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Home » Sewing » DIY Wheelchair Coat with an Open Back
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February 10, 2020 by: sewwhatalicia

DIY Wheelchair Coat with an Open Back

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DIY Wheelchair Coat with an Open Back

Finding adaptive clothing for wheelchairs can be difficult. Especially for an almost teenage boy who needs lots of options to choose from! Today I am sharing a tutorial for how I created an easy open back wheelchair coat that is not hard at all to sew. This will let you pick any coat off the rack at any store and turn it into a DIY wheelchair coat.

DIY Wheelchair Coat: Create your own adaptive clothing with this easy tutorial. Click through for a full tutorial including a video walkthrough. | www.sewwhatalicia.com

Short Cuts hide
1 What does adaptive clothing mean?
2 Supplies for the wheelchair winter coat:
3 How to make a wheelchair coat
4 VIDEO adaptive coat for wheelchair users
5 Pin DIY Wheelchair Coat
6 DIY Wheelchair Coat
7 Equipment
8 Materials
9 Instructions
10 Video
11 Related

What does adaptive clothing mean?

Adaptive clothing is clothing that has been adapted in some way to meet the needs of differently abled people. This can be clothing that is easy to remove that has extra zippers, magnets, velcro, or snaps. It takes into account the needs of people who have limited use of their extremities and people who are in wheelchairs.

Adaptive clothing is meant to help differently abled individuals have more independence to dress themselves. Magnetic closures are frequently used because they are much easier to close than a traditional button.

Adaptive clothing may also worn by people with sensory issues. An adaptive shirt or coat for someone with a sensory issue might be weighted to better meet their needs. There are a wide variety of people who may benefit from this type of clothing and a wide variety of ways to adapt clothing.

Supplies for the wheelchair winter coat:

Magnets

Coat – You can use almost any coat that you find at the store or online. If you use a down coat you will lose some of the down and it will be a bit messy, but it is still doable.

Coordinating binding fabric – I used a soft fleece fabric that blends almost exactly with the coat. You However this would be a good place to play with color, you could pick a contrasting color.

How to make a wheelchair coat

  • Open the coat and lie it flat. Use your measuring tape or ruler to find the middle of the back of the coat.
  • Mark along the middle line using pins or chalk. Cut a straight line along your marked middle line. This cut should go from the very bottom all the way to the top and through the collar.

pictured cutting coat back

  • Measure the length of the cut edge. Cut two strips of your coordinating fabric that measures 2″ by the edge measurement plus 1″. For example, if your cut edge measures 30″, you will cut two strips of coordinating fabric that measure 31″ x 2″.
  • Fold the short edge of the coordinating fabric up 1/2″ on the top and on the bottom. You can stitch this 1/2″ in place, press it, or just pin it. If you’re using cotton, fold the strip in half longways, press the folded edge. If you’re using fleece, as I have done, do not fold the fabric in half long ways.

pictured cut coat with fleece pinned to raw edge

  • Lie the cotton fabric strip raw edges facing the raw edge of the coat, on the right side of the cut edge of the coat. Sew in place using a scant 1/4″ straight stitch. For fleece (or non fraying fabric,) place one raw edge along the raw edge of the coat and sew in place.
  • Fold the strip over to cover the raw edge of the coat. Stitch in place on the back side using a zig zag stitch to catch the edge of the fabric strip.

pictured wheelchair coat with finished back

VIDEO adaptive coat for wheelchair users

Looking for more wheelchair clothing patterns? Check out THIS post for another great adaptive clothing tutorial. You might also like THESE disability cut files.

Pin DIY Wheelchair Coat

DIY Wheelchair Coat: Create your own adaptive clothing with this easy tutorial. Click through for a full tutorial including a video walkthrough. | www.sewwhatalicia.com

Print
3.67 from 3 votes

DIY Wheelchair Coat

Prep Time2 hrs
Active Time2 hrs
Keyword: Sewing
Yield: 1 Coat
Cost: $5

Equipment

  • Sewing Machine
  • Rotary Cutter
  • Straight Edge Ruler

Materials

  • 1 package Magnets
  • 1/2 yard Coordinating Fabric
  • 1 Store bought Coat or Jacket

Instructions

  • Cut the back of your coat apart down the middle.
    pictured cutting coat back
  • Cut a strip of fabric the length of the coat back plus 1".
  • Fold the short edges of the fabric up 1/2".
  • Fold the strip in half longways. Press.
  • Lie the fabric strip on the right side of the coat. The raw edges of the strip should meet the raw edge of the coat. Sew in place using a scant 1/4" straight stitch.
    pictured cut coat with fleece pinned to raw edge
  • Fold the strip over the raw edge of the coat. Sew in place along the folded edge.
    pictured wheelchair coat with finished back
  • Attach the magnet by creating a pocket or just sewing the magnets to the two top sides of the coat.

Video

Related

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alicia

About Alicia

Hi I am Alicia thanks for taking some time out of your day to be with me! I am crazy about sewing and blogging! I love creating tutorials and patterns and sharing ideas with people! Read more...

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Comments

  1. Conny says

    February 10, 2020 at 1:58 pm

    5 stars
    I’m very happy with this tutorial. It will help my grandson to feel more comfortable.
    Thank you!

    Reply
  2. HELEN ROURKE says

    February 12, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    I am an Occupational Therapist and I regularly recommend a similar idea to my wheelchair using clients. It makes life so much easier.

    Reply
  3. Natalie N says

    November 13, 2020 at 10:49 am

    Just a quick question: are the magnets meant to fasten the jacket edges together, or are they meant to magnetically attach to the back of the wheelchair?

    Reply
    • sewwhatalicia says

      November 16, 2020 at 7:04 pm

      We use them to close the edges of the jacket together. But having them attach to the chair is a GREAT idea!!!

      Reply
  4. Lynda Nuzzo says

    January 20, 2021 at 6:18 pm

    Thank you so much for sharing this pattern
    My brother just visited me he was hurt in Desert Storm
    I will certainly make this for him

    Reply
  5. Juliana J Tilden says

    November 15, 2021 at 8:51 am

    I noticed that your son in the picture has a chest strap like my son does in his chair. My son uses a butterfly strap. Where does the coat go in the back? Outside the chair or inside around the straps? Could you show a picture?
    Thanks,
    Juliana

    Reply
    • sewwhatalicia says

      March 3, 2022 at 3:20 pm

      If I can get him to cooperate it goes inside and under the straps. He is getting older though so sometimes we just tuck it behind as best we can and call it good! Pre-teens, am I right?

      Reply
  6. Ryker says

    May 24, 2022 at 3:50 am

    1 star
    Can y’all just call us disabled people plz?!?! DISABLED ISN’T A BAD WORD!!!!!!!

    Reply
    • sewwhatalicia says

      January 25, 2023 at 7:22 am

      You are absolutely right. I have since learned and know better. I will be better moving forward. Thanks for your comment!

      Reply

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