I've just discovered the easiest way in the world to give my living room a brand new look. My old furniture, while very comfortable, was becoming worn out, with stains on a couple of the chairs and a rip on one of the cushions of the couch. (Ah, children, they're so much fun, aren't they?)

I was contemplating getting the furniture re-upholstered, but didn't want to go to that expense, and I certainly didn't want to go to the expense of buying new furniture, especially when there was nothing wrong with the old except for those cosmetic problems.

Then I discovered slipcovers!

It's not necessary to re-upholster my furniture - and then go to the expense of re-upholstering it again should the new fabric become stained - when all I need to do is purchase relatively inexpensive slip covers, which I can replace again and again if it becomes necessary.

What I was impressed about was not only the vast array of designs that slip covers come in, but also the fabrics. I never would have thought you could get leather slip covers, but you can. Other fabrics include denim, suede, chenille, or cotton and damask.

The designs are nothing to sneeze at. There are hundreds of designs to choose from, from floral to plaid to geometric, to solid colors. They also come in themes for kid's rooms - sports, horses, etc. Indeed, having slip covers for chairs in your kid's room only makes sense!

I was also pleased to see that these slip covers come in a variety of sizes - they'll fit my couch and my recliner, to say nothing of the straight chairs in my dining room. And of course they'll fit love seats, futons and ottomans as well - any size furniture you've got! And if you can't get something ready-made that will fit, of course you can always order something custom-made.

So I've gone out and picked out a wide variety of slip covers, because I've got big plans. My entire family comes here for the holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, so I'll cover the furniture with seasonal designs at that time.

If you decide to use slip covers on your furniture, make sure they are preshrunk and prewashed. Indeed, make sure they are machine washable so that they are easy to care for! Some fabrics of course will have to be dry-cleaned, but I always prefer to take the easiest possible way!