How to Make Armless Sofa Slipcovers

When you have a nice looking armless sofa, you may want to protect it or even change its look by using sofa slipcovers. Sofa slipcovers can cost a lot of money, but they are a better alternative than the cost of having a sofa reupholstered. You can make the cost of sofa slipcovers even less, if you make them on your own. An armless sofa slip cover is made a little differently than slip covers for full sofas or sectionals. The project is not a hard one to do with some simple tools and materials and the following article will show you how to create them.

Step 1 – Make a Template

In order to create sofa slipcovers, you need to know how much fabric you'll need. Determine the height of the sofa, width and length of it. Spread out the muslin fabric and transfer the measurements to it using the fabric pencil. When you are finished, cut the muslin along the lines you drew, plus an added ½-inch on all sides for the seam.

Step 2 – Set the Template

Creating a working template out of muslin is the cheapest and easiest way to create slipcovers for any sofa. After you have cut the muslin out, drape it over the sofa and center it until it falls naturally over the form. Once you are satisfied that it is in place, pin it to the sofa. Trim off any muslin that does not belong except for the ½-inch for the seam. Remove the muslin once you are finished trimming it.

Step 3 – Cut the Fabric

Choose a fabric to use for the slip cover that will match your other pieces. Try to select a fabric that is not too heavy and retains some stretch to it. Heavier fabrics are hard to sew and stiff fabrics are difficult to work with. Sofa slipcovers made from fabric that has stretch to it allows for a slightly smaller slipcover to fit snug over the sofa. Place the fabric face up on your work surface. Place the cut muslin template on top of the fabric and pin it in place. Trim around the muslin to create a duplicate with the fabric. Remove the pins and discard the muslin unless you want to make more sofa slipcovers.

Step 4 – Sew

Use the sewing machine and sew the fabric together along the seams, using the sofa as a visual aid in case the fabric marks have been removed. Once all of the seams are sewn, the last thing you need to do is create a hem. Do this by folding the edge of the fabric under itself and pinning. You want a hem that is 5/8-inch wide. Once you have it pinned; sew it in place. When you are finished, turn the slip cover inside out and slip it over the couch.