If you’ve ever tried to take a sofa to get it professionally upholstered, you know how costly and time-consuming it can be.
Not to mention, you have to be without your furniture for weeks!
Why not learn how to upholster furniture yourself? A simple DIY can save you money and time.
It’s not as daunting as it seems, and with a little elbow grease (and some help from this tutorial), you can save yourself a ton of money.
First, I’ll take you through a short tutorial on what you need and how to do the basics. Then, I’ll share my additional helpful tips.
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What you’ll need: supplies
-Staple gun and staples
-Scissors
–Foam padding (optional)
–Batting (optional)
–Muslin (optional)
–Button tufting kit (optional)
Instructions
1. Remove the old fabric
If your piece of furniture has existing upholstery, the first step is to remove it.
Start by taking off any cushions or removable parts, then carefully peel back the fabric from the frame.
Use a screwdriver or pliers to remove any staples that are holding the fabric in place.
2. Prep the frame
Once the old fabric is off, you’ll need to prep the frame for the new upholstery.
Start by sanding down any rough spots and cleaning the frame with a damp cloth.
If you’re planning on adding foam padding or batting, now is the time to do it.
Just cut the foam to size and staple it in place.
3. Cut the fabric
Now it’s time to cut the fabric for your new upholstery.
Measure the length and width of the frame, then add an extra 2-3 inches to each side.
This will give you some wiggle room when it comes to stapling the fabric in place.
4. Attach the fabric
Start by stapling the fabric to one side of the frame, then pull it taut and staple it to the other side.
Continue until the entire frame is covered.
If you’re using a patterned fabric, be sure to match the patterns up as you go.
5. Add the finishing touches
Once the fabric is in place, you can add any finishing touches you like.
If you’re using button tufting, now is the time to do it.
Just follow the instructions that come with your kit.
And that’s it! You’ve successfully upholstered your furniture yourself.
Now enjoy your handiwork and save those big bucks for something else.
Check out this cool boucle fabric upholstery project:
But I’m also sharing some extra tips and tricks to eke out the best results:
Upholstering tips and tricks
Here’s a list of tips to help you out:
Use the old fabric as your base pattern
You may already be aware, even if you’re a beginner, that saving the old fabric you remove when reupholstering furniture is the wisest move you can make.
All you need to do is use a tack remover.
The template for the precise shape of the fabric that needs to be put back onto your piece of furniture can be found when you save the old fabric.
This is by far the easiest way to cut your new fabric.
Simply lay the old fabric on top of the new one and use it as a guide to cut around.
Mark the cloth with chalk to avoid permanently damaging your new fabric
Be sure to add an extra 2-3 inches on all sides, as mentioned above.
Use a heavy-duty stapler
Upholstering requires a lot of staples, so be sure to use a heavy-duty stapler that can handle the job.
I like to use an electric stapler for larger projects, but a hand-held stapler will do the trick, too.
Just be sure to get one that’s heavy-duty enough for the task at hand.
For best results, use a pneumatic stapler. I have found it does a much neater job, and you won’t have to put as much muscle into it.
Get a friend to help
Upholstering furniture is a two-person job, so it’s always best to have a friend help you.
They can hold the fabric in place while you staple, and vice versa.
It’s much easier (and less frustrating) than trying to do it all by yourself.
Use batting for a softer feel
If you want your upholstered furniture to have a softer feel, you can add batting between the fabric and the frame.
Just be sure to use a low-loft batting so it doesn’t add too much bulk.
Cut straight lines with a yard stick
Learning how to cut a straight line when working with fabric is one of the most difficult tasks.
Check out the best fabrics to use for crafting projects here.
Consider reupholstering a chair and needing 20′′ × 20′′ cloth for each component.
The likelihood of getting a correct angle so that all the sides are straight is minimal, especially if you’re a beginner, but you can try to measure accurately by placing a yard stick on the fabric.
Yard sticks are essential for every DIY enthusiast.
Work from the middle toward the sides
While this may not be as obvious, working from the middle of the fabric and stapling toward the sides will give you a neater finish.
It’s much easier to control the fabric when you’re working from the center out.
Use a hot glue gun for smaller projects
A hot glue gun is excellent for small projects like pillows, ottomans, and even some chairs.
Just be sure to use it sparingly and only on smaller projects. Click to read how to use a glue gun properly.
A hot glue gun does not replace staples though for larger pieces of furniture like sofas.
Do the pinch test
How can you tell if you correctly upholstered a piece of furniture?
Well, the number of wrinkles you have is one indicator. If your fabric has a lot of wrinkles, you didn’t draw it tightly enough around the piece of furniture.
The issue is occasionally very obvious, but other times it appears to be smooth but yet has some slack.
The “pinch test,” as my upholstery instructor put it, is the best way to determine this.
To do the pinch test, simply take a small section of the fabric between your thumb and first two fingers and give it a good pinch.
If the fabric wrinkled up when you pinched it, then it’s too loose.
If the fabric is smooth and taut, then you’ve done a good job.
Conclusion
Now that you know the basics of upholstering, you can tackle just about any project, big or small.
If you’re feeling ambitious, you can even try your hand at slipcovers.
Just remember to take your time, be patient, and enjoy the process.
Upholstering furniture is a fun and rewarding DIY project that anyone can do.