All dads have a favorite chair. Make this handy organizer, and Dad will have his favorite reading materials and remote controls close at hand. The remote holder is a fabric strip with pockets on each end. It fits under the seat cushion and hangs over the arms of the chair. The pockets are decorated with felt cutouts of the hands of everyone in the family. The gift can be accompanied with a message such as, "Keep your hands off Dad’s remote!"
This craft requires a bit of simple sewing, which Mom or the older kids can do on the sewing machine. The whole family can get involved in decorating the remote holder for Dad.
Materials needed to make the remote holder include 1-1/4 yard of fabric for the foundation of the organizer, and 2-10″ by 21″ pieces of fabric for pockets. These fabric pieces can be of the same material as the foundation piece or of a coordinating or contrasting fabric. The foundation piece needs to be made of a comfortable fabric that is also sturdy and washable. Suggested materials are uncut or wide wale corduroy, microfiber suede, or soft upholstery fabric. Pre-washed denim would be nice for the Dad who likes a country or cowboy feel.
Pocket material can be any print or solid material as long as it’s sturdy and harmonizes with the foundation piece. Consider the decor of the room and Dad’s preferences when choosing the fabrics. For decorating the holder, you will need felt squares and puff paint or other fabric pens. Fabric glue or fusible web is used to attach the felt hands to the pockets.
Instructions:
Cut two pieces of foundation fabric 44″ by 22″. Sew them right sides together with a 1/2 inch seam along a 22″ side. The result is a strip 88″ long. Iron the seam open.
Fold the foundation piece in half lengthwise with right sides together. Press. Sew around the perimeter of this piece with 1/2-inch seams, leaving an 8-inch opening in the center of the long edge. Trim off the corners of the seam allowance and turn the piece right side out. Press with the iron, folding the raw edges inside along the opening.
Topstitch all around the foundation piece at 3/8 inch from the edge and again at 1/8 inch around the edge.
To make the pockets, cut 2 pieces of fabric 10″ by 21″. Fold each in half lengthwise, right sides together, and press. Stitch around the pocket piece with a 1/2-inch seam, leaving an opening for turning. Trim corners, turn to the right side, and press. Whipstitch the opening closed with tiny hand stitches. Topstitch around the outside edge like you did on the foundation piece. Repeat all steps for the other pocket piece.
Trace around each child’s hand on a piece of felt. Cut these out. Arrange the hands on the pocket pieces. If there are too many family members to fit on the pockets, some can be placed on the foundation piece above the pockets, on the part that lies over the arms. Using fabric glue or fusible web, attach the felt hands to the pockets.
Attach the pockets to the ends of the foundation strip by pinning them to the outside and topstitching along one of the lines of topstitching already made. Make extra stitches at the ends so the pocket won’t come loose easily. Now measure the width of the remote. Stitch up the pocket making a compartment the right width for the remote to fit. If the remote is short and will disappear into the pocket, stitch along the bottom of the remote pocket so that it is the right height. Plan another pocket to fit any other remotes Dad uses. Other compartments can be designed which will hold a folded newspaper, television guide, or paperback novel.
After the compartments are sewn down, let each child write his or her name on their own felt hand. Outline the hand with paint. Paint messages such as “We Love Dad!” on the pockets as desired. If using puff paint, follow manufacturer’s directions for making the paint puff.
This is designed to fit a very large chair. If it hangs down too far on the sides, simply take a tuck in the center of the foundation piece to shorten it.
