Enhance Your Furniture with Slipcovers
Decorating a new home can be an expensive way to start a new
life. And even if it's a home you've had for a while, re-decorating
with new furniture is not much easier on the billfold or purse.
For this reason, a lot of people choose to do their furniture
shopping at thrift stores, rummage sales, estate sales, or
from friends' hand-me-downs. It's really not a bad way
to go, because much of the older furniture that you could
buy used is actually built better than more modern items,
plus the design is often a lot more distinct.
But
what do you do if there's some small imperfection on the
furniture that makes you feel a bit insecure about the item?
Or how do you take old furniture and make it look new? One
easy (and affordable) option is to use slipcovers.
A
slipcover is simply an easily-removed piece of cloth that
you place over a piece of furniture's upholstery either
to protect it or alter its appearance. In the past, a slipcover
tended to just be nothing more than scrap material thrown
over the sofa and tucked into the cushions. Today's
slipcovers are much more creative and attractive than that.
There are some slipcovers you can buy that actually surpass
the look of the original upholstery itself! You'll hardly
be able to tell it's not part of the couch or chair.
A
leader in the slipcover business is Sure Fit These
are tops in functionality and design. They can be a bit
pricey. In fact, in some cases, it costs more to buy
a Sure Fit slipcover than it would to buy a used couch or
chair. You can buy these if your budget allows it.
If not, you'll need to consider something else.
One
possibility is to create your own slipcovers. For
anywhere from $6 to $10, you can buy a painter's canvas
at a local fabric or home improvement store. This
fabric is durable and can withstand years of abuse from
your kids and family pets. Plus, for added decoration,
you can add some stencil painting, embroidery, bows, or
anything else you like. If you choose to go with the
painter's canvas, make sure it's heavy duty and unbleached.
Also, buy cotton. And take some time to find the perfect
one. Often you can find one that is made in a perfect
size for your couch.
You
could also turn a tablecloth into a slipcover. While
it probably wouldn't work for a full-size couch, it's often
the perfect size for a love-seat, ottoman or chair.
There is enough variety in sizes, patterns and colors that
it should be easy to find something that matches your room's
decor. Again, spend some time looking at flea markets and
thrift stores.
Blankets
or bedspreads can often be converted into slipcovers as
long as they are truly quality items. Few things are as
tacky as covering a couch with a blanket that everyone knows
is a blanket. But if you have something lush, perhaps
made of velvet in a dark, rich color, it can look quite
nice as a furniture cover.
And
finally, you might find your perfect slipcover can be made
from drapes, curtains or sheers. While these probably
won't work so well on living room furniture, they do make
perfect material to cover your dining room chairs or pillows.
Be sure to use higher-end curtains, such as those made of
velvet or chenille for a truly luxurious look.
Just
remember as you're creating your slipcovers to use materials
that look elegant and which match the room's overall look
and color scheme. You'll find that even small budgets can
create a great-looking room.