How to sew a sofa cover with your own hands, step-by-step instructions with video

Any housewife dreams of protecting her upholstered furniture from the negative impact of various factors. The desire not only to extend the life of your favorite sofa, but also to ensure cleanliness, cannot be realized without the use of covers. There are two options for solving this issue: you can either buy capes or make them yourself. Having studied the information on how to sew a sofa cover with your own hands: step-by-step instructions, even a person with no needlework experience will be able to carry out this creative work. A beautiful sofa cover can change the design of a room, decorating the interior and highlighting its individual details.

Purpose

When discussing the purpose of covers for upholstered furniture, it is appropriate to recall the expression that a problem is easier to prevent than to solve. Sofas and armchairs are an important and expensive part of home comfort. Their main disadvantage is the rapid wear of upholstery fabric and vulnerability to persistent marks from food, drinks, animal hair and cat claws.

After a home renovation, expensive furniture may not fit into the new interior or may simply become boring. Do-it-yourself sofa covers can solve all the above problems. It is fair to say that such coatings:

protect factory upholstery from dirt;
are a decorative element;
help to fit old upholstered furniture into a new interior;
allow the owners of the sofa to change its appearance, for example, depending on the time of year.

There are a number of arguments in favor of making cases with your own hands:

Saving money.
Possibility of individual measurements and tailoring.
Availability of a wide selection of fabrics, textures and decor.
The ability to frequently update the upholstery to suit the new interior.
No fear of damage to the factory cover by children and animals.

Despite the fact that modern upholstery fabrics have become more durable and varied, they still have a certain wear resistance limit.

Protection against stains and fur

Stylish decor

Advantages and disadvantages of sofa covers

The benefits of using self-made removable covers are obvious, since they:

mask defects in old furniture;
are much cheaper than completely reupholstering;
give the interior uniqueness;
do not require expensive cleaning;
easily removable for washing or repair;
allow you to quickly change the look of a room.

Among the disadvantages are:

the need for additional spending of money and time;
if the sofa serves as a sleeping place, and the cover prevents it from unfolding, the removable “upholstery” will need to be removed and put on daily;
choosing a fabric that will not shrink and become covered with pills is not so easy.

You can combine disparate pieces of upholstered furniture using identical removable covers.

Choosing the right shape and design

Before you start sewing covers, you should take into account that furniture can have different shapes: rectangular, corner, shells. Sofa coverings must clearly correspond not only to the shape of the sofa, but also to its size.

All cases have their own functional varieties, depending on the purpose of their use. Let's look at the main options:

Eurocase. It is sewn from a special textile material that can take any sofa shape. This fabric consists of special fibers with excellent elasticity. These capes are very practical. When sewing them, you do not need to take careful measurements of the sofa. They are perfect for corner models of any configuration.
Covers with elastic are easily pulled onto the sofa and secured thanks to the sewn-in elastic. This covering is easy to make yourself, even without a pattern.
Universal simple covers are made of elastic material. They are easy to make with your own hands. These sofa decks consist of two layers of special stretch textiles.
Covers with a “skirt” at the bottom are frills located at the bottom of the product. When sewing, frills can also be made on the armrests. They are best suited for interior design in Provence and country style.

Eurocase

With a skirt

Universal

With an elastic band
As for the design of the sofa deck, it should match the overall style of the room:

Bedspreads of complex shapes are suitable for avant-garde interiors. They are made from material with rich decorative filling: drawings, prints, inscriptions, three-dimensional elements.
Products in the English style are able to completely cover the furniture, accurately conveying all its contours. They require special sewing precision. Often used in a duet with various types of fastenings. They have a laconic appearance.
For country style, simple covers made from natural fabrics in their natural colors are suitable.
Sofa decks for loft interiors are made in an urban style. They are simple and have a minimum of details. These covers are easy to care for. Non-marking fabrics are used.
Bedspreads for a high-tech style sofa have a laconic design. Usually these are plain blankets in neutral colors.

Vanguard

In English style

Country

Loft

High-tech
Case latches, made with your own hands, come in different varieties.
Buttons are especially suitable for rooms decorated with natural wood, when using floral ornaments. Velcro is suitable for covers in a nursery. The zipper is easy to use and is ideal for covering upholstered furniture in the office and living room. Ties look especially good in classic interiors.

