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How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector

November 14, 2013 12 Comments

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How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Above is a rare glimpse of my handsome bigger dog Woodrow*, a chow mix whose fur sheds everywhere. It’s the kind of fur that seems to weave its way into everything, including car upholstery. The last thing I want to do in the middle of  a long road trip with two pooches is to take a break to vacuum the back seat of my beloved Kia Optima. If you ever travel with pets, or even messy kids, I recommend making your own back seat protector. Even with the most basic of sewing skills, which is totally the camp I fall in, you can sew this back seat protector in an afternoon. With this washable car accessory, you can make your dogs feel at home – even in the car.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

*He’s scared of the noises my camera makes! Aww, right?

Supplies

4.25 yds nylon strapping material, 1 inch wide
1 inch wide slide release buckle
3 packages of 3 inch double fold bias tape/quilt binding
2 yds – polar fleece that’s at least 54 inches wide
2 yds – 54 inch upholstery fabric
sewing machine
thread
fabric scissors
tape measure
straight pins
iron

Directions

Measure the back seat of your car for dimensions listed below. If you’re driving a 2006 Kia Optima like me, you can use my dimensions.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Iron your upholstery fabric before beginning to remove any wrinkles. Cut your fabric so it meets your back seat’s dimensions. To make purchasing and cutting fabric easier, I stuck to two yards (72 inches) of fabric length. 54 inches is a standard width for fabric, so I decided to make my finished back seat cover 54 by 72 inches for simplicity’s sake. Remember when I said I’m no expert seamstress?

Pin your fabric together, wrong sides facing each other. Sew a basting stitch all the way around to keep the large pieces of fabric in place when you sew. Remove the pins. Pin bias tape all the way around the edges of your fabric and sew it in place with a sewing machine, removing your pins as you go.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied Iron all of the bias tape to smooth it out.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Cut your nylon strapping into the following lengths: 80 inches, 30 inches (2 pieces), 7 inches. Thread the 7 inch piece through the female end of the slide release buckle.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Sew a square with an X through it near the buckle, as shown.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Measure 25 inches (or the height of your back seat) from the shorter end of the rectangle of fabric, and mark it with a pin.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Hand sew the raw end of the nylon strapping to the rectangle where you marked it, folding under the raw edges.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Thread the 80 inch piece of nylon through the other end of the slide release buckle. Fold the end of the nylon nearest the buckle over twice and sew down. Fold over once the other end of the nylon and sew it to the fabric rectangle at the 25 inch mark using a box with an X through it.

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Measure the location of your back seat’s head rests. Sew a 30 inch piece of nylon strapping to the rectangle in a horseshoe shape where it will be able to loop over the head rests to keep the back of the seat covered. You should sew each end of the horseshoe shape using the box with an X through it for maximum security.

That’s it! A DIY back seat protector to keep your ride clean and your pooches happy. Isn’t the bones and bandana fabric cute, by the way? :)

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Storm, unlike Woodrow, does not fear the sound of a camera shutter. 

How-to: Back Seat Pet Protector | Hands Occupied

Nor, apparently, does she fear the open road. 

This post is sponsored by Kia.

Filed Under: Giveaways, Reviews & Sponsored, How-to, Pet Projects, Sewing Tagged With: back seat guard, back seat protector, blanket, car guard, craft, crafts, diy, dogs, kia, kia optima, pet diy, pet project, pets, Sewing

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad (she/her) is a craft book author & designer specializing in yarn crafts. Her work combines vintage and modern design elements, prioritizing color and graphic motifs. Her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now.

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Comments

  1. M

    November 16, 2013 at 9:30 am

    So I’m interested in trying to make this, but I can’t figure out what the 80 inch nylon strap at the 25 inch mark is there for. Do you fold down your seat and wrap the strap around the whole seat-back? I also don’t understand why the size of the project is the height of the backseat X 2 + the depth of the backseat. Are you talking about the distance from the floor to the backseat + the depth of the backseat + the height of the back of the backseat?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 17, 2013 at 8:18 am

      Hi M!

