Step-by-step instructions for sewing a cover on a sofa with your own hands
Any housewife wants to protect her upholstered furniture from the negative impact of various factors on her. The desire not only to extend the life of your favorite sofa, but also to ensure cleanliness, it is impossible to translate into reality without the use of covers. There are two options for solving this issue: wraps can either be bought or made independently. Having studied the information on how to sew a cover on the sofa with your own hands: a step-by-step instruction, even a person who does not have 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 emphasizing its individual details.
Content
Appointment
Speaking about the appointment of covers for upholstered furniture, it is appropriate to recall the expression that the 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 the upholstery fabric and the insecurity before persistent traces of food, drinks, animal hair and cat's claws.
After the repair carried out in the house, expensive furniture may not fit into the new interior or just get bored. Solve all of the above problems will be able to cover the sofas, hand-sewn. It is fair to say that such coatings:
- protect factory upholstery from dirt;
- are an element of decor;
- help to fit old upholstered furniture into the 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 covers with your own hands:
- Saving money.
- Possibility of individual measurement and tailoring.
- The presence of a wide selection of fabrics, textures and decor.
- Possibility of frequent updating of an upholstery under a new interior.
- Lack of fear for damage to the factory cover by children and animals.
Despite the fact that modern upholstery fabrics have become more reliable and diverse, they still have a certain limit of wear resistance.
Choosing the right shape and design
Before embarking on sewing covers, it should be borne in mind that furniture can have a different shape: rectangular, angular, shells. Sofa coverings must clearly correspond not only to the shape of the sofa, but also to its size.
All covers have their own functional varieties, depending on the purpose of their application. Consider the main options:
- Eurocover. It is sewn from special textile material that takes any sofa shape. Such a fabric consists of special fibers with excellent elasticity. These wraps are very practical. When sewing them, you do not need to make careful measurements of the sofa.They are perfect for corner models of any configuration.
- Covers on an elastic band easily stretch on a sofa and are fixed thanks to the sewed-in elastic band. This coating is easy to make yourself even without a pattern.
- Universal simple covers are made of elastic material. They are easy to do with your own hands. Such sofas are made up of two layers of special stretch textile.
- Covers with a “skirt” at the bottom are frills located at the bottom of the product. When sewing frills can be done on the armrests. They are best suited for interior design in the style of Provence and country.
As for the design of the sofa, it should correspond to the general style of the room:
- For avant-garde interiors, bedspreads of complex shape are suitable. They are made of material with rich decorative content: drawings, prints, inscriptions, volumetric elements.
- Products in the English style are able to completely close the furniture, accurately conveying all its contours. They require special precision tailoring. Often used in duets with various kinds of mounts. They have a concise look.
- For country style, simple covers made of natural fabrics in their natural colors are suitable.
- Divandeks for loft interior are sewn in urban style. They are simple and have a minimum of detail. It is convenient to look after these covers. Non-stained fabrics are used.
- The hi-tech sofa bedspreads feature a sleek design. Usually these are plain blankets of neutral colors.
Clamps covers made by yourself, are different. Buttons are especially suitable for rooms decorated with natural wood, using floral ornaments. Velcro is suitable for covers in the nursery. Lightning is convenient to use, it is relevant for wraps on upholstered furniture in the office and living room. The ties look especially advantageous in classic interiors.
Materials for the manufacture
Any sewing work begins with the choice of fabric. When deciding what to sew a cover for on a sofa, it should be understood that its main function is to protect the upholstery from dust and dirt. For sewing use:
- Velor - the fabric is soft and pleasant to the touch. It happens to be perfectly smooth, embossed, embroidered. It does not cause allergies and does not activate statistical stress. Not afraid of a washing machine.
- Flock - the material is delicate and soft. It is composed of polyester with 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 is originally from Japan. It has high strength. It does not cause allergies, easy to clean.
