Kid Proof Your Car Seats: Seat Back Protector

This summer we purchased a previously-loved vehicle, which I now love....however, if I had my preference, (which you don't get when buying pre-owned), I would have chosen to get dark seats because my kids feet wreak havoc on the back of the front seats.  I knew before we purchased the car this was going to be an issue....and I was soooooo right!  

My first purchase was to get these organizers that I thought would work well to protect the seat backs.

And they kind of worked, but my gripe was that the string that held them to the bottom always came loose and they just weren't wide enough to cover the entire seat back.  After a few months, the dirt on the back of the chair was nasty.  Heading into winter, I knew I had to find another solution.....

I started researching car seat covers and the ones I liked (the ones that were form fitted and actually matched my interior) were upwards of $250.  Yeah.  Not happening.  Time to get creative.  

This is where I love the internet.  I knew I could come up with something on my own, but I wanted to hunt around to see if some other car-crazy sewing fanatic already thought of this.  Guess what....They DID!  I used THIS TUTORIAL by Mayfly as a guide.  Once again, I say guide, because I always like to modify others creations to fit my needs (as you should too).  

So how did I modify it?  Let me share:

DESIGN

First, because of the shape of my seats, I needed to accommodate for the angled sides at the top.  

CONSTRUCTION

I opted to use regular quilting cotton (mostly because that is what I had on hand).  My first choice would have been laminated cotton, but you use what you have!  Since the cotton is quilting weight, I reinforced it with medium weight interfacing.  This added a nice weight and helps it drape nicely over the back of the seat and maintain shape.  I used it on all the pockets too.

When I sewed the entire thing together, I used 2 pieces of fabric, placed right sides together (one piece with all my pockets already sewn in), left a small opening and turned so I didn't have to hem anything.  I just find this easier.

And that's it.  Installation was a breeze.  I just pulled off the headrests and slipped the elastic down the seat into place, fed the headrest poles in through the cover and back into the chair.  Done!  

Not only am I super happy that these covers will now protect my seats, but my girls couldn't be more excited to have pink pockets to put their stuff in!  

If it doesn't meet your needs - make something that will!