How to Measure Couch Fabric for Upholstery

Take careful measurements to fit your new upholstery to your couch.

Sitting on an old or preowned couch oftentimes provides the same comfort and support as if it were a new piece of furniture, but the look may be less than ideal for the décor of your home. Instead of replacing a perfectly good couch, many homeowners decide to reupholster the furniture to provide a new look. Measuring is the key step to a successful reupholstering project; measure incorrectly and you could find yourself short of matching fabric for your couch.

Things You'll Need

• Fabric tape measure
• Pencil and paper

Instructions

1. Stretch your fabric tape measure across the arc of each section of your couch: the back, each arm, each cushion, the front area and the front facing piece of each arm. Be sure to take both the width and length measurement of each section, and then multiply the two numbers together to get the total area of each section. For removable cushions that you will need to upholster on all sides, make sure you measure the top, bottom and sides of each cushion as well. Record all of your measurements in inches.

2. Add up all of your totals. Add an extra 2 ½ inches for each seam in the couch; since the seams fold under during sewing, you need extra fabric to cover them.

3. Divide the number of inches by 1,296, the number of square inches in a yard, to get a good estimate of the total number of square yards of fabric needed for your couch.

4. Add an extra 2 to 3 yards to your measurement to allow for any mistakes in measurement or accidents that may occur while cutting or sewing. It is better to have extra fabric than to run out of matching fabric and have to use mismatched material.

5. Add an extra 2 to 3 yards of fabric if it has a pattern, in order to allow for matching the pattern on your couch on adjacent sections.

Tips & Warnings

• If you don't use your extra upholstery fabric, consider making matching accessories for your couch, such as pillows.

• Most upholstery fabric comes in either 48-inch or 54-inch wide sections. Consider tracing out your upholstery needs on a scale diagram before ordering your fabric so you know how to order and cut the fabric.

References

• Denver Fabrics: Measuring Upholstery Material and Estimating Yardage
• Commercial Interiors Outlet: Important Tips for Upholstery