Shortly after we moved in, I bought a manual wingchair recliner off of Facebook Marketplace for $40.  I had a feeling it would be a “placeholder” for a nicer recliner in the future, but it seemed like a good tester piece.  We could see how much we used it, see how it fit in the room (while fully open), and help us make a more informed decision in the future.  I intended to make a slipcover for this recliner, but after using it for a few weeks, it became clear that it wasn’t worth the effort or the cost.  The chair wasn’t comfortable and piece by piece, the mechanism was falling apart and got to the point where it would just randomly pop open.

So, for almost a year, I looked around at recliners.  I looked at new and used and was very wishy-washy and undecided.  I didn’t mind saving up for a nice, new recliner, but I had a feeling I would want to slipcover a new recliner just as I would a used one.  I also got lost in the mixed reviews on bargain recliners as well as ones from reputable brands.  I even asked my Instagram followers for more personal reviews, hoping to find an overall favorite, but I received a smattering of recommendations.  (I will share those in a post, by the way, since several people have asked.)  That was helpful, but it didn’t narrow the choices down.

I hopped on Facebook Marketplace again to see if anything new had been posted.  A recliner caught my eye for its styling and price. I liked that it had seat and back cushions, which generally added more comfort, and that it didn’t look at all like a recliner.  It looked like an English armchair, which was just what I was looking for.  Even the turned legs stood out as something I liked better than anything new I was considering.  And, best of all, it was $100.  It’s nothing to sneeze at, but I felt like it was a great deal.

I drove that day to pick up the chair.  I sat in it, reclined, and gave it the sniff test.  It passed all of the tests and I bought it.  When I got home, I looked at the cushions a bit closer and realized they were down-wrapped, which is my preference.  I also tried to find the chair and discovered it was the Oxford of Charles recliner by Bassett, which is almost $3,000 when not on sale.  The stationary armchair is still available, but the recliner is not.  I’d say $100 was a pretty good deal!

Relishing in my find, I gave it a good vacuuming and started making the slipcover for the recliner in less than 24 hours.

Well, we all had to test it out and get our smell on it first.

And, I called reinforcements since this was a big job.  Thankfully, my mom was free to help with the recliner slipcover project and I tacked in a few other sewing projects that have been on my list.  I no longer have a dedicated sewing room, so I set up the machines on the dining table and we took over the room.

I examined the chair for quite a while to make a plan on how I would tackle the slipcover.  I’ve made plenty of slipcovers and done lots of upholstery projects, but working on a piece that has moving parts is a whole different ball of wax.  My first big decision was to cut off the back cushion so I could make a separate cover for it.  I felt it would look too bulky if I covered the cushion and the back together.  This is what I would do if the chair was stationary, so I decided to approach it that way and go with my first inclination.

As I do with all of my slipovers, I started by cutting pieces of fabric and laying them in place.  Since the recliner needed to move, I decided to make the slipcover in pieces.  The slipcover would be made of seven pieces – The back, the back cushion cover, the seat cushion over, two arm covers, and two upholstered pieces on the folding footrest.

Oh, as far as the fabric, I used antique hemp sheets from my stash.  I buy them from a wholesale supplier because I used to sell them and I order bulk.  You can find hemp sheets and rolls on and , though.  I used four sheets for this project.  If you’re going to order several from a seller, I would ask for them to pick ones that go well together and ask for a discount for buying multiples.  If you’re using decorator fabric, I would order 10 yards, so you have plenty to work with.

This plan worked because the construction of the chair allowed for the arm slipcovers to slide between the seat and the arm.  It also worked because the seat cushion was removable.

Cutting off the back cushion was the right thing to do and ended up working great.

As I was sharing the process on Instagram, people were asking for a tutorial.  Unfortunately, I was making it up as I went along, so I wasn’t going to be able to make a tutorial.  What I will say, though, is it was a challenging slipcover and I wouldn’t suggest trying to slipcover a recliner until you have a few other slipovers under your belt!  If you’d like a full tutorial on making a slipcover for a chair, you can find a video series I made a few years ago HERE.  It will walk you through piecing, pin-fitting, making custom piping, covering a cushion, and all of the finishing details.  Once you learn the principles, it becomes easier to get a bit more creative with difficult pieces like a recliner.

To hold the pieces together and in place, I tied the back to the side of the arms where they meet on each side and I tied the back piece to the frame before the “flap” that allows the fabric to drape when the recliner is open.

Because it’s hard to show in pictures and fully explain in writing, I shared a little walk-through of the pieces and the ties and saved it to my Instagram highlights HERE.   But, here is how it turned out!

I absolutely love that it doesn’t look like a recliner at all.  The scale and style fit perfectly with the room, which I wasn’t 100% sure I would find in a recliner.

And yes, it still opens and closes!  I was a little nervous the slipcover might be fiddly as the recliner opened and closed, but I made it a pretty snug fit, so you don’t have to worry about it at all.  It moves freely and doesn’t need fluffing after it’s closed.

It’s not perfect, but my slipcovers never are and I’m okay with that.  I am super proud that it works so well, though.

And it looks sharp…

I’ll be doing more work on the living room soon and I can’t wait to see how evolves.  I’m hoping to have it all completed by the holidays…

A few other room sources…

The pillow is from JSH Home Essentials.  The rug is from Rugs USA.  You can read about how I made the curtains HERE.  The European stag antlers are from HERE.