Innovative Couch Covers

I know that not every family agrees with this, but the animals in our house have always been allowed on our furniture. I also know that there is supposed to be non-shedding types of pets, but we have never managed to be owned by one.

Upholstery can easily take on the odor of a stinky pet,  and anyone who has tried to get pet hair out of the upholstery on the couch knows how impossible it is, so I have always kept some kind of cover on it. Not surprisingly, the cover has saved our couch numerous times from the rest of our family’s mishaps, like buttered popcorn, or drinks. 

Our couch is a a double hide-a-bed size and kind of tweed brown, so almost any cover compliments it. Originally, I wanted to buy real slip covers for the couch, but they are really expensive. I did find a few in the second hand stores, but I discovered the reason they were there was because the seat portion of the cover had become quite worn. Because they were better than nothing on the couch and cheap, I purchased them anyway but then I realized I could breathe new life into the cover simply by folding and tucking a sheet into the back of the cushions over the worn parts of the seat. Instantly, my cover looked great and almost new!

One day I was in a liquidation store and they had a wonderful selection of beautifully patterned double sheet sets on for a terrific price. I don’t have double beds in my house except for the hideabeds, but I suddenly had a great idea. I bought several sets of “non-bedroom-looking” sheet sets. They included a dark green plaid set, a brown geometric set, a red-checked set and a fall foilage set. 

When I got them home, I stretched the fitted sheet over the bottom cushions, tucked it in slightly at the back of the cushions, and then over the top of the back of the couch. I can tuck the edges of the sheet into the crevice where the arms are attached to the couch body so the entire sheet is well anchored and stays put. 

Next I took the two pillowcases and slit them up one of the edge sides along the seam. Then I slipped each pillowcase over the arm of my couch with the bottom of the actual pillowcase ending up along the face of the arm and the finished edge of the pillowcase at the back of the arm, tucking in the edges to the cushion and also into the crevice.  There is a little pointed flap at the end of the arm that I just push in to itself so it goes flat. (you could easily stitch it in place if you wanted).

Now I still have a flat sheet left over, so I use that as a table cloth on my dining table which is across from the living room. Martha Stewart, eat your heart out!  When the table is stretched out, the sheet as a table cloth is just the right size, but if table is made smaller, the sheet hangs over quite long. I solve that problem by slipping napkin rings on each corner and sliding them up to gather up the fabric.

For the same price as I would have paid for one new slipcover, I have 4 couch covers plus co-ordinating table cloths! With the different colours and patterns I can give my living and dining room seasonal looks simply by changing the sheet sets.