How to Make Blanket Seat Covers for a Truck
by Gryphon Adams
Blanket seat covers hide a truck's old upholstery, protect new upholstery, or add to its sporty, wild or laid-back character. Blankets provide warmth in winter and prevent leg-burn from leather or vinyl in summer. Hand-woven blankets from Mexico make colorful truck seat covers. Natural cotton blankets stay cooler in summer than most other blankets. Many people who drive trucks don't sew; you can make seat covers without going near a needle. Pick out a couple of blankets and simple fasteners to create your own no-sew blanket seat covers.
Step 1
Remove the bottom of the bench seat---the seat area. If there's room to slip a strap behind the seat back, leave the seat back in place. On some truck models, it's necessary to remove the entire seat.
Step 2
Drape a blanket over the truck's seat lengthwise. The head and foot of the blanket go towards the truck doors. Clip a sheet garter to the upper corner of the blanket at the top of the seat back. If possible, push the sheet suspender behind the seat back and retrieve it below. Push the free end of the sheet suspender toward the passenger door. If you removed the entire seat, clip a suspender to two corners of the blanket. The clips go on the top and bottom corner of the blanket on the same side.
Step 3
Walk around to the passenger side of the truck and open the door. Pull the sheet suspender away from the seat back toward the foot well on the passenger side. The sheet suspenders will form an "X" behind the seat to hold the blanket seat cover in place.
Step 4
Repeat the installation of the sheet suspender with the other suspender strap starting at the passenger side and clipping the upper corner of the blanket. Extend the suspender's opposite end into the driver's foot well.
Step 5
Tuck the edge of the blanket over the seat back. Have an assistant help you return the seat to the truck interior--either the entire seat, or the seat area of the bench.
Step 6
Tuck at least 2 inches of the blanket into the crease between the backrest and the seat.
Step 7
Lift the front end of the bench seat. Clip the loose ends of the suspenders to the blanket corners in the in the front. If the suspender tension is loose, clip the suspender ends farther away from the corner of the blanket until the suspenders pull the blanket snugly over the seat. Tuck the edge of the blanket under the front and side edges of the seat---the sides of the seat near each door.
Step 8
Push the top edge of the blanket over the seatback. Use a ruler or stick to push it into the crack while pulling the seat back forward. Get the blanket even on the seat.
Step 9
Push the seat back into place so that it locks into position. Adjust the blanket cover by tucking it further into the crease or on the sides--or under the front edge at the floor level, if necessary.
Tips
- Refer to your truck's handbook or the manufacturer's website if you're unfamiliar with how to remove the seat.
Things You'll Need
- Blankets (1 for each seat, if the truck has a rear seat)
- Sheet suspenders
- Ruler or stick, if needed
- Assistant
Writer Bio
Gryphon Adams began publishing in 1985. He contributed to the "San Francisco Chronicle" and "Dark Voices." Adams writes about a variety of topics, including teaching, floral design, landscaping and home furnishings. Adams is a certified health educator and a massage practitioner. He received his Master of Fine Arts at San Francisco State University.
