I have very badly damaged (due to cats scratching) upholstered couches. I also have a two year old so I would be interested in an inexpensive solution that could make them look better. I don't care for slip-covers and the blankets that I have covering them look sloppy. I also don't want to be a hyper mom about the furniture if something gets spilled. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
By scrump7 from Cleveland Heights, OH
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I don't have any ideas other than slip covers or blankets. With either one you do have to keep straightening them out. However, I am easy going and wouldn't bother too much about that part of it, unless I knew somebody was stopping in. I did have a slip cover on a chair when my kids were little and didn't have too much trouble with it looking bad. This was before they made the nice looking ones that are available now.
I've also used throws to drape over chairs. Looks decorate and you can move it around based on where the spills are!
If you watch pawn shops and thrift shops, even auction houses, you can sometimes find some really nice furniture. For the price of another slipcover which you don't like to start with you could replace the couch. If you still have the cats do they have scratching towers, if so and won't use them I would have them declawed. I have had my cats declawed and they still love me.
For your slip cover, have you tried making it fit more like the couch cover with tucks here and there? Elastic stitched in here and there and pulled back will make a world of difference. Or you could gather the back of the slip cover up on the top of the couch. Then use covered buttons on heavy thread to make tucks in the front of the slip cover with a long needle going from the front to back and tying them off at the back through another button.
Drop the back of the slip cover down over and secure to the bottom of the couch. You could do the same with the arms of the couch. Slip the cushions in pillowcases and you have covered your damaged couch. You might borrow the needle from an upholstery shop. I used to do reupholstering, it would not be as hard as it sounds to fix with the buttons. Good luck.
Painting won't cover the cat scatching damage, I don't think. I have a kitty that uses my couch as a scratching post. I can't seem to break her of the habit and would not dream of cutting the ends of her 'fingers' off to de-claw her.
So as far as covering the furniture, I don't have a good suggestion. I'm getting desperate though and might try covering the arms of the couch with a color coordinating sheet or something, and attaching with upholstery tacks to keep it in place. Maybe something like that would help you?
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