Tripod member khurt asks:
We have two couches at home that have ugly upholstery. My wife and I bought some furniture covers but they are always moving and in two weeks the whole thing looks bad. Can you offer suggestions on what we can do to make these "old" sofas look liveable?

Handy Girl Bernadette suggests:
We use a variety of quilts and afghans on our ugly couches and chairs so I understand the problem of shifting. After a few days of use the covers are so disheveled the room looks like a flop house. This is precisely what I like about our furniture coverings. Instead of actually cleaning the living room, we just straighten the covers and it looks as though we spent painstaking hours tidying!

If you want to fix the problem, the solution is simple. If your upholstery is on a wooden frame you'll need decorative tacks, known in the trade as... decorative tacks. These have a 3/4 inch shank (approximately) and come in a variety of metals with either an embossed or plain head. Use a small hammer (or a big hammer gently) to hammer the tacks along the bottom edge of the slip cover around the base of your couch.

If your couch is all fabric you'll need to purchase twist pins. These are similar in function to the tacks but the shank is curly-cue. These are merely twisted into the couch, not hammered. They are not called "decorative," and when you see their clear plastic head — the only style available — you'll know why. Again, insert them into the couch along the base. These are NOT recommended for use in homes with small children.

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