The Slipcover Saga Continues

Comments

1. ♥ Sonny ♥ says

   June 27, 2012 at 3:27 pm

   they always make it look great in the advertisement. in real life- not to much..

   so sorry

   Reply

2. Jessica @ Stay at Home-ista says

   June 27, 2012 at 6:51 pm

   Oh honey, I’ve been there with slipcovers, and they have ever worked for me. Wait, I sound about a million years old right now. OK, in college, when I was renting a furnished apartment and I didn’t want to sit on the gross sofa I had slipcovers, and it was still pretty bad. Now with 3 kids under 5 I just don’t let them eat or drink in the living room!

   Jessica
   stayathomeista.com

   Reply

3. Karen says

   June 27, 2012 at 9:47 pm

   Your slipcover is very sweet. I had slipcovers for years with my 4 children and I found that the custom ones with seat cushion covers that zip are best. $$$ But if you know a seamstress, you might be able to barter something, like painting. I made my own slipcovers out of discount sheets I liked. They last years if you get a good quality.(I am still using a slipcover I made out of Laura Ashley sheets – 20 years later) The seat covers are pretty easy if you buy a book to follow along. Or like I said, barter with a seamstress. I am sure there is somebody in your area that could use some rooms painted or a fence! xx

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4. Elizabeth (Blue Clear Sky) says

   June 27, 2012 at 7:49 pm

   I agree, the photos in ads would not be very realistic, but if you like it that is all that matters. I have heard people suggest the foam type hot water pipe insulators stuffed down in the cracks making it fit tighter (you know sort of like pool noodles but with a split down the middle to wrap hot water pipes?) We have white IKEA slips on our ugly custom upholstered sofa and have to keep a king sheet on it to keep it half clean and save it from dog hair, so I am learning to live with messy.

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5. Our Country Bungalow says

   June 29, 2012 at 1:51 pm

   It looks nice! …until you actually use it. I feel your pain. I have done the slipcover thing in the past too. I am currently on my *second* set of off-white dining chair slipcovers (first set ruined by a cat with a bloody gash on his ear) that I caught my black lab coming and rubbing against after laying outside in the cool sandbox. Ick.
   ~cathy

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6. Kathryn says

   June 29, 2012 at 7:15 pm

   I’ ve never actually had a slipcover, but I second Elizabeth’s comment above about using the foam tubes in the cracks to hold the fabric in place. (Most slipcover places will actually try to sell you their special kits for doing the same thing, because they know that those covers are terrible at staying in place) I’ve also heard you can use wooden dowel rods, but I think the foam would probably do a better job because it will tend to expand and “grip” inside the cushion cracks (besides being easier to trim to length than wood). 🙂 Just my two cents worth… Hope it helps 😉

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7. tkoblondee says

   June 30, 2012 at 6:59 am

   There was a designer on Trading Spaces (years ago!) that said if you tuck a broom handle between the back cushions and the seat cushions (where you tuck the slipcover in anyway)it helps keep it neat. I always thought I’d try it if I ever got slipcovers…just make sure you remove the actual broom first 😉 Good luck!

   Reply

8. Traci says

   June 30, 2012 at 4:50 am

   I had the same problem with my loveseat cover in my bedroom so I took the slipcover apart and made covers for each seat cusion and stapled the rest of the slipcover to the frame of the loveseat.
   Traci

   Reply

9. Stacey says

   July 2, 2012 at 11:30 am

   Very pretty slipcover although I understand your thoughts about it. I had slipcovered my couches for several years. My couches were in great shape, but I changed my decor thus I needed to change it up and couldn’t justify new couches just for a different pattern. I found my slipcovers although pretty drove me nuts. The living room always looked messy and never clean when the covers were messy. I came to straighten them out only once a day at the end and drove myself crazy with them. I couldnt stand them. I was gifted a free set a few months back -I was so happy. And I didn’t miss those slipcovers at all. Sorry to be negative, but I hear hopw you feel and understand 100%. I would try the broom trick someone suggested and see if that helps?? Other than that, your living room and sofa looks really cute!
   Thanks for linking up this week!
   Stacey of Embracing Change

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10. Sunnyside Dru says

    July 6, 2012 at 1:04 am

    My slipcovers…messy every single day. Fine if no one goes near them! Constantly pulling them back into place…

    Reply

11. Jan says

    July 6, 2012 at 5:05 pm

    Hi, I think that plaid is great! The little cardboard tubes Surefit sends along with the slipcovers aren’t big enough to do a good job of holding the tucked fabric in place. Try the broom handle trick in the tuck along the back of the sofa between back and seat cushions, and the foam things mentioned in some of the other comments. If those don’t work, try 1x2s wrapped in batting and cut to size. I would also try some sheets wrapped and pinned, taped or baste-stitched by hand to make a casing/cover around your three individual seat cushions (like stuffing a sausage with seat cushions) — make the casing as tight and thick as possible to “hide” the divisions between the seat cushions — and see how that works looks-wise with the slipcover back in place. When you don’t have individual slipcover cushions for your seat cushions, I think a “bench seat” look works better and will, hopefully, look smoother and neater even with people using the couch all the time. You may have to use several sheets to get a “smoother” look. I suggest sheets only because they provide a lot of yardage for less $$ than buying material at a fabric store. Come to think of it, probably any fabric you have or even a blanket or two would work, but I would still do the final wrap in a sheet for a smooth sleek surface. Hope that makes sense!

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12. Kate Gonzalez says

    May 9, 2016 at 4:50 pm

    Try tucking pool noodles down deep in the back and on the sides. If that doesn’t work, try pvc pipe which you can get at Home Depot of Lowes and cut it to fit down in the back and on the sides. Push it down deep. If that still doesn’t work… use a hand staple gun and staple to the wood parts in the back of the couch. staples won’t show and they will remove easily when you get ready to wash it! Hope this helps… Kate

    Reply

13. Sandy says

    September 3, 2018 at 9:02 am

    How about making a casing and putting in a pool noodle or the pipe insulation? Then tuck it in the crack of the sofa. I am going to do that and make my own, I just need to cover the seat area where the dog jumps up on.

    Reply