Armchair Slipcover

Michelle Meyer

7 years ago

So excited to share with you, the armchair slipcover I finished this weekend. It’s been awhile since I’ve applied my sewing skills. After setting up my old sewing machine, I had to pause. How do I refill the bobbin? I’m really much better at painting.

Below are before and after photos of an armchair that belonged to my grandparents. This armchair has been around for three generations. It’s well made and comfortable, so I think we will keep it in the family for a good while.

Someday I’ll have the upholstery updated, but until then we can use the chair with a casual slipcover that blends in with our decor.

I used two 6’x9′ canvas drop cloths purchased from the Home Depot. Drop cloths are a great option because they are thick enough to hide the fabric underneath, and soft enough to be comfortable. To prepare the drop cloths, I washed them a couple of times in hot water with a cup of bleach and an extra rinse.

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How To Make An Armchair Slipcover

The slipcover for the armchair has six sections. I started with the seat and inside arm piece and attached that to the seat back. From there I attached the back piece and the outside arms. That was when I ran into trouble.

I had planned on exposing a small portion of the carved wood on the arms, but the slipcover was too fitted and I couldn’t get it off. Instead I ended up making the cutouts larger, which allowed for more wiggle room. The upside is that the exposed wood is pretty and gives the slipcover a unique look.

I usually try to iron the seams flat as I go, which helps when joining the different sections. Ironing the seams also allows the slipcover to lay flat and look smooth when reversed.

Find Your Style

In the post, To Slipcover Or Not to Slipcover, I created a drop cloth slipcover that highlighted the carved wood across the top of a love seat. If you have a piece of furniture that does not have a special feature or a shape to highlight, then you might want to add decorative buttons up the back, ties or a ruffled skirt depending on your style. My style is plain and simple.

Sometimes drop cloths have little flaws such as colored threads woven into fabric. To me this adds interest and texture, so I just roll with it. Half of one of the drop cloth had stripes. I started to buy another one but decided to use it on the back panel to add interest. It works!