When slipcovers were first used, it was mainly for utilitarian purposes; to protect furniture during storage or sometimes to keep clean during everyday use. But the covers always came off when guest arrived! Today, though, slipcovers are used on a more decorating level. They can be simple, fancy, custom, loose and the choice of fabrics are limitless! The best thing is you can coordinate an entire room by using slipcovers.

In choosing your fabric you want to consider the use of the furniture you will cover. If it is an occasional piece, then you might want a fabric that is durable but with a little bit of a punch. If it is strictly a decorative accent piece, you can may desire a fancy fabric or one with a lot of texture so it will stand out. But if it is for one of the main pieces of furniture used regularly by the family, then durability becomes much more important.

What I like the most about slipcovers, is that you can make them out of such a variety of fabrics. For example, using a painter's canvas dropcloth would be great for covering the sofa and chairs in the familyroom. You have the options of leaving it the neutral color, or you can dye it. Also, you can stencil or paint on it and make curtains to match. The thrift store is also a great source for slipcovers. You can buy sheets and either leave them as is or dye them all the same color. Don't forget the discount stores like "BIG LOTS", they have beautiful sheets at about half the price of other stores and they carry the same brands.

There are many different styles of slipcovers, but really only two types. They are fitted and loose. The loose ones are the simplest. You simply measure the furniture and then find the fabric you like, making sure you buy enough to hang properly. You can sew ties on the front where the arms are covered as well as the two corners of the back. Then you gather or pleat the fabric on the front of each arm and tie in a bow. You would do the same to the back. If you like the ruffled skirt on the bottom, you can take the same fabric or a contrasting one and cut pieces the width you want and sew them together to make it long enough to go around the base of the chair or sofa. When I did mine, I gathered the fabric and sewed elastic on it. Then I used furniture tacks and attached to the bottom of the chair from under the skirt. The elastic gave it a snug fit and the tacks kept it in place.

Then there is the more tailored look of the fitted slipcovers. This isn't really difficult either. Just takes a little more time. Most important thing is to have your piece of furniture in front of you, this will be your pattern. Then you place the fabric wrongside out and pencil/chalk the shape of the furniture. After cutting out the shapes, you lay the fabric pieces back on the chair wrongside up and pin the pieces together. Then you take it off and sew it all together. :)