When buying new upholstered furniture, few people think about the fact that after some time it will lose its original appearance. The fabric will wear out, the armrests will start to shine, perhaps there will be difficult to remove stains or holes. It is easy to protect the upholstery of your favorite furniture or “give a second life” to the old one. All you need to do is sew a sofa cover with your own hands.
Content
Advantages of a product of our own production
- Compared to restoration, this is a cheaper method.
- It is convenient to use and easy to wash.
- The opportunity to create your own unique design.
- The process does not require professional training and takes several hours.
- You can make several models and experiment with the appearance.
- If next to upholstered furniture there are armchairs from different sets that do not harmonize at all, additional covers made for them will solve the problem.
- Hand-made products are highly valued.
Design and Construction
Before you start sewing, you need to decide how the future product should look. To do this, you need to analyze the type of your sofa. It can be a two- or three-seater, with soft or wooden siderests or without armrests at all. The most difficult thing is to sew a cover for a corner sofa with your own hands.
It should consist of several rectangular elements and completely cover the surface of the upholstery. It can be fixed with an elastic band. Cords or tape attached to the drawstring and tied to the legs will eliminate sagging. Additional elements such as frills and ribbons tied into bows will add elegance.
There are many patterns on the Internet for creating models that resemble those offered in stores. So, if you decide to make covers for a sofa and chairs with your own hands, you will find a pattern. For the set, you can add a universal chair cover with an elastic band, sewn with your own hands.
Materials required:
- sewing machine with overcasting option;
- tailor's tape or measuring tape;
- ruler;
- pins;
- scissors;
- a piece of chalk or soap for marking;
- threads in tone;
- and a little patience.
The most important thing you will need to sew your own sofa covers is fabric. The material for the cover should be durable, wear-resistant, and easy to clean. For these purposes, it is recommended to use:
- jacquard;
- flock;
- chenille with a plush surface;
- pleated;
- microfiber;
- leatherette;
- eco-leather;
- natural or artificial fur.
To make a Euro-style sofa cover with your own hands, you will have to purchase a more elastic fabric.
The main stages of sewing
First, you need to measure the armrests, ottomans, seat and back. Then create a pattern and calculate the amount of material needed. Each piece should have seam allowances of at least 7 cm.
- All details are transferred to paper and cut out. The fabric should be laid out on a hard surface. The patterns are placed on the material and traced along the edge with a piece of chalk or soap.
- The cut out parts are sewn together with a running stitch, after which it is better to try on the product and secure it with pins. If it is small or loose, then you need to adjust the pattern or change the size of the allowances.
- After adjusting to the dimensions of the furniture, you need to remove excess fabric, leaving only 3 cm for allowances. Then you should overcast and sew the edges. It is better to wash the resulting bedspread in cool water and iron it.
- To create covers for sofas and armchairs with elastic bands with your own hands, you will have to perform several additional operations with the bottom edge. To do this, you need to turn it inside out and draw a straight line with a pencil along which the elastic band will pass. Then, you need to fix it parallel to the edge of the marking, fixing it every 5-10 cm with pins or thread. To sew in the elastic band, you will need a sewing machine that allows you to create a three-stage (elastic) seam.
How to knit a case with your own hands. Step-by-step instructions
To knit a universal sofa cover with your own hands, you will have to spend a lot of time and effort. The product can be several connected canvases, knitted with knitting needles or a set of square crochet patterns.
To create a knitted cover, you will need to purchase thick threads, as well as a working tool. It is better to choose a pattern and color scheme in accordance with the interior. You can use different types of threads. Just like in the previous case, you will have to measure the furniture, prepare a pattern, which must be followed in the process of knitting the fabric.
If "motifs" are used for production, it is recommended to measure the area of the pattern and one square. Based on the obtained dimensions, calculate the number of required squares, skeins of thread.
If the product is made from knitted fabrics, it is better to calculate the surface area in advance. When you find yourself in a sewing store, pay attention to the label of the threads. As a rule, two numbers are indicated on it, corresponding to the knitting density. Knowing them, it is not difficult to calculate (on your own or by asking an employee) the required number of skeins.
Decorating
You can decorate the finished product with bows, appliques or stripes. A decorative rope with a diameter of 1 cm is best suited for decorating the armrests. A wide braid or ribbon will help to emphasize the lower part.