Materials for production

Any sewing job begins with choosing fabric. When deciding what to make a sofa cover from, you should understand that its main function is to protect the upholstery from dust and dirt. For sewing use:

Velor is a fabric that is soft and pleasant to the touch. It can be perfectly smooth, decorated with embossing or embroidery. Does not cause allergies and does not activate static voltage. Not afraid of the washing machine.
Flock is a delicate and soft material. Contains polyester and cotton. It has high wear resistance and resistance to discoloration. Not afraid of direct sunlight and animal claws. It is waterproof.
Microfiber is an excellent substitute for suede. This synthetic material comes from Japan. It has high strength. Does not cause allergies, easy to clean.
Cotton is a natural “breathable” material. Ideal for children as it is hypoallergenic. Easy to maintain and clean. Does not accumulate static voltage. Disadvantages: wrinkles a lot, wears out quickly.
Chenille - has a soft plush texture, but at the same time, durable and wear-resistant. Does not require complex care and is not afraid of the washing machine.
Jacquard - produced using high-tech equipment. It is distinguished by its density and resistance to mechanical stress. Beautiful in appearance, ideal for living rooms and expensive interiors in classic, baroque, and empire styles. Not afraid of washing machine and dry cleaning.

Velours

Flock

Microfiber

Cotton

Chenille

Jacquard
Requirements for fabrics for sofa covers:

Practicality.
Hypoallergenic.
No static electricity.
A combination of softness and strength.
Increased wear resistance.
Availability of special water-repellent impregnation.

When choosing a material for sewing sofa covers yourself, you should take into account two important factors:

Age of persons using the sofa.
The purpose of the room where the furniture is located.

Designers recommend, taking into account the intended purpose of the room, using the following materials for covers:

Purpose of the room	Case material
Children's and playrooms	Environmentally friendly and pleasant materials are needed. Such fabrics should be easy to clean. Velor, chenille, microfiber, cotton are suitable.
Living room	Materials must be practical to use, resistant to external influences and easy to maintain. Optimal options: leather, eco-leather, jacquard, velor, microfiber.
Bedroom	Suitable fabrics are damage-resistant, non-fading and environmentally friendly. For example, flock, velor, chenille, microfiber.

For children's

For the living room

For the bedroom

Which one to sew?

First of all, let's decide what type of cutting the cover will be - the choice of fabric and the method of cutting the patterns for the pattern depend on this. This is directly related to the design of the case, because... Not all fabrics suitable for it are available in all colors and patterns.

Chair covers of different types of cutting

You can sew a cover for a chair at home. types of cutting (see also fig.):

Fitted and flared – allows you to fit the chair into any interior. The fabric required is sufficiently elastic, the same as for a computer chair cover, see below. It is not suitable for a chair with a high turn-down back and/or a large camber of armrests - it will not be put on or taken off, but it is suitable for Voltaire chairs and others with a straight back and armrests. The only aesthetically suitable cover for a chair in the interior of minimalism and high-tech styles. Suitable fabrics for this type of cover are available in both modest and bright colors, but not very variegated colors. A significant part of ready-made covers are cut in a tight-fitting, flared fashion. Making patterns and creating a pattern with your own hands requires sufficient attention, accuracy and skills in cutting and sewing;
Tight-fitting with a frill “skirt” - fits any chair into interiors usually called bourgeois - empire, art deco, shabby chic, haberdashery. If the fabric is soft and its colors are chosen tastefully, any chair will also fit well into the interiors of the Greco-Roman clone (French, English traditional), Baroque, Rococo and other classics. Any fabric is suitable, because... At the junction of the skirt with the top, an elastic band can be inserted without any problems, and skillfully straightened folds in the vertical corners and on the back of the back do not spoil the overall appearance. The most common and universal type of cover. Ready-made covers are most often cut to fit with a skirt. Creating a pattern, cutting and sewing with your own hands does not require high professionalism;
Semi-loose cut - tightened to fit with ties. Again, any chair fits into interior styles according to the previous one. point, and also in country, colonial and oriental. If the ribbons for the bows are replaced with straps with fasteners or Velcro or cords tied to the strings, the chair will fit into the interior of a modern clone (except for mini and high-tech) and into the loft. Fabric – any. Minimal cutting and sewing skills are required, so semi-loose-cut covers are most often sewn by amateurs. In professional tailoring it is used less often, because requires 10-30% more fabric than tight-fitting ones, and does not provide obvious arguments to explain the difference in price;
Loose fit - the whole thing is pulled to fit with cords or elastic bands. The fabric needs to be thin and non-caking. Suitable for country and colonial interiors. Sometimes shabby chic or loft. The complexity of cutting and sewing requires complete professionalism. Care is difficult. Short-lived. The chair does not protect well, because... collects dust.