- Cotton is a natural “breathable” material. Ideal for children, as it is hypoallergenic. Easy to care and clean. Does not accumulate statistical stress. Of the shortcomings: much wrinkles, wears out quickly.
- Chenill - has a soft plush texture, but at the same time, durable and durable. It does not require complicated maintenance and is not afraid of a washing machine.
- Jacquard - produced using high-tech equipment. Differs in density and resistance to mechanical influences. He is beautiful in appearance, ideal for living rooms and expensive interiors in the style of classic, baroque, empire. Not afraid of a washing machine and dry cleaning.
Fabric Requirements for Sofa Covers:
- Practicality.
- Hypoallergenicity.
- Lack of statistical electricity.
- The combination of softness and strength.
- Increased wear resistance.
- The presence of special water-repellent impregnation.
When choosing material for independent sewing of sofa covers, two important factors should be taken into account:
- Age of persons using the sofa.
- The purpose of the room where the furniture is located.
Designers recommend, given the purpose of the premises, to use the following materials for covers:
Purpose of the room |
Covers Material |
Children's and game rooms | 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 in operation, resistant to external influences and easy to maintain. Optimal options: leather, eco-leather, jacquard, velor, microfiber. |
Bedroom | Damage-resistant, non-shedding and environmentally friendly fabrics are suitable. For example, flock, velor, chenille, microfiber. |
How to determine size
To sew a cover, it is necessary to make a competent measurement of upholstered furniture in order to understand how many details will include the pattern of the future cover on the sofa, and what shape of the cover should be sewn.
There is the easiest way to sew a cover on the sofa with your own hands - this is the use of the old cloak, if it is preserved. It is split into constituent elements, and then the resulting parts are transferred to the surface of the new fabric.
The amount of material needed to sew the cover is easy to calculate using the following scheme: you need to take two lengths and add two sofa widths to it.
Table of the main parts of the sofa that require measurement in the manufacture of the cover:
Parameters |
Explanations |
Length | The distance from the point of contact with the floor of the rear wall of the sofa to the point where the front of the seat is in contact with 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 | The distance from one armrest to another. |
Armrest width | The distance from the junction of the armrest with the seat to the junction of the armrest with the floor |
Armrest length | The distance between the edge of the armrest and the junction of the armrest with the back |
Step by step sewing instructions
Consider how to sew a cover on a sofa with your own hands in a step-by-step instruction. There are three manufacturing options:
- Without a pattern.
- With open in place.
- According to the pattern.
Preparation method |
Model Features |
Without pattern | A cover on an elastic band for a sofa can be made without a pattern. This will require a large amount of fabric, based on: the width is equal to the five widths of the seat, and the length of the fabric is 3 times the length of the sofa. |
Cut in place | Sewing such a cover is simple and very profitable. It does not require a large consumption of tissue and leaves little waste after work (about 20%). Only suitable for standard form furniture. According to this variant of cutting, a cover is sewn on a sofa without armrests (non-folding or folding book with mechanisms, an accordion). |
By pattern | It has undeniable advantages. The fabric area is fully used, the cover sits perfectly on the sofa, is not only original, but also a unique product. |
It is not recommended to start sewing a cover with furniture of complex configuration, with a large number of rounded lines: it is much more reasonable to make a pattern on a straight sofa. Work on the material that is in excess (for example, use old curtains).
Materials and Tools
To sew a divandek, you need to prepare the following set of tools:
- Scissors. They must be sharp so that creases do not form when the tissue is cut.
- Set of sewing needles. With their help, you can fix the details of the 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, it is convenient to have a manual machine to work on weight.
- Yardstick. Need to measure the sofa.
- A simple pencil. Will be required for paper markup.
- Piece of chalk. It is necessary for marking the surface of the fabric.
All of the above tools, with the exception of the sewing machine, are usually available in any home.
