Want to reupholster your couch? Ready to tackle your next home makeover project? Learn how below with our step by step tutorial.
How to Reupholster a Couch
Ready to start that redesign project? Don’t let the coaches upholstery get in the way. Learn to reupholster your couch and have a fresh new look for your own homestead in no time.
Materials & Tools
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- Flat butter knife
- Flat-head screw driver
- Pliers
- Hammer
- Staple gun
- Staples
- Upholstery fabric (size will depend on the measurements of your couch)
- Sewing machine with heavy duty needle
- Upholstery piping (if it is currently present on the sofa)
- Upholstery thread
- Screwdriver
- Permanent marker
- Measuring tape
Step 1.Measure your couch and the cushions so you can estimate the amount of fabric you need to buy.
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Take the measurements of the length, width and height of the couch, and take the same measurements for your couch cushions. Multiply the length, width and height of your couch, the product will be the total amount of fabric you need to buy.
Step 2. Cut the seams of your couch’s current fabric to have a smooth surface area.
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When the cutting the old fabric off, take care not to damage it so you can still use it as a pattern when you cut the new fabric. Remove fabric one section at a time and label them for future reference.
Step 3. Lay the new fabric wrong side up, and place the old fabric on top of it to serve as pattern. Trace the outline of each section of old fabric (including cushions), allowing for two-three inch allowance for the seams.
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Cut the fabric carefully and mark each section of fabric the same way you marked the old fabric pieces.
Step 4. Attach the fabric to the couch frame by sections. When doing this, fold, pull, and secure the fabric. Use a staple gun to secure the fabric to the couch.
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It is best to attach the fabric in an inside out pattern. First attach the sofa deck, then the inside arms, and finally the inside back. Be sure to pull the fabric snug as you attach it, or it will stretch over time.
For the arm piece, it is best to sew the seams together on the new piece of the fabric the same way they existed on the old piece of fabric. In most cases, it is the corner that needs to be sewn together.
To attach the new fabric on the couch, fit the fabric loosely on the arm making sure to place the sewn corner where it should be. Then, tuck the edge into the sofa and fit the corner snugly. Find the tucked fabric edge on the other side of the arm, pull it through, and secure it to the wood frame with staples.
Step 5. Reinforce the staple wires with nails and wood glue if needed.
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Step 6. Work on the cushions.
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Cut out one of the old cushion covers from the cushion and use a seam-ripper to separate all the seams and detach the pieces from one another.
Iron out the fabric and lay it right-side up on top of your new fabric (which should also be right-side up). Use the old fabric as a pattern to cut the new fabric. Make sure to include a one-two inches of allowance for the seam.
Sew the new pieces together the same way as the old ones were.Once done, replace the cushion cover of one cushion. Check the fit and make any necessary adjustments.
Repeat the process to for all the other cushions.
Watch this video for more tips:
Now you can reupholster anything! What project are you working on next?
Next: Pallet Project Ideas
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