Three Ways to Slipcover Your Sofa 

There are three ways to slipcover a sofa.  Sew a slipcover with our Free how to instructions, make a slipcover without sewing a stitch or buy a slipcover!

Camouflaging your sofa or chair with textiles can give you a great look.  The slipcover experimenting is fun too.

Get creative and be open minded.  It may work or you may get a great laugh or two.  All the while you will build your creative and decorating confidence in the fun of it.

Try this with sheets, linens, bed spreads and fabrics you already own before you go buy new ones.  You may realize this wrapped look is not your decorating style.  

Shop Home Decor at LNT.com, ShowPlace Furniture Covers and Shop for furniture covers at HomeVisions for a ready made slipcover that may better suite your decorating style.

These instructions are for a sofa but can as easily be used on a chair.  This technique is for a layered look.  

You will use several pieces of fabric to cover a sofa.  One for the back, two for the arms and another for the seat cushions.  

Your fabrics can all be the same or use several patterns and textures.  Possibly a quilt over the back and down the front. Some old curtains for the arms and a blanket on the seat cushions…….  

Ethnic woven and printed patterns are interesting.  Several quilts could work as well……  

Lets get started on this project!   

• Pull the chair or sofa you are going to cover away from everything so you can get all the way around it.  If your sofa is against the wall, just pull it out far enough to drape over it.  

• Go to your linen closet, cedar chest, anywhere you store bedspreads, blankets, tablecloths, sheets…Pull out all the textiles that would work in your decorating style.  

• If none of your things are your decorating style, use what you have anyway just to practice, be creative and see if you like the look.  If you like the look, then check out all the textile selections and the   Shop for Bedding at LNT.com    Shop for bedding at HomeVisions  

• Remove all the cushions from the sofa.  

• Take your cover and start draping….

• Drape over the arms first.  Fold the fabric so it fits around the arm from the seat across the side of the arm and around the back of the arm to tuck behind the back.

• From each arm, on the side of the sofa straighten the fabric so it is just above the floor, is smooth up over the arm and down to the seat of the sofa.  You will want at least twenty inches or more fabric flat on the seat.

• Wrap the fabric around the front of the arm. Tuck the excess under the fabric on the inside of the arm.  Like wrapping a package.  Smooth excess on the front of the sofa below the seat.  The fabric over  the seat and seat cushions will help hold this in place.

• Wrap the fabric around the back of the arm and smooth the excess along the back.  You may need to use a couple of pins to hold it in place.

• Do both arms.

• Take the cover you want for the back and front under the cushions.  Center it on the sofa.  Start draping from the floor in front of the sofa.  Make sure your cover is straight and parallel to the floor.

• Drape the fabric over where the seat cushions go.  Smooth the fabric all the way to the back of the seat.  This will help hold the fabric on the arms in place.

• Now drape over the back of the sofa.  Smoothing while you go.

• Put the seat cushions back on the sofa.  Take another piece of fabric and cover the seat cushions.  Tuck as deep as you can.  Wrap them like one big sausage if you have enough fabric.  Wrap the ends like a package and tuck under the cushion

• Check the lengths on the sides and front.  Be sure the fabric is straight and parallel to the floor.  Adjust if you need to.

• Voila!  How does it look?  

• If your back cushions are loose…keep going.  

• Continue if you have loose back cushions.

• Before you put the back cushions on the sofa, gently pull the cover on the back forward over the seat cushions.

• Put the back cushions on the sofa.

• Pick up the cover you just laid over the seat cushions.  Drape it over the back cushions and over the back of the cushions.

• Now your done!  Do you like the look?  

Find the Free slipcover pattern and instructions to make your custom fitted slipcover here.   Maybe you would like to just buy a slipcover?

Go to ShowPlace Furniture Covers to find online sources to measure for your ready made slipcover.

Do you want to try one piece of fabric on a chair?   Click here.  

Are you finding this draping business too much trouble or just not your style?  Good looking, sure fit and well fitted ready made slipcovers for loveseats, sofas, recliners and even wing chairs or ottomans are available online at ShowPlace Furniture Covers  HomeVisions, and  Shop Home Decor at LNT.com

Check out all the Great Resources for Slipcovers  from how-to's, places to buy ready made slipcovers, fabric, measurements.......everything you need!  Click here.

ALL OF OUR PROJECTS ARE EVIDENT OF OUR PERSONAL APPLICATION OF THE STEPS INVOLVED, WE DO NOT GUARANTEE THE OUTCOME OF ANY SUBSEQUENT APPLICATIONS AS WE CANNOT CONTROL THE APPLICATION OF THE STEPS BY THIRD PARTIES. **SAFETY AND CAUTION MUST ALWAYS BE USED WHEN ATTEMPTING ANY CRAFT OR PROJECT.

Slipcover Resources Here