Should You Hire a Professional to Make a Custom Slipcover?

You’ve decided it’s time to give your furniture a new look, especially that comfy-but-dated sofa. Is it best to reupholster the furniture from scratch, or will it be cheaper (and easier) to simply make a custom slipcover?

While there are many benefits to having a custom-made slipcover, it can be costly, and you may be tempted to make it yourself. The question is, should you make the cover, or should you get a professional to make the slipcover for you?

What’s Involved in Making a Custom Slipcover?

Before you launch into your sewing box, ensure you know what’s involved in making a custom slipcover. For starters, no two sofas are exactly the same. There are also different slipcovers to consider. Some are loose and slip off easily for cleaning purposes. However, these may be formless, and you may as well throw a sheet over your sofa. 

Then there are fitted slipcovers that honor the basic shape of your sofa, giving it structure, and ensuring it doesn’t look like Casper the friendly ghost landed in your TV room. 

Making these slipcovers requires a little more than just basic sewing skills. For starters, you should know how to measure and create a slipcover pattern that custom fits your sofa or living room furniture. This takes time, and it requires some specialized knowledge. 

While there are several great tutorial videos online for making your own slipcovers, these are mostly not going to give you the custom fit you desire. Knowing where to cut, where to pinch, and where to pleat results in a professional finish that will last years and continue to serve you well. 

Why Are Slipcovers Hard to Make?

Slipcovers are “dressings” for your furniture that must cover unique curves and dimensions while withstanding some pretty vigorous wear and tear. After all, you will be sitting on the slipcovers. These same covers need to be washable and possibly ironable too. 

Knowing how the fabric you choose will actually cover your sofa also influences your cut, pattern, and the making of your slipcovers. All in all, it can become quite a frustrating task. On average, it can take as much as an hour per sofa arm cover when making your own slipcover and longer for the body of the sofa. Chairs can take even longer, depending on the design and intricacy of a wingback or padded chair.

Why You Need Specialized Skills to Make Your Own Custom Slipcover

To make a successful slipcover for your furniture, you need to have the following skills:

• Design

While you don’t have to be an interior designer to make your own slipcovers for your furniture, you will need to have the skills to visualize what the finished product will look like before you purchase yards of the wrong fabric. Not all slipcovers are the same, so your design skills must help you choose the best type for your sewing ability and your existing home decor. 

• Measuring and Functional Mathematics 

In addition to your planning and visualization skills, you also need to know how to measure your sofa or chair for a pattern or design. With these measurements, you will be equipped to order the right quantity of fabric. 

• Technical Know-How of Textiles 

Not all fabric is the same, and while one material will stretch a certain way, another may be too stiff for a particular application. For slipcovers, you must know you are buying flexible, durable, and hard-wearing fabrics. 

The technical know-how of how different textiles react and respond will influence what you can choose and how you will design your slipcover. This is not something everyone is capable of or trained to do. 

• Advanced Sewing Skills 

Making a custom slipcover requires more than basic sewing skills. Since it is a specialized craft, making a slipcover needs the correct sewing method, as well as knowledge of how to join different panels. If the edges or seams of the slipcover aren’t sewn professionally, they can become frayed and may be uncomfortable when you sit on the sofa or chair. 

What Will a Professional Consider When Making Your Slipcover?

If you opt for a professional to make your custom slipcover, they will take care of the following:

• Advise you on the correct fabric type and pattern size for an effective custom slipcover.
• Take care of the measurements and make sure the patterns match up if there are panels to be cut. 
• Ensure you order enough fabric the first time, without ordering excess and having unnecessary costs. 
• Design, cut, sew, and fit your custom slipcover. 
• Take care of any alterations that may be required for that perfect fit. 
• Advise you on the wash, iron, and care instructions for your particular slipcover. 

Choose Kovi Fabrics for the Best Custom Slipcovers

Did you know that Kovi Fabrics not only sells the widest range of fabrics at mill prices to the public, but we also make custom slipcovers that will fit your furniture like a glove? Simply order your custom slipcover by using our handy online form. 

Kovi Fabrics will hand sew your custom slipcover according to your measurements with the fabric of your choice from the excellent Kovi Fabric collection. 

Instead of struggling with making your own slipcover, let Kovi’s expert team design and sew the perfect custom slipcovers for your home, furniture, and life. Kovi’s consultants can advise you on what fabric will work best for your needs. Whether you want something elegant for your bachelor’s pad or durable for your TV room where the kids snack and the dogs romp, Kovi has the fabric and slipcover design for you. 

Custom Slipcover FAQs

Why Should You Choose a Custom Slipcover as Opposed to Full Upholstery?

A custom slipcover has many benefits, including:

• Affordability 
• Easy to remove and clean 
• Easy to refit once the slipcover has been cleaned
• With affordable costs, you can change slipcovers more frequently
• Different designs available from a fitted to a more relaxed look
• Many different fabric choices to consider
• Mismatched furniture items can be unified with slipcovers
• Non-traditional upholstery fabrics can be used for slipcovers 
• Lightweight to ship 
• Quick manufacture time with Kovi Fabrics in 3 to 5 weeks
• Protect your couches and chairs from everyday wear and tear

Why Choose Kovi Fabrics to Make Your Custom Slipcovers?

With Kovi Fabrics, you have an all-in-one package from viewing the thousands of fabric options online to ordering samples to test the feel in your home, ordering your slipcover design, and the peace of mind of knowing the professionals are on the job. 

Since Kovi Fabrics have an in-house design team, sewing experts, and a range of fabrics to make the best custom slipcovers, they can offer you the best prices and service. 

Is It Worth Making Slipcovers for Your Furniture or Is This Trend Dated?

Surprisingly, slipcovers have made a huge comeback in recent years. Functionality and cleanliness have become major considerations in homes today, and people want furniture covers that are washable, and that won’t set them back thousands. 

Making a slipcover for your furniture items is totally worth it, and the only question is whether you should make it yourself or choose a professional like Kovi Fabrics.

The Last Slip

If you have bought expensive furniture, you probably want to keep it looking great for longer, and slipcovers will protect your sofas and chairs from everyday soiling. With a professionally designed slipcover, you can rest assured that you will have a great fit, an excellent finish, and the best service. 

Order your custom slipcover from Kovi Fabrics today and slip into comfort and peace of mind that your furniture is protected.