Hanger Cover From Vintage Pillow Cases

This is a wonderful way to use those single or damaged vintage pillowcases. You can enjoy the beautiful embroidery and crochet work and use them for a very practical purpose. How often have you stored your winter or summer wardrobe only to get it out to wear and find the shoulders have dust on them. Before you can wear them again, you have to send them to the drycleaners or rewash them. These neat little hanger covers will eliminate this problem in just 10 minutes. These are very simple to make.


First make a pattern by laying a hanger on a piece of paper with the neck at one of the short edges. Be sure and use a large hanger. Draw around it. It should look like this.




Cut pattern out.




Now for the fun part! Pick out a great pillowcase to use. Some of the things that you want to consider are to make sure that the pillowcase is not too worn from repeated washings and make sure the area you want to use is clean and stain free.



Fold the pillowcase long ways.



Lay your pattern on top of the area that you want to use. Pillow cases do vary in width so you need to watch how you are laying it out. The shoulder curve should always be at the edge. The neck doesn't have to be very big.

You can make your finished cover any length. Position the pattern where you want the shoulders to be.




Now cut around the top of the pattern. Do not cut down the short side. You do want to make a small curve, but your sewing will finish the curve.




Turn the cut piece wrong side out and lay it on the ironing board. You will first sew the neck edges. Turn down one side of the neck ¼" then turn again. Pin.





Next turn down the other side and pin.




Sew both edges.




Now put the edges together. At this point your neck is going to be too big. That is OK because when you sew the shoulder seams you will take up some of that space. Pin the shoulder seams together.




Sew the shoulder seams making a nice curve on the short sides.




Trim your seams, turn right side out and press for a nice crisp seam.





These neat little dust protectors can be made out of many different things. Use damaged printed tablecloths or vintage fabrics and edge with bits of crochet work. Just use your imagination!

Copyright Anitas_Stuff January 2003