How to Make a Slipcover Quickly
It can be embarrassing to have furniture with stains, torn armrests or damage from pets out for the whole world to see. The absolute quickest fix is to buy a slipcover for your needs, but most factory-made slipcovers tend to fit only certain styles and make the couch look lumpy. Learn how to make a quick and easy fitted slipcover that you will never want to remove.
Things You'll Need
- 7 to 10 yards of upholstery fabric, at least 60 inches wide
- Denim weight thread
- Denim machine needles
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine or serger
- Staple gun or hook and loop fasteners
- Washing machine
- Iron
- Measuring tape
Instructions
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Pre-wash your fabric to remove any sizing before ironing it flat (no need for a fold line). Remove all cushions and covers from your couch. Divide your couch mentally into smaller regions that touch. For example, combine the back of the couch and the sides and the front of the arms and the curves over top of them. You are going to lay your fabric over each of these regions, trim it to fit and pin it to the piece of the region next to it.
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Lay the fabric wrong side up over the curve of one arm. Let the fabric drape from just above the floor all the way over the arm to the bottom where the cushions rest. Trim the fabric to fit, but leave 1/2-inch seam allowance on the edges where you need to join a piece to this one. Pin it directly to the couch with a few pins.
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Lay another piece wrong side up along the front of the arm. Trim it so that the edges overlap with the seam allowance on the curved piece. Do not forget to leave a seam allowance on the required edges. Pin the front piece and the curved piece together, remove them from the couch, sew together, turn right side out and check the fit on the opposite arm of the couch. If your couch is not symmetrical, then you will want to lay your fabric right side up and pin the seams off the couch. Always double check the fit before sewing. Repeat on the opposite arm. Turn both arm pieces wrong side out again and replace them over the arms.
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4
Drape a large section of fabric over the back of the couch so that it goes from just above the floor, up and over the top and down to the seat where the cushions rest. Trim this to match the arms and the seat. Leave a 1/2-inch seam allowance as always. Pin together any seams that touch. Sew and check the fit. Turn it wrong side out again and replace it on the couch.
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Continue draping the fabric, trimming, pinning and sewing until you have filled in all the gaps. You will likely need a piece for the sides of the back of the couch, the sides below the armrests, the seat area and the front edge of the couch. To attach it to the couch, you can either use hook and loop fasteners or staple it to the bottom. If you want the bottom to hang free, simply hem it and add some piping or kick pleat the corners to give it a nicer look.
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To cover the cushions, measure the edges of the top, and the width and circumference of the side. Cut two panels that equal the top plus 1/2-inch seam allowance all the way around. Cut the strip for the side in one long continuous piece, sew the narrow ends together, sew one panel to the top edge and sew the other panel to the bottom edge, leaving an opening to insert the cushion and then sew it shut by hand.
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