Replacing Sofa Cushions

Sofas can get a new lease on life with replaced cushions.

Sofa cushions are what give your living room and family room comfort. While they are usually made to stand up to much use, the interior foam inside the cushion can start to look worn and misshapen over time. If you want to add new life to an old sofa, sometimes replacing the sofa cushion is key. This project requires only minimal sewing skills and few measurements, making it the perfect project for even the novice do-it-yourselfer.

Things You'll Need

• Sofa fabric
• 5-inch foam
• Spray adhesive
• Cotton batting
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Needle and thread

Instructions

Readymade Replacements

1. Call the store you purchased the sofa from. They may have more cushions available or can help you track down exact replicas of the damaged or missing cushion. If the store is part of a larger chain of stores, you can call other store locations to increase your chances of finding an exact sofa replacement.

2. Call the manufacturer of the sofa. The name of the sofa manufacturer may be available to find you a replacement cushion or access to the fabric that they use for their furniture.

3. Search resources online. The Internet is a great resource for finding replacements. Whether it's from online auctions or manufacturer's websites, it is possible to find exactly the sofa cushion you are looking for.

Do It Yourself

1. Find exact or closely coordinating fabric to match your existing sofa upholstery. If you can't find the exact material or color, choose a coordinating shade that will work well with your sofa cushions. The sofa manufacturer may have information on where to find the exact fabric for cushion replacement.

2. Measure the size of the cushion you need. Most sofa cushion thickness is at least 5 inches or more. If you cannot find or afford foam in this thickness, use spray adhesive to attach two or more layers of 2-inch upholstery foam, which is available at many art supply and home goods stores. Cut your cushion to size.

3. Cut a piece of cotton batting to the size of the foam cushion. Use spray adhesive to attach the batting to the foam, smoothing out wrinkles with your hand.

4. Lay your fabric print-side up. Place your foam cushion in place over the fabric. Pull your fabric over the top of the foam to cover the cushion. Pin around the sides, leaving the back of the cushion unpinned. Remove the cushion from this side.

5. Sew your fabric following your pinned areas. Cut away excess material. Remove the straight pins and turn your fabric cover right-side out. Insert your cushion back into the material. Sew the back of your cushion closed by hand with a needle and thread. Cut off excess material and fold over 1/4 of an inch before sewing.

References

• Newkirk Wallcovering and Painting: Replacing the Foam Cushions in Your Sofa, Couch or Favorite Easy Chair