Start Making Slipcovers To Transform Your Furniture

Making slipcovers for your couch, dining room chairs, ottomans, or easy chairs is an inexpensive and relatively quick way to spruce up a shabby looking piece of furniture. It’s also a great way to update your furniture pieces to fit into your new decorating theme for pennies compared to the price of purchasing brand new items.

Don’t let the idea of sewing your own slipcover become overwhelming to you. If you can sew a straight seam, you’re already halfway there!

You don’t have to include a pattern for your slipcover into your budget because it’s easy enough to create your own pattern. Follow these sewing instructions and steps for making slipcovers and you can transform your furniture.

1) Draw a picture of the furniture piece you want to cover. Use this drawing to write down all of your measurements. This will serve as a handy reference tool when shopping for fabric.

2) How much fabric is required for your furniture piece? Using a tape measure, write down the measurements of your furniture item – the back, front, seats, sides, and any cushions (if you want to cover the cushions separately). Include in your measurements an additional 1¼” to your width and length for a comfortable seam allowance. Plan to purchase around 2-3 yards of additional fabric in order to create proper closures (overlapping with Velcro, ties, or zippers).

3)Next step to making slipcovers is to choose your fabric. What sort of look do you want to achieve? Chintz, denim, broadcloth and drapery fabric all work very well for slipcovers. Bed sheets can also work well as long as they’re in excellent condition.

4) Purchase sewing thread to match your project. Chalk is also a helpful tool for marking your fabric (it will wash out or can be brushed away).

5) Wash, dry and iron all of your fabric prior to marking, cutting and sewing.

6) Your fabric should be facing wrong side up when you begin to mark. Measure and mark the largest pieces of fabric first. Continue measuring and marking until all of the pieces are laid out on the fabric. Label each piece to avoid confusion later.

7) Cut your pieces carefully. You may want to consider using pinking shears to cut your fabric pieces to avoid excessive raveling of the edges.

8) Pin the seams of each piece together at roughly 2-inch intervals and with the fabric inside out.

9) Making slipcovers is somewhat likened to putting together a puzzle. Sew the arm pieces together. Attach each arm piece to the back of the slipcover. Continue to add the seat pieces and front pieces as you go. Envision the slipcover as a whole and add the pieces accordingly.

10) It’s helpful to sew the seams that will dead-end into each other first and then add the other pieces.

11) Once all of the pieces have been sewn together, turn the slipcover inside out and fit it to your furniture piece. Adjust, tuck, or straighten to make it fit just right.

Once you learn how to make a slipcover for one item of furniture, the others in your home will be easier. You’ll love the way the slipcovered furniture changes the look of the room and you’ll feel great knowing that you didn’t spend a fortune to achieve the look!

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