How to Put Fabric on Furniture
Putting new fabric on your furniture can be a way to add new color or style to your home. Adding new fabric can be a time consuming process, but it is simple enough that most crafty people can learn how to do it with nice results. All you need are some simple tools and a lot of fabric. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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1
Decide on how much fabric you will need. 3/4 yard of 54 inch wide fabric will cover 2 standard chair seats. You will need around 5 to 7 yards of fabric to cover a wing chair and 5 to 6 yards to cover a club chair and 3 yards for a traditional chair. You will need 6 to 7 yards of fabric for a love seat, 7 to 9 yards for a chaise lounge and 2 to 3 yards for an ottoman. For couches you will need 10 yards of fabric for a 6 foot sofa, 11 yards for a 7 foot sofa and 13 yards for a 7 foot sofa.
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2
Remove the old fabric by pulling out the upholstery staples. This can be done by wedging the point of a case knife underneath the staple and using leverage to lift out the staple. You can also use a staple remover. To remove a staple with a staple remover lower the jaws of the tool over the staple and squeeze the jaws together. Pull the tool to remove the staple.
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3
Re-upholster one section of the furniture item at a time. Cut a square of fabric that is slightly larger than the area you are about to add fabric to. For example, if you are about to cover the back of a chair, cut a square of fabric that is two inches larger in length and width. You can also use your old fabric as a pattern. Simply lay the old fabric on top of the new fabric, trace the shape of the old fabric onto the new fabric and cut out the shape.
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4
Fold the fabric around the area and staple it down to the wooden structure of the furniture. Make sure the staples are in a nice, straight line so that trim can be hot glued over the staples for a clean finish.
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5
Trim the excess fabric. Try to stay as close to the staples as possible.
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6
Continue repeating Steps 3 to 5 until the entire piece of furniture is covered.
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Tips & Warnings
It is always better to get a yard or two of extra fabric just in case you mess up.
