Furniture Slipcovers

[TinaBoBina]

I found this very vague tutorial for making a slipcover...

http://www.repair-home.com/how_to_make_slipcover.html

If anyone is able to do this and could post it on a video or redo a tutorial with some pictures, it would greatly be appreciated.

[zombied]

I'd love to slipcover my couches too, but the cost of materials is prohibitive for me right now. I second a tutorial!

[TinaBoBina]

I've discovered some awesome fabric from the Salvation Army (Goodwill is just too damn expensive up here) that I would love to work with. I would just like to be able to learn to measure correctly so it would fit snug and not bust the seams when I try to sit down on the cushion or something :)

[chacha-vintage]

hey tinabobina!

i don't know if you're wedded to the idea of a slipcover... i actually reupholstered my couch instead of doing the slipcover thing.

i used some curtains or something i found at the thrift store and a staple gun. (wish i had pics but this was a while ago) i took the pillows off and basically draped large pieces of fabric over the parts i wanted to cover. i pinned them so they looked good, then finished them off with the staple gun. (staple into the frame of the couch)

then i used a different fabric and made covers for the 3 back cushions (not even finished on the edge, just tucked under the bottom, or safety pins or something!). then i made one huge cover for the three seat cushions. so these cushion covers could be removed and washed, while the other fabric obviously is stapled on.

let me know if you try it! good luck!

[TinaBoBina]

You know, I had thought of doing that just because it would give me the tight fit I was looking for. I just wanted to be able to take it off and wash it if I needed to. Do you remember how much fabric did you ended up needing?

[lizzymahoney]

For a normal sized sofa, you need about 8 yards of fabric. That's assuming you have 54" wide fabric, not the more commonly available 45" wide. When guesstimating for fabric customers who didn't have measurements, I always told them not to even consider it if they didn't have at least 8 yards.

Think of it this way: draping a string or a measuring tape from the floor up to the seat, in to the back and then over and down is going to be between three and four yards. With the width of the fabric, you'd have to do it over two seating sides, so that's seven or eight yards, but you still have the arms and the vertical sides.

It's not that hard to do, but you have to be creative and stick to it.

Most non decorator fabrics will stretch and bag over time, so you really might want to stick with the stiffer heavier weight fabrics. Although just because a fabric is a "decor" fabric it doesn't mean it will stand up to hard use either.

[TinaBoBina]

Thanks so much :) Once we get all moved into our new house, this will be the first project on my list!

[sammejj]

great im so gonna try this : )