How to Create Plumper Back Cushions for a Couch

Re-stuffing back cushions will give a sofa a face-lift.

Sagging back cushions on a sofa make the sofa look old and tired. The solution is to add stuffing and plump them up. Fixing these semi-attached cushions is well within the skill set of an intermediate home-sewer or DIY-er. With a bit of information and some perseverance, the cushions can be made to look almost new.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Fiberfill
• Kitchen scale
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread

Instructions

1. Remove the seat cushions from the sofa.

2. Feel along the bottom of the back cushion for the zipper opening. If may be tucked in a seam and difficult to locate immediately, but this is the opening through which the upholsterer inserts the stuffing into the cushion. If you can not find the zipper, open the bottom seam of the cushion by cutting the threads along the seam.

3. Open the zipper or seam just enough to feel into the cushion. If the stuffing is loose foam chips or loose fiberfill, be prepared to catch it as it falls out. If the stuffing is in a separate bag, continue opening the zipper or seam and remove it.

4. Decide whether the stuffing should be augmented or replaced. For example, if the stuffing used is fiberfill and it's packed into hard little sections, replacement is probably warranted. If it can be pulled apart and ‘fluffed’ through the outer covering, it may only need augmentation.

5. Add stuffing to the bagged insert by carefully opening one seam and removing all the stuffing. If the stuffing is not encased in a bag, it is wise to make a fabric bag and fill it, rather than trying to stuff loose product into the sofa cushion cavity. Pull the stuffing apart, fluffing it and separating the lumps, if possible. Replace old padding that is hard or tightly wadded by removing it from the insert cover, discarding it and adding new stuffing, mixing it with the rest of the old stuffing. Fill the bag to the desired plumpness, pushing stuffing into the corners of the cushions to add definition. Sew the bag opening closed.

6. Weigh the finished cushion on the kitchen scale if more than one cushion requires additional stuffing, so that all of your pillows remain the same size. It can be difficult to judge the amount added by feel and look alone.

Tips & Warnings

• The quality of the stuffing dictates how well the cushion will hold its shape and how long it will stay plump before compacting. Stuffing, foam chips and foam purchased in craft or fabric stores are suitable for crafts and light home decor --- such as decorator cushions --- but are not typically of a quality suitable for upholstery. To get the best product, purchase from an upholsterer or drapery maker.