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DIY Armchair Caddy Tutorial

DIY Armchair Caddy on an Overstuffed Chair

The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Stow Your Supplies on the Arm of Your Chair

Crafting and watching Netflix is a favorite activity for so many crafters, and this DIY armchair caddy helps hold your supplies while you watch! It's perfect for holding embroidery and hand-sewing tools, crochet hooks, measuring taps, and even glasses and a remote!

You can sew this helpful organizer in an afternoon so you're ready for your next session of stitching and watching!

Armchair Caddy Tools and Supplies

Armchair Caddy Materials
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Materials

  • Linen or another base fabric: 1/2 yard or a fat quarter
  • Print: 1 or 2 fat quarters
  • Solid (for backing/lining): 1/2 yard
  • Fusible interfacing: 3/4 yard
  • Thread

Tools

Cut and Prepare the Pieces

Cut and Prepare the Fabric Pieces
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Use a rotary cutter to cut the pieces for your armchair caddy, then fuse interfacing following the manufacturer's instructions.

From linen fused with interfacing:

  • Cut one 13x21-inch piece

From print fabric fused with interfacing:

  • Cut one 5.5x16-inch piece
  • Cut one 5.5x13-inch piece

From print fabric (no interfacing): 

  • Cut one 3.5x4.5-inch piece

From solid fabric (no interfacing):

  • Cut one 13x21-inch piece
  • Cut one 5.5x16-inch piece
  • Cut one 5.5x13-inch piece
  • Cut one 3.5x4.5-inch piece

Sew the Pockets

Sew the Pocket Pieces
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Set aside the large linen and solid pieces. Match the pieces of the same sizes for the pockets, placing them right sides together. 

Pin and sew along one long edge of larger pieces. Sew around all four sides of the smallest pocket, leaving an opening for turning. Use a 1/4-inch seam allowance.

Press the seam on the larger pieces, then turn them so they now have wrong sides facing. Topstitch 1/8-inch from the seam.

Trim the corners of the small pocket and turn it right side out. Press to remove wrinkles and press under the seam allowance. Topstitch 1/8-inch from the edge on one short end. This is the top of the pocket.

Prepare the Gusseted Pocket Panel

Press the Pocket Gussets
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

On the long pocket piece, press a crease six inches in from each edge for the front of the center pocket.

Fold and press the pocket gusset about 3/8-inch from the first crease in the opposite direction on each side. The folds on each side should form a Z and a backward Z. 

Fold and press another 3/8-inch pocket gusset on each side of the center pocket. The folds should almost touch when flat. 

Place the Pocket Panels

Pin the Pockets in Place on the Armchair Caddy
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Lay the linen piece flat and pin the smallest pocket piece with the bottom edge 2 inches from the bottom of the linen and with 9 inches on each side. Sew the two sides and bottom 1/8-inch from the seams, forming the pocket.

Pin the gusseted pocket piece on one side and the plain pocket piece on the other with raw edges aligned. Topstitch between each of the gusseted pockets. If you wish to divide the flat pocket, you can topstitch down the middle of this piece.

Sew and Finish the Armchair Caddy

DIY Armchair Caddy Flat With Items
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Pin the solid fabric to the linen piece with right sides together. Sew around the four sides, leaving an opening on the linen section without a pocket. Use a 3/8-inch seam allowance.

Trim the corners to reduce bulk, then turn the armchair caddy right side out. Press the seams open and press under the seam allowance on the opening. Hand sew the opening with a slip stitch.

You can put your new organizer to use!

Tuck Large Items Away

Armchair Caddy Large Pocket
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

Hang your armchair caddy over the arm of a chair or sofa, then stow your most-used tools in the pockets. 

The large flat pocket is great for holding embroidery hoops, patterns or instructions, and even a book. Of course, since this is a large pocket, lots of things can go in here, but you may want smaller items in the gusseted pockets so they are easy to find.

Keep Small Items Safe

Top Pocket of a DIY Armchair Caddy
The Spruce / Mollie Johanson

No one wants to fish around for tiny items that like to hide! Use the smallest top pocket for holding an Apple TV remote or your favorite pair of embroidery scissors.

If you like to do a lot of hand sewing for English paper piecing or embroidery, you can add a magnet or a magnetic needle minder to the empty space on the top of this caddy. It will keep your needles and pins safely in place!