LITTLE ROCK — Installing slipcovers onto furniture sounds easy, but that isn’t always so. Here are tips to help you get the fit of your slipcover just right. The websites mentioned here provide additional details.
Begin by draping the slipcover over the piece of furniture. Make sure the ends of the cover are even on all sides. If you’re covering a slippery material like vinyl or leather, you should use polyester quilt batting or a nonskid rug pad to keep your slipcover from sliding, says homefurnish.com. The site also suggests using batting to plump up straight sofa arms or pad wooden chair arms before you cover them.
Use rolled-up magazines with rubber bands wrapped around them or foam pool noodles to keep the slipcover in place while you tuck it in, says SureFit.net. The site also recommends using a wooden spoon to tuck in excess fabric and corners.
Use a light-colored sheet to cover dark-colored furniture before applying a slipcover. This ensures your furniture’s original color doesn’t show through its new cover.
If your furniture has piping or any other embellishments, Sure Fit recommends using batting to plump up pillows, sections, etc., before installing your new slipcover so the piping won’t show.
Most two- and threepiece slipcovers come with a separate cover for couch or chair cushions. To get the cushions into the new cover, you can place a plastic bag over the cushion so it will slide in easily, Sure Fit advises. If the cushions still don’t readily fit into the cover, remove the old cushion covers. To make several cushions look like one continuous sofa or love seat cushion, place batting between the cushions.
To remove wrinkles from your slipcover, place it in the dryer with a wet washcloth or hand towel on low heat for a few minutes. When you remove it, put it on your sofa promptly.
HomeStyle, Pages 38 on 02/19/2011