"What To Do When You Need a New Sofa" or "I Need a New Couch And I'm Poor"

It was time. It was actually past time. We have this off-white sofa in a fabric I can only describe as 1990's ultra-suede in our living room. And between a flurry of cats, snacking, red wine spills etc. that we've put it through, it has become less and less appealing over the years. But to purchase a brand-new one? When me and Bob have two lovely, new kittens in the house who have been using the arms as a manicure file? And let's face it - after Christmas, Valentine's Day and three birthdays, investing in a sofa just wasn't in the budget.

Being the thrifty Yankee, I assessed the situation. The back cushions were okay, the bottom of the couch where it meets the floor was alright, but the cushions were stained beyond cleaning and the sofa arms resembled a rodent's nest. Time to get the show on the road.

chewed sofa arm

I went to one of my favorite bargain stores (**the store where you should buy it when you see it, if you catch my drift). Home decorating material was a buck a yard. Bingo. I left that place with ten yards of a medium-weight navy/white material that had the texture of linen. I had visions of the end result all the way home.

new sofa material

Now the reason I'm telling you my sofa woes, is because I want you all to see just how uncomplicated it is to create a new look for a less-than-new piece of upholstered furniture. First, you're going to want to make some box cushion covers. This will hide and/or protect the seat of your couch and may be removed to be laundered whenever you want. Anyone with basic sewing skills can create these. I used a zip enclosure, but if zippers freak you out, you can substitute with velcro, or simply hand stitch the pillows closed.

Here's a helpful link:
http://www.ehow.com/how_6676976_make-box-cushion.html

twill reinforcement

adding a zip

finished zip enclosure

After I finished my cushions, it was time to think about the last area I needed to cover, my feline-destroyed sofa arms.

Find a piece of paper that is big enough to cover the front arms of your couch. I used newspaper, but you can also use butcher paper, freezer paper, anything like that.

Pin it to the arm using common pins. Then trace around the shape using a sharpie or another easy to see marker/pen/pencil. Remove, then add a 1/2 seam allowance.

pin to sofa arm

add a seam allowance

Measure the length of the arm, and how wide you'd like your cover to be, (make sure to add extra width so you can tuck one end into the box cushions). Then stitch this width around the front of the front arm face.
Voila! Add a few accent pillows and you're done!  I completed this project for around fifteen dollars. Of course, the cost of fabric is what dictates the price. Look around, there are some good fabric deals out there. Joanne Fabrics is a nation wide chain that always has excellent coupons available. Marden's has several locations in Maine that has fabulous deals. And The Exeter Hankerchief shop in Exeter NH has a fantastic remnant department featuring very high quality goods.

www.joann.com
www.mardens.com
www.fabricandfurniture.com

And here is the finished project! Not a brand-new sofa, but one that is in now decent enough shape to take us through another year or so - or at least until our sweet, little kittens have matured a bit!