A recliner is the best thing you buy, as it not only gives relaxing moments but also elevates the decor of your room. Recliners are chairs with arms and footrests and can be reclined by a button, pressure, or lever. They can be as comfy and as bulky as you want. Nowadays, many different types of recliners are present in the market, e.g., power recliner, rocker recliner, traditional Recliner, push-back recliner, lazy boy, etc.
As good as recliners are, they can get filthy very quickly. This is because of their frequent use as they are present mainly in the lounge. To change their covers constantly is very daunting and expensive. Throwing away such a high-priced article is also not a good option. Also, some recliners are inherited articles and have the same attachments to them. So what to do then? What is the best alternative?
Well, there is another option present, a recliner slipcover. This way you can change the slipcovers, wash them and Voila!, they are as good as new. Slipcover is a sofa protector that prevents them from deteriorating further and gives new life to outdated or stained sofa fabric. You can either buy them from the market or get them stitched on order. But if you are a sewing expert and love to make DIY items. It can be a thrilling experience to sew your very own sofa cover.
Stitching Slipcover
- Gathering All the Required Materials
Firstly you should prepare and assemble all the things you need. Here is the list of things you need
- Sewing machine: It should be of good grade as the fabric to stitch is a hard one.
- Needles: You have to use strong needles like denim or leather. This will give you seams without breaking too many of them.
- Fabric: The fabric should be upholstery or hemp sheets. Depending upon your recliner chair, you may need 4 to 5 yards of fabric.
Other than these, the essential items required are
- scissors
- threads of matching colors
- chalk
- measuring tape
- pins
- big staple gun
- Screwdriver or drill to unscrew the footrest.
- Starting The Process
- Disassemble the footrests.
- Lay them on fabric and cut the size with a couple of inches extra to fold them on the back.
- Staple the fabric on the back of the footrest with a staple gun. They are done. That’s the easiest part. You can attach them back with the screw you unscrewed earlier. For adding details, you can make pipping on the edges too. It will give a more refined look to your cover.
- Lay the cushion out and stitch a simple cushion cover with either zipper or buttons for the fit.
- For the arm covers, make a muslin template for the front and the sides of the arm. Cut the fabric using it for measurements. Be sure to make the cover go between the armrest and the cushion. At the back, stitch a zipper. Put the cover on the arm and close it. It should fit like a glove.
- Now the most challenging part is the back. If you have wings, they have to be traced and cut out first. Then comes the shape of the central back cushion. Make a template and cut the fabric for the back with almost 14-18″ inches extra fabric to go between the seat cushion and the back. This ensures that when in an inclined position, the fabric doesn’t stretch and starts showing the insides.
- Attach the wings, if present, to the back fabric. Here you can also add the pipings for elegance.
- The back cover can be close either with velcro, zipper, or buttons. Sometimes the velcro of the previous cover is used, or you can stitch a new one in the cover. Buttons also give a vintage vibe and are suitable to decorate the backside of the Recliner.
After following these steps and with commitment and determination, you will be able to reupholster the furniture.
Tips
- Choose a stretchable fabric so that it doesn’t tear away while reclining.
- Use a fabric that is somewhat water-repellent so it can be clean easily.
- Textured fabric like a diamond, stripes, etc., will have a long life.
- Bright color fabric sofa will lighten your room and give it a casual look. While dark colors will give a classy vibe.
How to Slipcover a Recliner? Step by Step Process
Step 1 : Measure the dimensions with Recliner to understand the size.
Step 2 : Buy decorative fabric in a similar or complementary color. It is best if it is a little longer than the coverage you require so you can create gathers in your fabric.
Step 3 : Create gathers by folding them over in loops. Each loop will be about one inch in diameter and cover five inches on your Recliner.
Step 4 : Pin loops to the seat of Recliner, adjust for spacing evenly along seat width and at corners where two lengths intersect to form an hourglass shape that resembles a bell curve.
Step 5 : Once the loops are pinned to the Recliner, sew in place to secure the loops in place using a sewing machine. Do not sew both sides of each loop.
Step 6 : Sew along edges of Recliner to secure loops in place by stitching through all layers. Do not sew every inch to avoid having an area where you can see through. Place multiple marks around your Recliner to create even spaces, so the fabric covers evenly.
Step 7 : Stitch along each side of each corner intersection, ensuring you go through all layers to secure all corners firmly together.
Step 8 : Make sure fabric is taut around the outside of the Recliner to make it look clean and fresh. If you leave fabric too loose, it will droop.
Step 9 : Take pins out of loops around the Recliner.
Step 10 : Once loops are open, weave them through each other at intervals of two inches apart to give it a clean weave look. This is optional but will help your Recliner cover last longer and be more durable if taken care of well over time.
Step 11 : Take off the excess loop ends by cutting them even with the rest of your loops surrounding your Recliner.
Step 12 : Voila! You have successfully slipcovered your Recliner.
Step 13 : The last step is to enjoy your beautiful new Recliner Cover.
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Conclusion
This is how to do a slipcover stitch by following the steps mentioned above. You can also take the help of an expert to guide you through the process. If you are not a good DIY enthusiast, then stitching may be way out of your reach. But reupholstering your Recliner is not that difficult!
FAQ
Is It a Good Idea to Slipcover a Recliner?
Yes, it is a wonderful idea because the process is easier than you may think. With just a few easy steps, you can transform your aging chair into something that looks brand new. Whether you are designing with an existing couch or looking for inspiration with just a few major pieces.