Does anyone have simple advice in recovering a love chair or sofa?
Answers:
Try using some slip covers. They inexspensive and will cover both back and front of the couch and chair. You can find them anywhere from local discount stores to upscale department store chains. They can found in a variety of styles,textures, and prices to fit your budget.
Other answers:
They have new slip covers that stretch to fit many different size couches now and don't leave you with that rumpled look. Also I have 2 cats and I bought a sea grass mat for my house and it just so happens that my cats love to scratch on it. Because it is a large weave sea grass they can scratch all they want and you can never tell. They also make cat guards for furniture that cover the corners in a hard plastic.
They have new slip covers that stretch to fit many different size couches now and don't leave you with that rumpled look. Also I have 2 cats and I bought a sea grass mat for my house and it just so happens that my cats love to scratch on it. Because it is a large weave sea grass they can scratch all they want and you can never tell. They also make cat guards for furniture that cover the corners in a hard plastic.
Look in yellow pages in your local phone book under furniture and then find one that does restoration for your budget, this is good for the enviornment, thrifty and will make you feel good.
Try slipcovers. Unless you are very handy, the best thing to do is to contact a professional upholsterer. But an inexpensive method used to make a repair is to first locate matching or complimentary material. You'll have to have the couch up on a table to be able to reach the sides conveniently. Cut a piece of material 5-6 inches longer and wider than the side of the couch, but following the same shape. Center the material on the side of the arm, and fold a 1 1/2 - 2" under at the top, then pin in place at the corners under or at the arm. Flip the material over the arm and tack or staple tack strip at the top of the fold line to where the underside of outside-arm begins, or at the top where the outside-arm begins (depending on the style of couch). Take the excess material around to the under the bottom of couch and tack or staple to bottom of frame. Then take excess material around to back of couch -- tack or staple. Then following the line or contour of the front side of the couch, fold material under and pin to the outline at welt cording. Use blind hem stitch to sew new material to old. Follow same procedure on opposite side of couch. Then do the back of couch similar to the sides only use a blind hem stitch where the outside-back meets the outside-arms. Good Luck!
OH kitty kitty, was bad. first of all you have to build a scraching post for kitties. i had cats and none of my furniture was clawed at. i had posts i built my self. put kitnip on them daily, the post and hang toys from it.scrap carpet is easy to find., also. oh to recover. if your going to recover the whole thing???or just the back?? it is so simple. go first look for material. many a times i have found matrial like half bolts in one color and matched it with another color or print. after you do this. Really first, start by taking off the materal of say the loveseat.
very carefully, mark with colored chak, each piece where it goes. leave the cording in tack, if any each piece is then layed out on the floor, daaaaaaaa kitties will surley want to help lol lol. now you have to measure each piece. ya its a drag but nessary..then comes the fun math . on mine..what i do is fly by the seat of my pants in measuring.
and buy extra. if this is your first job at doing this, do not buy a pattern that has to be matched....(like wall paper) i have done antique sofa's and chairs and all sorts of thing. it can be so much fun,,,,make sure you have a good staple gun and a person to help strech material with you. if it has cording, cut and measure it, you will have to resew it back on. there are books out that show you step by step how to do this....but learning is half the fun, and iam still learning...did you consider fitted covers for your furniture? i don't like them, but thats just me....
i refinish furniture and recover it now for money. espically antiques. in reselling them. there is alot of money in buying at garage sales or auctions furniture...but i started out doing just what your doing first. it's not all that hard... good luck and have fun doing it,that s the name of the game. if it's a chore for get it....lol oh forgot to tell you the covering you take off is your pattern oops, sorrry about that.