Do you say couch or sofa?
I thought I said sofa until I started typing this post and my fingers just automatically typed couch.
It’s like my fingers had their own furniture vocabulary.
Today the couch or sofa or loveseat or sectional or chair are all part of the short cut series.
14 days full of tips to make your decorating life a little easier.
We’ve discussed the one thing every lamp needs and how to transform a builder-grade door for under $10 and an easy way to makeover furniture and a unique hardware DIY. and budget centerpiece ideas and how to pick paint colors that make your room smile and how to decorate with thrift store finds and a 10-minute project for each season and eight things to buy at a yard sale for under $5.00.
And today?
We are shortcutting a little sag.
Here is an easy tip to un-sag your couch cushions.
A while ago I wrote a post entitled “Five Decorating Mistakes I Wish I Hadn’t Made.”
The #2 mistake on the list was that I wish I had purchased sofas with removable back cushions instead of cushions that are attached.
Why?
Because cushions that are attached to the back of the sofa sag.
Sag and sag and saaaaaaaaggggggg.
Sag like the Suntan pantyhose my mother used to make me wear in seventh grade.
They don’t tell you about the sagging at the store and you don’t even notice it until you’ve had the sofas about a month and you go to fluff the back cushions and realize saggy cushions are now a thing in your living room.
Until now.
This is the best tip I never thought of.
A reader sent it to me and I thanked her and told her she was brilliant and sent her seventy-two exclamation points and then decided to share it with all of you.
Here’s how to fix sagging couch cushions in the easiest, simplest way you can imagine.
Let’s start with a close-up so you can see what I am working with here.
Super slumperama.
Slippty, slumpity, sloop.
Slimptimity.
Slumpity.
Slumper.
Slump.
Emily Post would tell it to straighten its shoulders.
But it can’t.
Why?
It’s attached to the back.
And when you try to push it up, the cushion stays for a moment and then when your back is turned or someone sits on the couch to eat Captain Crunch or put their stinky socks over the edge, whenever they get up….
….it slumps back in place.
But here’s the thing.
There’s a secret fix to all that slumping.
Something I never even knew was there.
Something wonderful and incredible and amazing that fixed the problem in two shakes of a lamb’s tale.
A zipper.
I know…right?
I’m as surprised as you are. There’s a hidden zipper at the bottom of the cushion that has been escaping my notice for four years. It’s tucked way back inside and you have to awkwardly lift up the cushion to find it, but it’s there.
And when I unzipped it, guess what I found?
Stuffing.
Stuffing that was kind of molded into place and slumpy.
So I twisted it and turned it and fluffed it out of its mold and even added a little extra stuffing around the edges.
And now?
Here’s a little before and after.
Now it looks like this.
Can you believe the difference?
A picture is worth a thousand words.
Especially when they are unslumpy.
And now my couch is fluffed and stuffed and ready for stinky socks and Captain Crunch.
All because of an amazing reader.
And a zipper. 🙂
PS And now a word from our 14-day shortcut sponsor.
You can read the reviews of my first book, So Close To Amazing, here.
Oh KariAnne! When I first read this post ~ I immediately left the computer monitor and ran to my saggy couch cushions...and Yes! ZIPPERS!!! My kids laughed at me as I struggled to pouf and fluff....but we all loved the look! So THANK YOU!!! Rock Star~ you are amazing!!! :)
Thanks for the wonderful tip. Can't wait to get home and try it.
Well I never thought of that! Our 40 pound dog likes to lie up there like a lion on a tree limb and it results in the same slumpity slump you're so sweet to share with us. I'll give it a whirl and sing your praises when it works!! Here's hoping for a zipper... Enjoy the holiday weekend!!
"Sag like the Suntan pantyhose my mother used to make me wear in seventh grade." Oh, my heavens! This brings back memories, and made me laugh out loud!! Looking forward to the book!
