Quick Sofa Refresh Using a Drop Cloth

Looking for tips on how to do a Quick Sofa Refresh Using a Drop Cloth? Drop cloth couch covers are quick & easy to make!

Looking for an inexpensive way to refresh your sofa for spring?  You can achieve a quick sofa refresh using a drop cloth without sewing a stitch!  A canvas painter’s drop cloth can quickly change the look of your sofa!

When we first purchased the Florida house a few years ago from my Great Aunt, she had left behind two matching sofas.  While very comfortable, they didn’t quite have the look I was going for!  I decided to do a quick sofa refresh using a drop cloth or two!

The Sofa Before –

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While peach is one of my favorite colors, I felt the peachy orange sofas were a bit too heavy looking for the look I was going for!  I ordered two steel gray slipcovers from a company online.

 

They  looked great until one day I decided I was tired of them.  I wanted a lighter look for the spring.  I ordered a few swatches of lighter fabric from the same on line company.

Quick Sofa Refresh Using a Drop Cloth

Before the swatches arrived, I remembered that a canvas drop cloth could be used as a slipcover.  Since Dave & I were already planning on going to the local Ace Hardware to pick up a few other things, I added the drop cloths to my list.  While there, I found two canvas drop cloths that I thought would be long enough to cover the sofas.

The only problem was that they were two different shades of off white.  One of them had a more grayish tint to it.  Since I wanted to get started on the project and didn’t want to run to another Ace hardware or try to order something online, I grabbed them both and figured I could make it work.

Step 1

The first thing you will want to do is wash the drop cloths so that they aren’t as stiff.  Since they are rather large, I washed and dried each one separately.

Step 2

After the drop cloths were dry, I did press the hem area.  The wrinkles in the body of the drop cloth didn’t really bother me but parts of the hems had turned up so I wanted to press them flat.

Step 3

Next, remove the existing slipcover and wash it if necessary before storing it away.

Step 4

I decided to use the lighter whiter drop cloth on the sofa in the gathering room.  I did have my husband help me get this cloth in place.  Once I figured out that I need to make sure I had the long edge covering the body and the shorter edge covering the arms, I was ready to tuck the cloth in and pin if necessary.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 5

Since I knew what I was doing, I was able to get the slipcover on the living room couch without any assistance.  By tucking in a bit of the excess fabric and using a couple of pins on the sides I was quickly finished with slipcover process and ready to add the throw pillows!

I have had these flag pillows for quite awhile.  My youngest bonus son actually rescued them from the trash when his mother was moving.  I usually get them out around President’s day but I was a little late this year!

Time Involved

Once I had the drop cloths washed and dried, I was able to press and place the slipcovers and add the throw pillows to the sofa in about 30 minutes.  The first sofa took a little longer to do than the second one because I hadn’t placed the drop cloth on correctly.

Cost

Using drop cloths as slipcovers is significantly less expensive than purchasing a ready made slipcover.  For less than $50, I was able to refresh both my sofas.  The drop cloth look is more relaxed than a fitted slipcover.

My husband doesn’t always comment on my decorating efforts but this time he did say the sofas looked fantastic!

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More Ideas on Easy Ways to “Recover” Your Furniture

Easy No Sew Slipcover Treatments for Wingback Chairs

Coastal Shabby Chic Home Office

Simple DIY Drop Cloth Couch Cover

 

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