'It's A Wrap: Do It Yourself Slipcover'

Flip that living room with a slipcover

It’s a sofa wrap, that is.

A slipcover is one of the most cost-effective and more traditional ways to change the look of your sofa without buying a new one or investing in new upholstery. Got kids? A slipcover is easy to launder and easy to replace.

The editor of Threads Magazine provides the following recipe for creating your own slipcover, and upping the level of your living room style.

There are three components to a slipcover: the under layer, a cross-shaped layer and the decorative treatment at the corners of the sofa. Slipcovers may feature all three elements, or just the two (without decoration at the corners).

Parts of a slipcover

How to measure:

Measure the following on your sofa: length and width of sofa, arm length and width of sofa. (Also note that these measurements may be smaller depending on whether you’d like a slipcover that is narrower than the actual sofa.)

Add to the length a 12-inch tuck allowance and twice the hem allowance (one for each side). Add twice the hem allowance to the width. After measuring the arm length, start from where the seat meets the arm and back over to the floor and add a 12-inch tuck allowance and twice the hem allowance. Add twice the hem allowance to the width.

Cutting the fabric:

Remember that all print fabrics should rest perpendicular to the body of the sofa.

For the under layer, cut the fabric with the same dimensions as noted above. Except, drape the unfinished cloth on the sofa and trim one corner to be level with the floor. Then fold the under layer into quarters and cut the remaining corners. Hem the unfinished edges.

Use dowels to anchor the slipcover in the sofa

How to sew:

Pin the short edge of each arm section to body section. Determine the seam placement by draping on the sofa.

Press/iron the hem in place on all sides and sew in place.

How to fit:

For the under layer, align the cover and sofa centers and drape the fabric over the sofa so the front and back hems touch the floor. Let the extra fabric gather in the seat. Drop the sides over the arm, letting the hems touch the floor. Tuck the fabric in between the cushions, where the pooling occurs.

For the top piece, you will want to center it to the sofa body. Make sure that the side extensions align with the arms. Tuck in between the cushions until the hemlines are where they should be.

A finished slipcover

And almost finished:

The best way to keep your new slipcover in place is to cut one-inch wooden dowels in the length of each sofa edge. Then bury the dowel while tucking in the slipcover. PVC piping is also useful if the sides of the sofa are curved.

If you feel like incorporating some kind of decorative treatment to the sofa corners, attach rings/fabric tags/grommets to loop cording or thread. Buttons are always an easy decorative touch. My personal favorite (and the easiest option of all) is to just tie the sides in a knot.

And voila! Now, you’re finished!

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of interiordec.about.com