Do It Yourself: How to Sew a Slipcover
Slipcovers can give your living room a fresh look, bring a bedraggled piece of furniture back to life or simply make it easier to keep your upholstery clean. While sewing slipcovers is a big project, it is both straightforward and rewarding. Choose an upholstery-weight fabric for your slipcovers, and consider whether washability is important to you. You may also want to add piping or trims to give your slipcovers style and a professionally finished look.
Things You'll Need
- Muslin or old sheets
- T-pins
- Upholstery fabric
- Sewing machine and coordinating thread
- Tape measure
- Piping or trims as desired
- Velcro hook and loop tape, or long upholstery zippers (one zipper per cushion plus one for the back of your slipcover)
Instructions
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How to Sew a Slipcover
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Measure your couch or chair for a slipcover. Remove all cushions and work methodically, section by section. Add 2 inches to each measurement to account for seams, and 5 inches to tuck in all around the seat. Measure each cushion as well. Allow additional slipcover fabric if you will be matching stripes or a print. As an alternative, you can make your pattern using muslin or old sheets without measuring, then measure the yardage required from your pattern as opposed to the piece of furniture if you prefer. In either case, your slipcover pattern will be made of muslin.
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Make your pattern. Cut muslin into basic rectangles based on your earlier measurements and the shape of your upholstered furniture piece. If you are working without measurements, simply work with long lengths of muslin or old sheets. Begin draping a slipcover pattern directly onto your chair or sofa. Drape each piece and pin into shape using T-pins. Cut each piece into shape, allowing generous seam allowances. Baste together and try your slipcover pattern on your sofa or chair inside-out. Make any necessary adjustments on your muslin pattern. Take out the basting stitches. Repeat this process for the cushions as necessary. If you have not measured prior to making your pattern, measure each pattern piece and add up the total amount of upholstery fabric you'll need.
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Use your completed pattern to cut your slipcovers out of upholstery fabric. Be careful to match prints, stripes or patterns as needed. Label each piece as you cut it out, using a fabric marker on the inside of the fabric or pinning a label into place. Iron each piece well before proceeding.
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Pin the arm pieces of your slipcover together and check the fit again. Insert piping into these seams if desired. Stitch the arm pieces together, first for one side and then for the other. Assemble the body of the slipcover, including the back cushion area and the back of the chair or sofa. You will need a Velcro closure or zipper at the back of the slipcover. Attach the arms to this piece, leaving a generous allowance to tuck in to help the slipcover stay in place. Sew the seat into place, leaving a tucking allowance, and attach the front and skirt as determined by your pattern.
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Sew cushion covers for each of your couch or chair cushions. A back zipper closure is ideal to allow for laundering or dry cleaning, and also to allow you to flip the cushions should they become soiled. Piping and trims can add additional personality to your cushions, or you can even opt for a contrasting fabric.
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Use leftover fabrics and trims to make throw pillows for your newly slipcovered couch or chair.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are covering multiple pieces of furniture, work on only one at a time, to avoid confusion. You may need to special-order fabric, so measuring your sofa or chair first can be smart.
