I Think I’m Going to Have to Slipcover My Couch…

Or is that too reminiscent of those early adult, post-college days?  I mean do real people use slipcovers?  Well, slipcovers that weren’t made specifically for that particular piece of furniture, I mean – we’re not talking Pottery Barn sofa here.  This isn’t a judgment by any means, it’s truly a question I’ve been pondering for the past couple of months.

And speaking of generic slipcovers, how do you know they’ll fit?  My couch doesn’t look like the couches in the pictures – it’s longer and has low arms.  How do you know it won’t look stupid and look like you just threw a sheet or a blanket over your couch like we did back when we were first starting out?

We bought a hand-me-down couch about a year ago.  It was in pretty good shape, but the fabric had a little wear and tear – I mean, it’s a couch for Pete’s sake.  Of course, with a husband, a dog and a cat, it’s seen some better days and far too many pairs of claws if you ask me.

We can’t really afford to just toss it (hell, there’s a reason we bought a used couch to begin with), but we also can’t afford to reupholster the whole thing either.  In fact, I hear that with the money we might spend to reupholster, we might as well just buy a new couch.

So I figured that I’d try this slipcover thing.  But Lordy, who knew they’d be so expensive?  I guess I just have issues forking over $150+ when I don’t even know if it will look good, stay put or even fit. 

So I have to ask, do you use slipcovers on your every day furniture?  Are you pleased with it?  Are some kinds better than others?  Can you recommend a store or site where they make a good (but not so crazy expensive) one?

And totally unrelated…

One – the itching is killing me.  The good news, I learned today that ice helps the itching and in some cases can kill the burn & the itch.  The better news, my friends assure me that once I finish my allergy test, they’ll give me an allergy med shot right there in the office – oh sweet relief!  Even better still…only 1.5 more days of this insanity and I’ll be back on the meds!!! (Curly, to get accurate test results, I had to be allergy med-free for a week).

Two – I sent out my first business newsletter today.  I was (and am) super proud of it and think it looks great and has some good content.  Well, I thought it had some good content.  Turns out a product I was pitching (an awesome DIY SEO book) is no longer available.  Ooops!  Guess next time I’ll check those links before I send it out.

Okay, off to get a new ice pack – this one has melted too much and seems to have lost it’s magic touch.

6 thoughts on “I Think I’m Going to Have to Slipcover My Couch…

  1. Ami at Writing: My Life

    I have two hand-me-down love seats which make up the entirety of my available seating. I got slip covers on eBay for about $50 each (much cheaper than the same covers were selling in stores). My love seats are different shapes, one is over stuffed and the other is thin and has lower and shorter arms. The cover fits the overstuffed one best, but it doesn’t look bad on the other one. I just had to fidget with the ties and stuff. I do have to say that if you sit on the couches a lot, you’ll have to do some regular re-tucking. I did hear that rolled up magazines in the crevices can keep them from coming untucked, but I’ve never actually tried it. Anyway, like Heather said, it’ll work until I’ve saved up for new furniture.

    Ami at Writing: My Lifes last blog post..CSA Report – The Green Beans Have Arrived

  2. LA Blogger Gal

    Thanks for the input ladies.  I had a feeling I might be dealing with some “fidgeting” issues.  I think Pottery Barn sells something to help with that – or I’d just have to suck it up since we’re three cushions top and bottom and they’ll probably move quite a bit.

    I wound up ordering two covers from JC Penny that I found for about $60 each.  I bought two since I didn’t know which color I’d like better.  I hope they work out since the pills are starting to drive me crazy and I’m afraid one day I’m going to pull one and leave a gaping hole!

  3. karen

    Ahhh…slipcovers.  I did this on my last set of furniture, that was decent, but I didn’t like the colors (faux denim-ick!) I had one that was a heavy cotton weave (beige) and a second with a more suede-like feel (crimson).  I prefered the beige one as it was a heavier cover and didn’t move around as much. 

    Tips to know–get the little corkscrew shaped anchors to twist into the covers to secure them to the couch.  Not gonna lie–if removed incorrectly or if someone ‘slides’ on the cover, could cause rippage, but I didn’t have too many problems and they really do hold the cover to the couch.  Also, use dowl rods to hold the covers in the creases.

    I had to tidy up the covers if I was expecting company, but for the most part, they rocked!  Got mine at ‘Bed, Bath and Beyond.’ Can’t remember name, but they were about $50-$75 each.  Great deal…worked for 2 years!

  4. Pingback: Wait, Where Did Fall Go? | My LA Blog

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *