Furniture Slipcovers Blog: GetSlipcovers.com

We’ve had our friend Dave staying for a couple of days this week, while he helps us out with some plastering in our spare room.  He’s an old college friend and lives about 2 hours drive away, so whenever he does any work for us he usually stays over, to save driving back late at night.  He’s been promising to do the plastering for weeks now, but has been really busy with work.  However, he had some free days this week and was able to fit us in.  There was just one catch though – his wife had the flu, so he wanted to bring his two dogs with him so she didn’t have to worry about walking them.

That wasn’t a problem with me.  I love having pets around – so long as they’re well-trained and behave themselves that is!  I’d not met Scooby and Bobby before, but knew from what Dave had told me that they were both big dogs (a spaniel and a border collie).  Of course, the bigger the dog, the more hairs they’ll leave all over the carpet and furniture.  So, I took precautions and dug out my sofa slipcovers that are specifically labelled as “pet-friendly”.

These sofa covers are great if you’ve got a dog or cat that likes to sleep on your couch, as they are made from cotton duck.  This is a wonderful fabric that can be washed in the machine again and again, and can take all kinds of abuse – from muddy paw prints to doggy dribble. 

Boy, am I glad I fitted those slipcovers before Dave and the dogs arrived!  As soon as they got here, Dave took them out for a quick run, as they’d been cooped up in the car for 2 hours.  They didn’t go far, but it’d been raining all night and there were muddy puddles all over the place.  Inevitably Scooby and Bobby got wet mud all over the long fur on their bellies and legs.  Dave was very apologetic as they ran into my hallway, and he did attempt to wipe off the worst of the dirt with an old towel.

We decided it would be best to confine the dogs to the hallway while they dried out, so I put an old blanket on the floor for them to lie on, while Dave made a start on his work.  Anyway, someone must’ve not closed the lounge door properly, as about 30 minutes later I found both the dogs in there happily snuggled up on my sofa!!!

They looked so comfortable I didn’t have the heart to move them – I felt a bit sorry for them being away from their home.  And that was that – for the rest of Dave’s stay with us, the dogs used the sofa as their bed.  The cotton slipcover was rather grubby by the end of their stay, but I wasn’t too worried as I knew I could pop it straight in the washing machine.  Dave did a great job with the plastering and now they’ve gone, the house seems strangely empty without Scooby and Bobby making themelves at home on the sofa!

Until 10th December, Sure Fit are having a 10% discount sale on some of their furniture covers.  Those on offer include all their T-cushion slipcovers, which come in sizes to fit sofas, loveseats and chairs.  There’s a great choice of 14 different designs and fabrics, in both one-piece and separate seat styles.

Also in the sale are their popular stretch velvet loveseat and sofa slipcovers.  This stretchy fabric looks and feels like velvet, but has the added advantage of providing a nice tight fit.  It’s available in either mesquite or burgundy.

Click here to view the entire range of ready made slipcovers from Sure Fit.

Just a quick reminder that there are a couple of good coupon codes that are about to expire at the end of the month ie. in 3 days.  So if you’re been thinking about buying some new slipcovers but haven’t gotten around to placing your order yet, it’s worth doing it by Friday.

The first coupon code is for Sure Fit, and is exclusive to GetSlipcovers.com.  If your total order comes to $125 or more, you can get a 25% discount.  Just enter coupon code AGSL at checkout.

The second offer is with Slipcover Shop, where you can get 15% off cushion covers when you purchase any custom slipcover.  The code you need to use is CCDCC.

So, whether you looking for ready made slipcovers for your old couch or loveseat, or custom made covers for that special piece of furniture, act now to take advantage of these savings!

To be honest, the key feature I look for when choosing a slipcover fabric is that it’s machine washable.  To me, being able to wash my furniture slipcovers is one of the main reasons I love them so much – slipcovers are just so much easier to care for than upholstery.

I’ve got slipcovers made from several different fabrics, all of which have their own advantages.  For instance, I’ve had my old 100% cotton sofa slipcover for a few years now, and I’m pleased to say it’s stood the test of time.  Cotton is a durable natural fiber that’s a good choice if you’ve got a busy family household and you’re likely to have to wash your slipcovers frequently.  Cotton furniture covers are also nice to sit on during hot summers, as the fabric “breathes” and is not sticky to sit on.

I’m also a fan of synthetic polyester slipcovers.  Generally, slipcovers made from polyester are inexpensively priced, so they’re great for a budget furniture makeover.  As well as being affordable, they are also low maintenance – they are less prone to wrinkles, so there’s no need to iron them after washing.  Actually, quite a few of my furniture covers are made from a blend of cotton and polyester, such as my dining chair slipcovers.  This means I can wash them as often as I need to and I don’t have to worry about them looking creased when I fit them.

Of course, it goes without saying that my stretch slipcovers are among my favourites.  Stretchy fabrics are usually made from polyester with added spandex, and they are excellent if you’re looking for a tailored fit for good-quality couches or chairs, as they will cling to every contour and curve.  Stretch slipcover fabrics can be made in a variety of finishes, including soft velvet, faux suede and corduroy.

All in all, I’d say as long as the fabric is washable, choose a slipcover that you like the look of and will match your décor, and you can’t go wrong!

Thanksgiving is a time to get together with the ones we love and give thanks for all we have, and is generally a happy, relaxing day.  But Thanksgiving has been and gone, and today is known as Black Friday – so called because the Friday after Thanksgiving is traditionally seen as one of the busiest shopping days of the year.  “Black” refers to the profits for businesses, as opposed to being “in the red”.

On Black Friday it seems like everyone is taking the opportunity to prepare for the forthcoming holidays and has the bright idea to go shopping today so as to avoid the mad rush just before Christmas.  Except of course, most of the country has the same idea!  Fighting your way through the hoards of shoppers can be hectic and stressful, which is why I prefer to do my Christmas shopping online, from the peace and quiet of my own home!

I love being able to browse the internet for gifts and decorating ideas without having to contend with being pushed around by other shoppers or spending ages waiting in line.  And online stores often have some great deals on that are only available if you order online.  For instance, if you’ve been meaning to get organized and smarten up your home before Christmas, there’s still time to find some good discounts on furniture slipcovers.

GetSlipcovers.com have got an exclusive promo code for Sure Fit that expires at the end of this month (a week today – 11/30/07).  Enter discount code AGSL when you order online to save 25% if your order is $125 or more.

Slipcover Shop also have an offer that expires 11/30/07, applicable to their custom slipcovers.  If you purchase any custom made slipcover, you can use coupon code CCDCC to get 15% off all cushion covers.

 Sure Fit have recently launched a Spanish language website for the benefit of their Hispanic customers.  Now customers looking for ready made slipcovers for their furniture can find all the online information in Spanish.  Sure Fit have also hired bi-lingual customer support staff to help customers with their queries.

The new site offers everything that the English one does, but in Spanish, including an online catalog, shopping cart and measuring guide, as well as current promotional offers.

The Spanish language version of the site is linked to from the English language version, and can be found here.

My dinner party on Saturday was a great success and a jolly time was had by all!  I managed to get most of the meal prepared in advance, so I was quite relaxed by the time everyone arrived.  I’d made some mulled wine to welcome them, which went down very well.

Anyway, everyone seemed very impressed with my dining room’s transformation.  I’d lit candles and added some dried flower arrangements, but the main thing that gave the room such an elegant new look was the covers on the chairs.  My everyday pine dining chairs and my mum’s 2 folding chairs looked wonderful all dressed up in my new burgundy slipcovers.

My friends loved the dining chair slipcovers!  It’s such a simple idea to dress up your chairs for a special occasion, but none of them had thought of it before.  They were all inspired to try them for themselves over the holidays, especially when I told them how cheap they were. 

One of my friends, Patricia, has two young children, one’s 3 years old, the other’s 18 months.  After going into my living room and seeing my trusty sofa slipcover, she decided the idea of fitting furniture slipcovers over all her new couches and chairs was wonderful.  She’s going to buy a set of washable slipcovers for her family room as soon as she can, so she doesn’t have to rush around over the holidays scrubbing dirty marks off her seats!

I think everyone went home feeling inspired to give their homes a seasonal makeover!

Now the days are getting increasingly shorter and we’ve got to put up with these horrible dark evenings, I’m finding that I’m spending a lot more time at home watching the TV.  During the summer I hardly put my TV on at all, as I’m rarely inside in the evenings.  I like to make the most of the daylight and go out in the garden, play tennis or go jogging.  But this time of year I often find myself slumped on the couch after dinner watching whatever’s on the box.

As I’m spending more time lazing on my sofa, I’ve found myself having to wash my slipcover more frequently than usual.  This is because I turn into a bit of a couch potato in the winter months and enjoy eating all kinds of snacks whilst I watch my favorite shows.  I’m not really fussy what food it is, as long as I can grab a handful and shove it in my mouth without being distracted from what’s happening on the screen.

Of course, this lazy way of eating means that I’m always dropping things like popcorn, chips and nuts on the couch.  This isn’t too much of a problem, as I can easily clear them up.  It’s the things like dips and pizza that are the worst, as they end up leaving a stain on the slipcover fabric.  Fortunately, all my furniture slipcovers are machine washable, so it’s just a case of throwing the dirty cover in the wash the next day and replacing it with a clean one.

Knowing that I’ve got several other sofa slipcovers in my closet is a nice feeling as it means I can carry on being a slob and not worry if I drop a pizza slice or chocolate icecream on my couch!

I’m holding a dinner party for a group of friends this Saturday and have been looking forward to it for ages.  There are going to be ten of us in total.  I’ve never had so many people round to dinner before, but I think we’ll just about squeeze in around the table!  The only thing is, I’ve only got 8 dining chairs.  So, I had to come up with a solution!

I was visiting my parents the other evening and did wonder if I could perhaps borrow a couple of their dining chairs for the night.  My folks quite often help me out if I need to borrow something!  The only thing is, theirs are the type that have arms and would look out of place with my chairs.  They are also solid oak, which wouldn’t look right with my rustic pine table.  Looking at them, I thought there must be a better option.

That’s when my mum disappeared upstairs and returned a short while later with a folding chair under each arm.  Brilliant!  These would work perfectly.  I suddenly remembered that Sure Fit sell slipcovers for folding chairs, in the same fabric as their dining chair slipcovers.  So, I could dress up both types of chair using slipcovers and my guests would probably not even notice the difference.

I got online and had a look at the Sure Fit website.  They have folding chair covers in a choice of fabrics and colors, including cotton duck, Normandy, satin stripe and scroll.  I decided to order some matching scroll patterned dining room and folding chair covers in the burgundy.  The folding chair ones were only $14.99 for a set of two!

Anyway, I’m very pleased with my purchases and can’t wait to use them when I give my dining room a makeover before the party.

The Veterans Day weekend is a time when many of us start to really spend some time planning for the holidays.  And with Sure Fit’s current promotional offer it’s a good time to purchase those slipcovers that you’ve been meaning to buy for ages.  Until 11/17/07 Sure Fit are offering savings of 25% on all orders of $140 or more.  So if you’ve got several items of furniture that could benefit from a quick makeover, it’s worth taking advantage of this discount.  For example, if your slipcover order comes to $140 you can get a $35 discount!

To claim your discount you’ll need to use coupon code VE25 when you place your order online. 

There are a couple of sofa slipcovers that I particularly like the look of and think would look great for seasonal decorating.  The Soft Suede One-Piece Slipcover in Burgundy is a beautiful faux suede cover with the benefit of being machine washable.  The Twill Supreme Separate Seat Slipcover in Sapphire is a different style, and is great if you’ve got lots of family visiting for the holidays as it is kid and pet friendly.

Click here to go direct to the Sure Fit website.