Ooh, what is this stack of rainbow goodness? It is, in fact, a stack of kindergarten chair pockets. You know, those easily accessible pockets that hang over the back of a child-sized chair making their folders and supplies within reach?
Or maybe you don’t know. I didn’t know about them until C started kindergarten a few years ago and I immediately thought they were so clever. They are super simple, basically a rectangle with one pocket on one end to fit over the back of a chair and one pocket on the other side that you can reach into. When J started kindy this year and his teacher didn’t have them I asked her about it and she told me SHE couldn’t afford them (Yes. She, as an individual. Don’t even get me started). They are, apparently, around $8-$10 each, which gets pretty pricey when you have 20-25 kids at any given time.
Anyway, another mom in the class was an early student of mine and her love of sewing exploded. She and I looked at each other and pretty quickly decided we could make the darn chair pockets. Next time I was in the classroom, I measured the chairs and came up with quick instructions. Together the two of us made 25 chair pockets (once we gathered all the supplies including the fabric from Ikea, it took us each about a day and a half to sew them). The colors coordinate with the way the tables are organized in the classroom.
I almost didn’t blog about this because I don’t have pictures of them actually over a chair. Plus, they are so simple to make (especially in the cheater way I devised) but I ended up changing my mind for two reasons. 1. I’m kind of proud of these suckers and 2. other people might want to make some as well. So, here are the quick and dirty instructions:
You guys are so so sweet and amazing!! What a fantastic thing that you did! totally worthy of a pat on the back! 🙂
Yes. This is awesome. Super mama.
Fabulous! What a great thing to do in support of a teacher and the classroom. Simply wonderful.
What a wonderful idea! You both are so thoughtful and generous. I love the added touch of incorporating the colors that match how the tables are organized! So glad you posted this pattern for others parents who are looking for ways to help support teachers!
What a wonderful idea! You two are so thoughtful and generous. I love the added touch of incorporating the colors that go with how the tables are organized. So glad you decided to post this pattern for other parents who are looking to for ways to support teachers!
Helping my daughter for her K class I can see but never good at the math so if I need 26 seat pockets how many yards of fabric do I need?
Probably about 9 yards but you probably want to buy 9.5. I always pre-wash the fabric so they don’t shrink if a teacher needs to wash them. Good luck!
What a fabulous mom! Teachers really appreciate any help and support they get but this was so over-the-top!!! I’m jealous!
How much do u think everything cost after done? I don’t sew, but need 75, n cheapest I got was $4 each to see.
Oh my goodness! $4 is so cheap. When I estimated the cost of my time and the cost of supplies mine came out to nearly 4x that much!
I was wondering what kind of fabric you recommend for this. I’m looking at some waterproof canvas from Amazon.
I used a heavy canvas and they turned out very durable. If you need them to be waterproof then definitely go for that type of fabric. If you don’t need it that way, however, it might only add complexity and thickness to the project. Definitely think about your needs.
Thank you for the tip! 🙂
This is a tremendous gift! I have commercially-made chair pockets in my classroom (thanks to Scholastic bonus points), but they aren’t machine washable and about half of them get ripped all the way down one side of the pocket each year. When my current set finally gives up the ghost, I’m SO using your tutorial – thank you for posting it!
Wonderful! I’m thrilled it will be helpful!
Hi!! I think my chairs are the 14 inch ones (for first grade, do you know the measurements I should use for the fabric?
Hello! I think you will probably want to measure the height of the chair back and the width across…add an inch to each and adjust the pattern accordingly. You got this!
Is the bias tape just to add color?
It also keeps the raw fabric enclosed.
Do you have a picture of them on a chair? That would really help me. Many thanks!
This link includes a picture. https://ahappystitch.com/2016/06/07/kindergarten-chair-pockets-take-2/
I love this! I just have two questions. For the first step do you mean I should fold the short edge in around 5/8 inch twice and then sew the edge? Both sides? Also for the folding, do I fold one side to the front and pin and then turn the fabric over and fold the other side? Sorry I’m a teacher and I’m trying to make these for my current class! Thank you!!
I hope I can answer your questions. I made these so long ago so I’m hoping I remember correctly. For the first step, you do want to fold the short ends TWICE on both short ends! It doesn’t have to be 5/8″ twice, in fact that might be a lot. You can definitely get away with folding 1/2″ or less with each fold. It doesn’t have to be too precise, the purpose of this step is just to create a fold. And, yes, one pocket is created on each side…so you fold one to the “front” and one to the other side. This post has more photos and might help. https://ahappystitch.com/2016/06/07/kindergarten-chair-pockets-take-2/
Also! I’m excited and thrilled that this is useful for your classroom! I hope you can send a picture and stay healthy!