How 'bout Davenport! Are you too young to remember that name for a couch? haha! Kinda like Trousers were to pants and pocketbook to purses! I love those old words!
Oh my goodness...who knew😜😜....hidden zippers....thank you for the wonderful discovery...will be chasing my cat off the cushion top, while I fluff!
Heya! Another option we Canadians have is "chesterfield"! So many ways to look up or write the same thing! ;) Love your style girl! You are keeping it real!!
Oh, my goodness! You're absolutely right. My sofa has those zippers too, and I've never noticed them.
Sha-zam! I left the computer to go and take a gander and by golly! YES......zippers just like you said! Sorry I doubted you! Now I am waiting to see if my hubby notices when he comes home later, just like he notices the new hair style and color of lipstick and well, no, but maybe his favorite chair all dressed up will do it!
Holy cow 🐄🐄🐄, there is a zipper!
Hi! KariAnne! I'm another Canadian who has a "chesterfield"! However, I now know how to take care of the slumpy cushions on the "sofa" should I even need to!M Love your posts! I love how you tell it like it is! I am ordering your book! Have a great weekend. Blessings!
"Sofa" must be the Norwegian influence of your name coming out :)
OMG they are even on my sleeper sofa. Hallelujah ! You have made My Day. How did you get so cleaver? This is me doing my happy dance.🎉💃🎉
Crazy memories about the pantyhose sagging. I love this tip about fluffing the sofa pillows. I have a slip covered Pottery Barn Basic Comfort sofa that is 8-10 yrs old. The pillows are sagging and the sofa isn't as comfortable as when it was new. With this being said, I contacted Pottery Barn, to re-stuff the cushions it would cost $107.00/cushion.(6 total). I thought about just purchasing another sofa from Ikea It would be about the same price and brand new w a 10 yr warranty. I know PB is better quality I may use your tip to re-stuff the back cushions and purchase the seat cushions. Any thoughts readers? Karianne, love your style and blog. I have preordered your book and read the first chapter.
if punching/fluffing the stuffing isn't enough, go buy some extra stuffing at your fabric or craft store (with a coupon, of course!). They make a new batting instead of foam at JoAnn's (little pricey, but firm). It looks like batting but it's very dense if you need to put on the outside close to the fabric so you don't get that "bumpy" look, that would be less than having PB do the work.
This just made my weekend.
My hubby invariably has to throw his arm across the top of the sofa every time he sits down to watch TV and I cringe because that means that I have to try to remember to "punch" the cushions back into place after he goes off to do something else. So, I too, had to go check for zippers and yes, they're there. The crazy thing is, is the zipper pull starts under the part that curves over the arm. I unzipped it a bit and then couldn't get it zipped back closed. YIKES! It took me 5 min. to zip a 3-4" long opening back shut. I'm almost afraid to try to unzip it all of the way. Maybe when I've "had it" punching those cushions. PS, dear soul sister in your suntan panty hose--I was right there with you except since I'm a bit older, I actually chose to wear them vs. my mom making me.
You, my dear, have changed my life! I can't wait to go home and unzip my slumpy sofa!!
Also- my grandma (Mammaw) called her couch a DeVan :)
I love your fluffin' and stuffin'!!! xoxoxo
Thank you thank you thank you! Our daughter's cat has caused a major slump in one of our attached couch cushions. I never even thought to check for a zipper! Huge problem solved! Great tip!!!
This is so smart! I totally had to check our couch and you are right. The zippers are well hidden (under the cushion... ugh) but they are totally there! Thanks so much for sharing this tip with us at Merry Monday this week!
I'm sitting here at work, but as soon as I get home I'm going to attack my slumpy couch and FIND THAT ZIPPER!!! I too will never buy another couch with "attached" pillows!!! I'll work on my pillows this weekend and add more stuffing. The cushions just look HORRIBLE, and my couch isn't "that" old lol!!! Thanks for the tip girlfriend!!!