Pattern details
For independent sewing of sofa covers, you need to make patterns. In the event that the sofa has a simple rectangular shape or an angular model with the presence of a wall and a back of a standard rectangular shape, then it will not be difficult to make it.
A pattern for sewing a cover on a sofa with your own hands requires accurate measurements of each detail. Measurements must be placed on graph paper, taking into account the direction of the equity line. Then you should transfer the performed calculations to the material using chalk.
Marking should be applied to the wrong side of the fabric, taking into account allowances for the seams.
For the manufacture of patterns, you can use ordinary newspaper sheets. Carbon paper is also suitable. She glued all the components of the sofa, outlined their shape, and cut out the details with the help of scissors. All of them are then collected using adhesive tape. The resulting pattern is adjusted directly in place: the cuts are connected with tape, and the missing gaps are expanded with new paper inserts.
After everything is checked and docked, you should proceed to the cutting stage on the material:
- The fabric must be ironed. Cotton and wool materials should be stretched in warm water so that they shrink, and the finished product is not reduced in size.
- Then the fabric should be folded facing inward. Pin drawings with safety pins.
- Chalk outlines of paper. Having retreated about 2 cm, draw a second line.
- Cut parts along the contour of the second line.
As a result, the cut details are obtained, and the sewing stage can be started.
Sewing
The made pattern and step-by-step instructions for sewing a cover on a sofa imply compliance with clear instructions. Sewing must begin with the basting step. Sewing includes eight basic steps:
- Sew the received parts with a seam.
- Make a fitting on furniture.
- Check the compliance of the parameters of the cover with the dimensions of the sofa.
- Stitch parts with a sewing machine.
- Perform overlock processing of the internal joints.
- Open and sew the lining (if needed), and then sew it to the finished cover.
- To process fasteners and edges of the product.
- If desired, decorate the cover with decor.
The final grinding of all 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 on a corner sofa with your own hands is not an easy task. There are two main manufacturing options:
- If the corner section is attached, then you need to sew 5 covers: on the main section, attached, on the back and two armrests.
- If the corner section is plug-in (or the sofa has an integral design), then a simple pattern of the cover on the corner sofa is done separately for the “wings” and the corner of the furniture. Then all the details are sewn together from the wrong side.
The cover for the corner sofa has a feature: it always needs to be sewn in parts.
When sewing parts, it would be wise to use a pleat to disguise the junction (but only professionals can do it). 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 details much more secretive, if you conduct it taking into account fit to tighten the fabric. And if the cloak is made of coarse fabric (for example, canvas), then all seams can be made fit.
Decoration options
To decorate a new sofa cover, you can use:
- bows;
- tapes;
- shoelaces;
- decorative edging;
- patch
- application.
Such jewelry gives the sewn cover even more attractiveness and personality. In addition to purely aesthetic tasks, the decor also solves camouflage tasks, distracting from the allowed flaws when sewing the cover.
Despite the fact that today it is easy to purchase absolutely any decorative elements in specialized retail chains, ranging from complex bows to gold monograms, it’s reasonable to make products with your own sewing and make decorations for it yourself.
When decorating furniture, it is necessary to consider what room the sofa will stand in and who will use it:
- If this is furniture in the nursery, then you should not decorate the coating with small and hard details.
- If the sofa is for the dining room, then the decor may be absent altogether.
- If this is furniture in the living room, then there are no restrictions for decoration: everything depends only on desire and interior needs.
A wonderful and practical decoration of the sofa is the decorative pillows. If you sew on them covers from the same fabric, but of a different color, the result will be concise and especially spectacular. The thematic trio made in one style will look incredibly aesthetically pleasing: a sofa cover, decorative pillows and curtains.
Do-it-yourself cases for upholstered furniture are different. It is necessary to proceed from the target needs of users of furniture, interior and taste preferences in color and decor. Before starting the sewing process, you should choose a fabric and get all the necessary tools. A self-made divandek is unique, it can rightfully be considered the pride of the owners.
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