Slipcovers hide stains and other damages.
Covering an old couch or chair is as simple as tossing a sheet or blanket over the top and tucking the edges underneath. The finished result is a sloppy looking mess and, depending on the shape or size of your furniture, you may not even find a sheet large enough to cover everything. Making your own slipcovers does take some time, but you pick the fabric and all other elements. The finished slipcover perfectly fits your piece without any gaps or sags. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
1. Measure the back of the piece, the sides and the front, which includes the seat. Write down the measurements and take to a fabric store. Purchase pieces of fabric slightly bigger than your measurements to compensate for the seams. You need one piece of fabric large enough to cover each area of the furniture.
2. Drape the fabric pieces over the chair or couch, overlapping each piece. Adjust the placement of each piece, making sure that the fabric completely covers the furniture and that each fabric piece overlaps another fabric piece.
3. Pinch the fabric together with your fingers along each edge of the furniture. Slide the sewing pins through the fabric, attaching the pieces together and creating the location of the seams. Wherever you have two pieces of overlapping fabric, you need a seam.
4. Remove the cover from the furniture, being careful not to lose any pins. Place the thread in the sewing machine and stitch the fabric pieces together. Remove the sewing pins as you stitch. When all of the fabric pieces are sewn together, turn the piece inside out.
5. Place the slipcover onto the chair or couch and check the fit. Depending on the shape of your furniture, you may need to add in new stitches to compensate for any sags or uneven areas. Pull the fabric down, until the top of the slipcover sits even with the top of the furniture.
6. Fold the bottom inch of the fabric under, smoothing it with your hands. Remove the slipcover and apply a thin layer of the fabric glue to the back and press the folded area under. Once the glue dries, slide the slipcover back onto the furniture.
Tags: fabric pieces, chair couch, each piece, enough cover, fabric piece