How to Custom Make Sofa Slipcovers

Adding a slip cover to your sofa can change your decor style.

Covering a sofa with a slip cover is a good way to extend the life of a sofa. A slip cover is the term used for a cover that slips over the existing upholstery of the sofa. This cover is designed to be easy to slip on and off for laundering. Usually slip covers are made in solid color fabrics. Making a slip cover for a sofa is easier than most people think. You also have the opportunity to select the fabric you want for the slip cover, which gives you additional design and decor options for your living room.

Things You'll Need

• Vacuum cleaner
• Upholstery shampoo
• Sewing tape measure
• Muslin
• Pins
• Scissors
• Sewing machine
• Fabric

Instructions

1. Remove any loose cushions from your sofa and vacuum and shampoo your sofa completely. You will want to cover a clean sofa in good repair. Wash and iron the fabric you will use to cover your sofa. This will prevent it from shrinking later.

2. Place muslin at the inside bottom of the sofa back, so that the fabric wraps up over the top of the sofa and down to the floor.

3. Position muslin at the inside bottom of the sofa back and wrap the fabric over the seat area and down the front to the floor. Pin the muslin along the back edge with a 1/2-inch seam allowance. (Pin to the outside as if the fabric is inside out.) Place muslin along the inside bottom of the sofa arm and wrap fabric over the arm. You may need to cut for a seam along the top front of the sofa back. Pin along your inside, side and back side seams for both arms. Remove any excess fabric and cut the hem 1/2 inch long to allow for sewing. Remove your cover.

4. Sew your muslin cover together with a baste stitch. Turn it right-side-out and try it over the sofa. Make any adjustments so that it fits properly. Label all of your pieces with a permanent marker. Rip your seams with a seam ripper, and you have the pattern for your sofa. Use your pattern to cut out your finish fabric pieces.

5. Place muslin on your work table and position the cushion over the fabric. Outline the shape of the cushion plus 1/2-inch seam allowance. Cut two pieces of muslin. Measure the side height of the cushion and the length of all four sides. Cut out your side fabric. Pin the top and bottom fabric to the side fabric around all four top sides and three bottom sides. Sew your muslin together with a baste stitch.

6. Turn your cushion cover right-side-out and fit the fabric over your cushion. It should fit snugly. Make sure you have enough room to add a hook-and-loop tape to the open back seam for your finished cushions. When you like the fit, rip the seams, label your pattern pieces and cut the same pieces out of your finish fabric.

7. Sew your finish fabric slip cover together by placing your pieces face-sides together and seaming. Sew your cushion covers together. Measure hook-and-loop tape and sew the tape across the bottom seam opening of each finished cushion cover. Fit your slip cover over your sofa. Cover your cushions.

Tips & Warnings

• The loose cushions will hold the slip cover in position on most couches. Some couches need for the slipcover to be wider to fit over bulging sofa arms. Consider adding a ribbon tie below this point so you can tighten the fabric with a tie after you place it on the sofa.

References

• In Out Decor: Slipcovers