About capes

Simple protective capes without a pattern (item 1 in the figure) are rarely thrown over a chair and are most often removed later. The reason is that the traction area of the seat tires and the cover on the chair is several times smaller than on the sofa, and sitting in the chair is usually not so calm. As a result, the cape gets wrinkled every now and then.

Chair covers without a cover and with a cover

A simple cover is sometimes placed on a chair, firstly, to protect the most vulnerable parts of an expensive decorative cover. In this case, it is sewn either from the same fabric as the cover, pos. 2, either matching it or contrasting. Secondly, capes made of dense, perhaps not very beautiful, but durable and resistant fabric are used to cover chairs placed, for example, on a veranda, terrace, in a gazebo, under a canopy. In general, somewhere outside.

The basis of the cape for a decorative cover is a straight piece of material, on the left in the figure:

Covers for a chair in the room and on the veranda (in the gazebo, under a canopy)

Next, sew as a cover-cover without a pattern for the sofa (in the center): wings are attached to the front-seat-back-back section. It is better to make a protective cape for a chair that may be exposed to external influences from 3 separate parts: a common panel and armrests. Along the free edges, turn ups of 3-4 cm are given, which are stitched, and eyelets are placed, as in curtains, on the right in Fig. A cover of this design can be covered with cords so that the original upholstery of the chair will not be visible at all.

How to determine size

To sew a cover, you need to take proper measurements of the upholstered furniture in order to understand how many parts the pattern of the future sofa cover will include, and what shape of the cover should be sewn.

There is the easiest way to sew a sofa cover with your own hands - this is to use an old cape, if it has been preserved. It is ripped into its component elements, and then the resulting parts are transferred to the surface of the new fabric.

The volume of material needed to sew a cover can be easily calculated using the following scheme: you need to take two lengths and add two widths of the sofa to it.

Table of the main sofa parts that require measurements when making a cover:

Options	Explanations
Length	The distance from the point where the rear wall of the sofa touches the floor to the point where the front of the seat touches the floor. In other words, this is the height of the back of the back + the height of the front of the back + the depth of the sofa + the height of the seat.
Width	Distance from one armrest to another.
Armrest width	Distance from the point where the armrest meets the seat to the point where the armrest meets the floor
Armrest length	Distance between the edge of the armrest and the point where the armrest meets the backrest

Step-by-step sewing instructions

Let's look at how you can sew a sofa cover with your own hands in step-by-step instructions. There are three manufacturing options:

No pattern.
We will reveal it locally.
According to the pattern.

Preparation method	Model features
Without pattern	An elasticated cover for a sofa can be made without a pattern. This will require a large amount of fabric, based on the following: the width is equal to five widths of the seat, and the length of the fabric is 3 times the length of the sofa.
Cut according to location	Sewing such a cover is simple and very profitable. It does not require a lot of fabric consumption and leaves little waste after work (about 20%). Suitable for standard shaped furniture only. This cutting option is used to sew a cover for a sofa without armrests (non-folding or folding book with mechanisms, accordion).
According to the pattern	It has undeniable advantages. The fabric area is fully utilized, the cover fits perfectly on the sofa, and is not only original, but also a unique product.

It is not recommended to start sewing a cover with furniture of a complex configuration, with a large number of rounded lines: it is much more reasonable to make a pattern for a straight sofa. Practice on the material that is available in abundance (for example, use old curtains).

Without pattern

Materials and tools

To sew a sofa deck, you need to prepare the following set of tools:

Scissors. They must be sharp so that when cutting the fabric, creases do not form.
Set of sewing needles. With their help, you can fix the details of a paper pattern on the fabric of the future cover. The more needles, the more comfortable the process of cutting out product elements.
Sewing machine. In addition to the stationary one, it is also convenient to have a manual machine to work in weight.
Yardstick. Needed to take measurements of the sofa.
A simple pencil. Required for paper marking.
Piece of chalk. Needed for marking the surface of the fabric.

All of the above tools, with the exception of a sewing machine, are usually available in any home.

Tools

Pattern of parts

To sew your own sofa covers, you need to make patterns. If the sofa has a simple rectangular shape or a corner model with a wall and back of a standard rectangular shape, then making it will not be difficult.

A pattern for sewing a sofa cover with your own hands requires accurate measurements of each detail. Measurements must be placed on graph paper, taking into account the direction of the split line. Then you should transfer the calculations performed to the material using chalk.

