Protect Your Furniture with Thanksgiving Chair Covers
With the holidays just around the corner, it’s time to start thinking about how you can protect your furniture from all the festivities. Celebrating with family and friends often involves a lot of eating, drinking, and merriment, which can easily result in spills, stains, and scratches on your chairs. That’s where chair covers come in – they are the perfect solution to keep your chairs looking great throughout the holiday season. But with so many options available, it can be challenging to choose the best ones for your needs. In this article, we’ll dive deeper into why Thanksgiving chair covers are a must-have for Thanksgiving and provide tips on how to select the right ones to protect your chairs from damage.
Why Use Chair Covers for Thanksgiving?
Thanksgiving is one of the biggest eating and entertaining days of the year. With so many people gathered around the table, spills and stains are inevitable. Even if you use tablecloths, the chairs themselves are still vulnerable. Sitting on a stained dining chair can ruin the beautiful holiday atmosphere you worked so hard to create!
Chair covers provide a barrier between your upholstered dining chairs and potential messes. They protect the fabric from gravy spills, cranberry smears, and other stains. The right chair cover also adds a decorative touch with colors and patterns to complement your Thanksgiving decor.
You’ve invested in quality furniture – protect it with chair covers so you can enjoy it for years to come. They allow you to focus on time with loved ones rather than worrying about damage.
Types of Chair Covers for Thanksgiving
When shopping for Thanksgiving chair covers, you’ll find a variety of materials and styles. Consider the pros and cons of each to select the right ones for your needs.
Disposable Paper Covers
Disposable paper Thanksgiving chair covers are an affordable and convenient option. They often come in packs of 4-8 and cost just a few dollars.
Pros:
- Inexpensive
- Easy to put on and remove
- Wide variety of designs and colors
- Can toss after one use
Cons:
- Flimsy and easily torn
- Not reusable
- Not as protective as other materials
Disposable covers work well for large gatherings or if you want to quickly decorate chairs. Just don’t expect heavy-duty protection from spills and stains.
Plastic Chair Covers
For a reusable option, plastic chair covers are durable and water-resistant. They come in clear or colored plastic to match your decor.
Pros:
- Reusable over many occasions
- Protects from spills and stains
- Allows chair color/pattern to show through clear plastic
- Easy to wipe clean after use
Cons:
- Can look cheap if low quality
- Not breathable – can get hot for long wear
- More expensive than paper covers
Plastic is excellent for maximum protection from messes. But the material can detract from a formal or elegant aesthetic.
Fabric Chair Covers
Fabric chair covers offer high-quality protection and decorative flair. They come in various fabrics like polyester, cotton, velvet, and more.
Pros:
- Very protective against stains
- Reusable for years
- Stylish decorative element for your table
- Comes in many colors, patterns, and fabrics
- More breathable than plastic
Cons:
- Most expensive option
- Requires some work to put on and properly fit
- Spot cleaning and laundering required
For a beautiful look and durable protection, choose fabric chair covers. They do have a higher upfront cost. But with proper care they will last for many holidays to come.
Matching Your Decor
When selecting Thanksgiving dining chair covers, you’ll want them to coordinate with your existing decor. Here are some tips for a cohesive look:
- Match colors: Choose covers in one of your main tablescape colors. Neutrals like black, ivory, or brown also work well.
- Complement patterns: If your tablecloth or placemats have a motif, find covers with a similar pattern. Just don’t go overboard with too many competing prints.
- Consider chair style: Make sure the shape and style of the cover fits the silhouette of your dining chairs. You want a smooth, tailored appearance.
- Select fabric to suit formality: Match the fabric of your covers to the formality of the occasion – paper or plastic for casual, fabric for formal.
- Accent with ribbons: Upgrade paper or plastic covers by tying ribbons around the backs. Use colors that pop against the covers.
Take cues from your centerpieces, dishes, and other decor when coordinating covers into your Thanksgiving palette. A unified look pulls the whole table together.