      Yes, the strap straps behind the entire backseat if you’ve got one that flips down. I included it since mine does, but also in case I ever need to take my dogs in a friend’a car on a trip and need to step it to a SUV seat or something like that.

      I included the back seat height twice so that the cover would hang down to the floor for extra protection. You can really customize this basic pattern however you like! You can also include a second
      set if nylon “horseshoes” – as I called them – on the other end of the cover to make the cover rotatable. You can also use a second set of “horseshoes” to hook the far end onto the front seats’ headrests, creating a sort of hammock, like this: http://pinterest.com/pin/63472675971529111/

      Thanks for your great questions- let me know if the link doesn’t work for you.

      Heidi :)

      Reply
  2. Anne

    November 17, 2013 at 10:01 am

    Awesome!! I’ve linked to your tutorial over at Craft Gossip: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/tutorial-back-seat-cover-to-protect-your-car-from-pet-hair/2013/11/17/
    –Anne

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 17, 2013 at 10:08 am

      Thanks, Anne! You’re the best :).

      Reply
  3. Linda G

    November 17, 2013 at 12:53 pm

    On way to car wash to vacuum car, Joanns for fabric and home to make this!!

    Reply
    • Heidi

      November 17, 2013 at 3:43 pm

      Awesome! When you make it, I’d love to see some pics! I’ve got a reader gallery I’m always looking to share people’s projects in :) -Heidi

      Reply
  4. Linda G

    November 17, 2013 at 8:45 pm

    Made it!! Pics later – but wanted to let you know my variation – I put elastic on the top instead of a buckle – slides over the headrests and a bit easier :)

    Reply
  5. Linda L

    June 14, 2014 at 9:05 pm

    This looks great! I will give this a try for our dog (a Dalmatian that really sheds). I think I will make mine with some slits for the seat belts. Our dog wears a harness with a seat belt attachment, so the slit will be necessary to access the receiving side of the buckle. Also, I am thinking of using fleece. Slits will be easy with that since fleece doesn’t ravel. Any thoughts or suggestions for me before I get started? :-)

    Reply
    • Heidi

      June 15, 2014 at 7:45 pm

      That sounds great- just remember to get enough bias tape to cover those openings! I’d love to see it when you’re done :)

      Reply
  6. Teresa

    February 3, 2015 at 1:57 pm

    Hi! I’m just wondering if you know anyone willing to sell these? I would love one and do not have the time to make one.
    Thanks so much,
    Teresa

    Reply
    • Heidi

      February 3, 2015 at 4:58 pm

      I’ve seen similar items on Etsy and Amazon – just search for them and a few options come up. Best of luck!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Tutorial: Back seat cover to protect your car from pet hair | Sewing | CraftGossip.com says:
    November 17, 2013 at 9:58 am

    […] When it gets covered with hair, you can take it out of the car and send through the wash.  Go to Hands Occupied to see how to make […]

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi (she/her/hers), and I’ve been helping yarn crafters untangle various techniques on the internet since 2010. I got my start here, as a blogger, and since then I’ve shared more than a few tutorials here and on YouTube as I’ve grown as a pattern designer. 🧶 