The markings must be applied to the wrong side of the fabric, taking into account seam allowances.

To make a pattern, you can use ordinary newspaper sheets. Carbon paper will also work. It is used to cover all the components of the sofa, outline their shape, and cut out the parts using scissors. They are all then assembled using tape. The resulting pattern is corrected right on the spot: the cuts are connected with tape, and the missing gaps are increased with new paper inserts.

After everything has been checked and joined, you should proceed to the stage of cutting on the material:

The fabric must be ironed. Cotton and wool materials should be washed in warm water so that they shrink and the finished product does not decrease in size.
Then the fabric should be folded with the right side inward. Pin the drawings using safety pins.
Use chalk to outline the contours of the paper. Stepping back about 2 cm, draw a second line.
Cut out the parts along the contour of the second line.

The result is cut parts, and the sewing phase can begin.

Pattern for a sofa cover

On a straight sofa

On the corner sofa

Sewing

The made pattern and step-by-step instructions for sewing a sofa cover require adherence to clear instructions. Sewing must begin with the basting stage. Sewing includes eight main steps:

Sew the resulting parts using a running stitch.
Try on furniture.
Check that the parameters of the cover match the dimensions of the sofa.
Sew the parts using a sewing machine.
Finish the internal seams with an overlocker.
Cut and sew the lining (if needed), and then sew it to the finished cover.
Treat the fastener areas and edges of the product.
If desired, decorate the case with decor.

The final stitching of all the parts of the cover will take about an hour. The main difficulty is that all the elements are massive and difficult to move under the needle.

Sewing a cover for a corner sofa with your own hands is not an easy task. There are two main manufacturing options:

If a corner section is attached, then you need to sew 5 covers: for the main section, an extension, for the back and two armrests.
If the corner section is insertable (or the sofa has a solid structure), then a simple pattern of a cover for a corner sofa is made separately for the “wings” and the corner of the furniture. Then all the parts are sewn together from the wrong side.

A cover for a corner sofa has a peculiarity: it always needs to be sewn in parts.

When stitching parts, it would be wise to use pleated fabric to disguise the joint (but only professionals can do this). It is much easier to choose the color of the material for the cover so that the seam is visually lost.

There is a little trick: you can make the seam between the parts much more hidden if you make it taking into account the fit of the fabric. And if the cape is made of coarse fabric (for example, canvas), then all seams can be made to fit.

Sew with running stitch

Trying it on furniture

Sew down the details

We process the seams

Calculation

A corner sofa has a complex shape, which usually seriously complicates the calculation of the required amount of fabric. To more or less correctly estimate how much textiles you will need, add its width to the length of the furniture and multiply the result by two.

To make accurate calculations, it is necessary to divide the piece of furniture in question into separate straight sections. For a standard corner option, you will have to buy at least 8 linear meters of fabric with a width of 150 cm. As you can see, the piece turns out to be a fair one. If we are talking about expensive options, then you will have to spend quite a lot.

Don’t take risks and give up striped textiles, here all the parts are sewn in one direction, and, accordingly, the consumption increases.

Decoration options

To decorate a new sofa cover you can use:

bows;
ribbons;
laces;
decorative edging;
patch;
applique.

Such decorations give the stitched cover even more attractiveness and individuality. In addition to purely aesthetic problems, decor also solves camouflage problems, distracting from mistakes made when sewing a cover.

Despite the fact that today in specialized retail chains it is easy to purchase absolutely any decorative elements, from complex bows to gold monograms, when sewing a product yourself, it is reasonable to also make decorations for it yourself.

When decorating furniture, you need to take into account which room the sofa will be in and who will use it:

If this is furniture for a children's room, then you should not decorate the covering with small and hard parts.
If the sofa is for the dining room, then there may be no decor at all.
If this is furniture for the living room, then there are no restrictions for decoration: everything depends only on desire and interior needs.

Decorative pillows are a wonderful and practical decoration for a sofa deck. If you sew covers on them from the same fabric, but in a different color, the result will be laconic and especially effective. A thematic trio made in the same style will look incredibly aesthetically pleasing: a sofa cover, decorative pillows and curtains.

Handmade covers for upholstered furniture come in different varieties. It is necessary to proceed from the target needs of users of furniture, interior design and taste preferences in color and decor. Before you begin the sewing process, you should choose a fabric and acquire all the necessary tools. A self-made sofa deck is unique and can rightfully be considered the pride of the owners.

With bows

With contrasting piping

With laces

Patchwork style applications

With ruffles and flounces