Dressing Up Some Clothes Hangers

Hangers were $1.69 each for 10 at Fred Meyer

This is a fun and quick little project to spruce up the hangers in your closet or to make as a gift to give to someone.  I have wanted to make some of these covered clothes hangers for eons, but it is one of those projects I kept pushing off for later.  Well, later finally arrived.

Dress form fabric 2 1/4 yards $3.60 on clearance
Turquoise fabric 2 yards for $4.80 on sale
Gray fabric 2 yards for $4.80 on sale

I found the most perfect fabric on the clearance aisle at the fabric store.  Dress forms!  I also found some pretty coordinating fabrics to go with them since there wasn’t enough clearance fabric on the bolt.  Because I had a 75% OFF coupon for these other two fabrics it made it a very affordable project.

It takes about 2 1/3 yards of fabric to make enough covers for a 10 pack of tube hangers.  Plus any trim you want to use.  I happen to have a HUGE stash of trims I'm trying to use up so I dug into that. 

Adding an extra 1/2" to your tracing compensates
for the thickness of the hanger and the 1/4" seam allowance

I always seem to have helpers

I started out by taping together two pieces of scrap paper end to end and tracing the hanger onto it.  With my hem gauge I marked off an extra 1/2 inch and used a ruler to draw a line.  I free handed around the curve and then straight down to the edge of the paper to add a little bit of length and a hem.  Then I drew a lined straight across at the neck of the hanger.  Once it was cut out I was ready to go.

Another helper.  Ahem.

Excuuuuse me!

Not so much help.  Little brat!

I cut out my first piece.  With right sides together I stitched along the edge making a 1/4 inch seam from the flat end at the top down to the bottom on both sides, leaving the top and bottom open.  Then I turned it right side out and pressed it flat.

Turning under the hem a 1/4 inch and the top opening as well I stitched some trim along the hem.  You can stitch, hand stitch or use fusible hem tape along the top opening if you wish.  I inserted the hanger and it was a perfect fit.

Black jumbo ric rac and a little pink were used with the dress form fabric and I added a little bow to the top in the front of each one.  Since I had purchased thirty brand new hangers I had a bit of a job ahead of me but it went incredibly fast.

I cut everything out, then did all the stitching of the side seams.  After that I pressed all of the covers and turned up the hems.  Next I added all the trim to each hem.  Then I inserted all of the hangers.  Once that was done I made little bows and tacked them into place.

Trimmed with vintage jumbo ric rac and tiny little bows

I absolutely love how nicely these turned out and the whimsical fabrics couldn't have been more perfect.  I have seen much fancier and more elaborate versions of these (if you've spent any time on Pinterest you know exactly what I mean) but for me this simple little cover is exactly what I was after.  I am just thrilled.

Do you think you would make any of these?