How to Restuff Sofa Cushions

Member

By jamaclassics
User-Submitted Article

Article Rating: (6 Ratings)

Restuff Sofa Cushions

Sofa cushions squashed? Re-stuffing them will restore the shape and comfort lost over years of use. Compared to replacing your sofa, its an inexpensive fix, and you can do it yourself by following these steps:

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

New foam core
Dacron sheeting
Spray glue, high tack
Painter's plastic
Scissors

Step 1

Unzip your covers as far as they'll go. Compress the foam enough to roll the cover off. If you are laundering, zip them and toss them in the washer. (Check for a dry clean only tag first) Measure the thickness of the foam, which will be anywhere from two inches to five inches thick. You will need to replace the foam with the exact same dimensions in order for the covers to fit properly.

Buy replacements from fabric stores that carry foam. Foam comes in high and low density; if you are unsure which your cushions were stuffed with, take an old one with you. (If your sofa cushions are filled with cotton or Dacron, you will need an equal amount of replacement material plus extra to fill the covers fully.) Purchase Dacron for wrapping the cushions at the fabric center; In order to get enough, wrap an old cushion, record the measurement and multiply by the number of cushions.
Step 2

Spread painters plastic on a work surface so that you can spray glue. Lay a new foam block on the plastic and spray the top and one side with adhesive. Beginning at the edge, wrap Dacron around the foam, centering it on the cushion so that equal amounts hang over the edges. Don't stretch the Dacron too tightly. Turn the cushion, spray the other side and wrap it as you did the first. Spray the ends and wrap the Dacron over so that you have a smooth cover on all sides of the cushion. Cut off excess at corners. Repeat this wrapping for the rest of your cushions. Throw away the painters plastic.
Step 3

Using clean painter's plastic, go around the cushion once, trimming the excess. The plastic will help your cushion slide into the cover. Unzip a cleaned cover and turn just the zipper end inside out. Compress the foam by rolling it into a curve down the center and squeezing. Slide the plastic wrapped cushion into the cover, working the corners and smoothing the cover over the cushion until the corners look right. Pull the cover right side out at the zipper side. You can reach into the cover and remove the plastic or just leave it in place and zip the cushion closed. Repeat the stuffing process for the rest of the sofa cushions.