete and cut away excess as needed.

13. Knot the end of a roll of pink yarn onto the end of a large, closed safety pin.

14. Thread the pink yarn through the opening of the fold using the safety pin to more easily move the yarn through the perimeter of the cover until the opposite end is reached.

15. Pull the yarn end out until 6 inches of ends are evenly matched. Cut the remaining yarn from the roll using thread cutters.

16. Tie a knot towards the ends of the pink yarn leaving 5 inches for adjustment on the board.

17. Place the heat resistant cutout fabric on top of the ironing board.

18. Position the decorative cover on top of the heat resistant fabric before flipping the board over.

19. Pull the edges of the cover evenly around the underside of the ironing board.

20. Pull the strings tight and tie a knot with the yarn to secure the cover in place from underneath.

21. Place the ironing board with its new cover in a place where it’s convenient to iron and keep clothes wrinkle-free!