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POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern POV: Showing you how my new Bevelled Tank pattern fits with no ease vs. 4” of positive ease. There’s a bit more length to the cotton (brighter color) sample, but both are cropped and feature shoulder seams designed to sit an inch back onto the shoulder instead of on top, giving it a little swing. Length is easily adjustable for folks looking for less of a crop. 
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Pattern: Bevelled Tank by @handsoccupied for @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn summer 2024. Available for free from Hobbii at the 🔗 in my profile.
Yarn pictured: @kelbournewoolens Skipper and Camper. 
Dress form is adjusted to a 36” chest and ~5’3”ish in height. 
Human has a 40” chest and is 5’5”.
Both skirts are vintage.
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Let’s talk about fit and ease! . During the Beve Let’s talk about fit and ease!
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During the Bevelled Tank design process for @pompommag, I knit 2 samples using 2 different @KelbourneWoolens yarns. One was in Skipper (100% cotton, second photo) and the other was in Camper (100% 2 ply wool). The Skipper sample was knit for a 36” bust, which measures in at 40” with 4” of positive ease. And I knit the Camper Sample for my 40” bust with a 44” finished measurement. (BTW, I’m 5’5” for folks that find that measurement helpful in visualizing fit.)
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Based on the size chart for the Bevelled Tank, that means I knit one size 3 sample and one size 4. As designed, I conveniently fit a size 4 as intended with 4” of positive ease. When I wear the 3, there is no ease at all because the garment and my body are both 40” in size. Comparing the 2 garments, you can see how the fiber content (cotton vs. wool) and fit (no ease vs. 4” of positive ease) makes a difference in the look and feel of the finished garment. 
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These samples are a great way to compare what ease looks like on different bodies. While I can fit both a size 3 and 4, the garment with no ease feels more like pajamas or a bralette when I wear it. On the other hand, when I wear the one with 4” of positive ease, I feel comfortable enough to wear it to work, even as a crop top. Plus, it leaves me with enough room to layer it with a nice button down if I’m not feeling the cropped look one day. 
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After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m ba After a 6 month hiatus, I am happy to say I’m back with a brand new pattern in 9 sizes, and it’s FREE as part of @pompommag x @hobbii_yarn’s summer design collection! (Link is in my bio.)
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In my December newsletter, I announced that I was soliciting test knitters for a pattern that had originally been selected for the summer ’24 issue of Pom Pom Quarterly magazine. However, the magazine ceased publication after its spring ’24 issue, leaving in-progress designs unpublished. (It happens.) As a result, I’d begun the long process of editing, testing, and photographing the pattern for independent release through the Hands Occupied pattern shop and Ravelry.
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Before I was done with that process, Pom Pom Quarterly’s former editors reached out with an exciting proposal for the pattern. Post-magazine, they’ve begun to partner with yarn companies to produce high quality pattern collections. They wanted to include designs from the would-be current issue of Pom Pom Quarterly in a new collection for Hobbii yarn, including my Bevelled Tank. I worked with the same technical editors I would have for the magazine on this one, and as you can see from the photos, Pom Pom’s team did an amazing job of styling the garment to the beautiful standards they’re known for.
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You can learn more about the pattern on my blog and get the free pattern from Hobbii yarn - links to both in my profile. I’ll post sizing info in the comments for quick reference too. 🧶
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Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vi Here’s a nice throwback for you: my take on a vintage knitting pattern from 1938 called the Fernlace Pullover. A pattern so nice, I knit it twice.
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Yellow version 💛: knit with Despondent Dyes’ Vintage Vixen Sport after attending a @squidneyknits vintage knitting retreat in 2019 & learning *so much*. Paired with a self-drafted circle skirt pattern. 
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Blue version 💙: knit with @eweeweyarns Ewe So Sporty in Sky Blue. Paired with the 1940s Boardwalk Duet sewing pattern from @decades_of_style 
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Head to my stories for 🔗🔗 to the handmade wardrobe blog posts I wrote about each take on the Fernlace Pullover, working with a vintage pattern, where to find vintage patterns (including the one I used), & some thoughts on sizing. 
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Frogging is a word in the knitting world that mean Frogging is a word in the knitting world that means to rip out your knitting. It’s called frogging because frogs say “ribbit,” and when you’re tearing out your knitting, you will “rip it” out, and that sounds like ribbit. No really. 🐸 Did you know this fun fact? 
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P.S. I did like this design concept, but to make the pattern more knitter friendly as well as more wearable, I am making some tweaks to the construction. Excited to share when it’s ready! 🥰🧶
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Yarn: @blueskyfibers Woolstok North in Morning Frost & Highland Fleece 
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