Simple "Slipcover" Technique to Update a Couch or Loveseat

5 Materials
20 Minutes
Easy

A simple quick & easy way to transform the look of your couch or loveseat couch is to use a sheet as a slipcover!

My husband & I purchased a home from my Great Aunt. One of the pieces of furniture that she left in the house was a love seat with a hide-a-bed. It was upholstered in a tweedy fabric. Well not exactly tweed but tweed-like, if you will. We wanted to keep the loveseat since it had the hide-a-bed feature. I really wasn't keen on the fabric design and couldn't find the kind of slip cover I wanted in the size I needed for the price I was willing to pay.

Not wanting to admit defeat, I decided to grab two plain white full size sheets and voila! a "new" loveseat! I was amazed at the transformation!

While I liked the overall look of the love seat with the simple slipcover treatment, it wasn't quite as comfortable as I would have liked.  I had some extra chair pads so I decided to add a few of them under the slip cover to see if that helped make the love seat a little more comfortable.

Don't be frightened! I covered them up with yet another sheet, some extra material and even a curtain! Definitely more comfortable! I added a third throw pillow to add a little more texture and draped the cream throw along the back of the love seat.


I can quickly change the look of the loveseat by changing out the throw pillows. For the warmer months, I can remove the two extra layers of fabric that I used.


The same simple draping technique could be used with a painter's drop cloth if you wanted something a little thicker than the sheet.


Suggested materials:
  • Two full size white sheets   (had on hand)
  • Piece of muted pastel fabric   (had on hand)
  • 3 throw pillows   (had on hand)
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Kimberly Snyder
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4 of 8 comments
  • Kimberly Snyder Kimberly Snyder on Jan 19, 2021

    That is great, Stacy! I hope it helps! The sheets will help keep your newly cleaned furniture clean. And when the sheets get dirty, they are easy to wash in the washing machine! Good luck with the dog training!

    • See 1 previous
    • Kimberly Snyder Kimberly Snyder on Feb 07, 2021

      Julie, I looked up a little more information after I posted my first response. to cover a 3 cushion sofa, you will need approximately 16 yards of fabric. A flat king size sheet has approximately 6 7/8 yards of fabric so it would possibly take three king size sheets. A 9 x 12 drop cloth (which would be off white which might not work because of the cats) would have approx 7.5 yards of fabric so you would need probably two drop cloths for the couch. Depending on what size sheets you have already, I would just play around with what you have to see how many you might need before purchasing something new if that makes sense. Let me know if you have any more questions! thank you!


  • Kimberly Snyder Kimberly Snyder on Feb 07, 2021

    Yes, Julie you can use this technique for either a couch or love seat. You will need to experiement to see what size sheet you might need. For the couch, you will probably need one or two king size sheets. You could also try a drop cloth like you would use when painting. Hope this helps!

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