Cheap weekend home decorating ideas: slipcovering ideas

If your furniture is looking a bit tattered, you may be exploring ways of improving the looks of a room without spending a lot of money. Buying a new living room suit or even just a sofa can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars, and you never know how long used furniture will last. So why not try new slipcovers for an appealing new look?

Many department, furniture, or fabric stores carry new slipcover fashions in a variety of colors or designs. But depending on where you shop, custom-made covers can be pricey while those purchased off the shelf are not exactly cheap and they may not fit just right.

If you enjoy creative projects and have a little time over the weekend, you may want to give some thought to making your own furniture slipcovers. With a little money and decorating flair you can create a whole new look for one or more rooms.

First, decide which pieces you want to cover. It may be just a sofa, a chair, or a footstool. Or you may want to accent several pieces of furniture to coordinate a matching look with the same covers.

Then sketch a few cover ideas. You may want to drape a sheet-length cut of fabric over the back of a sitting piece of furniture and over the seat. Tuck it into the back fold. The part that cascades down the back of the chair or sofa can be tacked with pins or sewn with loose stitches and matching thread to secure it to the furniture's fabric. Do the same with the hanging section in front by tucking it under and tacking it or letting it flow naturally. You can use a wider length of material and tack it around the armrests of the chair or sofa, or left it drape over the arm areas for a casual look.

Another option is to cover just the worn or faded areas of a furniture piece, such as the headrest or the armrests. Use store-bought matching doilies that you can tack to hold them in place. Or use rectangular runners to lay over the back, with shorter pieces on the arms. Tack or leave free as desired. Your decision may be based on the amount of wear or tear expected from the kids or pets.

You may prefer to buy discounted fabric and sew hems in large square- or rectangular-shaped pieces. Then use these as drapes to cover the threadbare areas, tacking if needed. Coordinate the fabric so that you either use the same design on all furniture pieces to be covered or use complementary shades and patterns for a unified look.

For a larger section of furniture fabric that requires covering, throw an attractive afghan, handmade or store-bought, over the back or across the seat of a couch or loveseat. Woven "throws," so-called because of their casual but effective ability to cover people or objects, can be purchased for $10 or $20 at many stores, so check out the many attractive patterns when you have a chance.

Giving your furniture a facelift need not be time-consuming or expensive. In fact, it may be downright fun!