Measuring Dining Chairs
To ensure you get well-fitting chair covers, you’ll need to first measure your chairs accurately. Here are the key dimensions to measure:
- Seat width: Measure across the widest part of the chair’s seat from edge to edge.
- Seat depth: Measure from the seat’s edge to its deepest part against the chair’s back.
- Seat height: Measure from the seat bottom to the floor.
- Back height: Measure from the seat to the top of the chair back.
- Arm width: If your chairs have arms, measure across them from outer edges.
Record these numbers and have them handy when shopping. This ensures the covers are neither too large nor too small. Ill-fitting covers can look sloppy and compromise protection.
Putting Covers On Chairs
Each style of dining chair cover will have specific instructions for properly putting them on chairs. Here are some general tips:
- For disposable paper covers, open them fully and slide down over the chair from the top. Secure underside tabs or elastic bands.
- Plastic covers open in the back and wrap around the seat and chair back, fastening with ties or elastic bands at the bottom.
- Fabric covers are more involved. You insert the seat pad first, then wrap the cover around, smoothing out wrinkles. Zippers, ties, Velcro, or elastic help secure it.
- Covers for chairs with arms require a bit more finesse to get a good fit around the arm area.
- Adding decorative accents like bows or ribbons can help hide unsightly fasteners and seams.
- If reusing fabric covers, check for stains and launder according to care instructions before storing.
Allow sufficient time before guests arrive to properly dress the chairs. Rushed jobs typically look sloppy. Neat, wrinkle-free covers make for a polished look.
Top 5 Thanksgiving Chair Cover Picks
To help get you started, here are my top five recommendations for durable, decorative Thanksgiving chair covers:
- H-Miles Elastic Fabric Slipcovers – An elastic bottom makes these polyester covers easy to secure on a variety of chair styles. Choose from multiple colors.
- Plush Velvet Chair Covers from Cozy – For a luxurious feel, I love these rich velvet covers. The anchor ties keep them firmly in place despite active holiday use.
- Scroll Embossed Spandex Covers by Moonlight Slumber – With metallic scroll designs, these are gorgeous yet protective chair covers that make a bold statement.
- Ivory Faux Silk with Floral Lace – The delicate lace floral overlay on these ivory faux silk covers adds vintage charm for a timeless look.
- Rustic Burlap Covers from Nicetrad – Made of natural burlap with distressed accents, these covers work on farmhouse style dining chairs. Super easy to use with snap closures.
With so many options, you can easily find covers to suit your decor, budget and needs. Always check dimensions, materials, and care instructions when ordering. Measure carefully for a custom fit.
FAQs
How early should I put chair covers on?
For the most polished look, put your chair covers on 1-2 hours before guests arrive. This gives you time to get a wrinkle-free fit and make any adjustments.
Should I still use a tablecloth with chair covers?
Definitely! Chair covers only protect the chairs themselves. To safeguard your tabletop and floor from spills and crumbs, use a tablecloth and pad underneath.
Can I machine wash fabric chair covers?
It depends on the material. Always check care label instructions. Some are machine washable if on delicate cycle, others must be spot cleaned or dry cleaned only.
How do I prevent chair covers from slipping?
Use covers with zippers, elasticized edges, ties or Velcro closures to keep them firmly on the chair. You can also use double-sided hem tape on the underside edges.
Should I keep chair covers on during the meal?
You can, but it may be more comfortable for guests to remove covers during the main meal. Just slip them back on after to protect chairs once eating is done.
Conclusion
Hosting Thanksgiving is a joy, but also a lot of work. Protecting your furniture shouldn’t add more stress. With the right Thanksgiving chair covers you can avoid stains and damage while also decorating for the occasion.
Measure your dining chairs, shop for quality covers in colors and fabrics to complement your decor, and allow time for a wrinkle-free setup. Adorn your festive doorways and mantels with Thanksgiving string lights, creating a warm and inviting ambiance where your chairs will stay beautiful for seasons to come. Spend your energy on creating delicious food and meaningful memories, not worrying about messy spills ruining the holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving! May your holiday be filled with love, laughter, and chairs covered in style.
