[1] X Research source When you have a sofa that dates back to more than a century, and you have invested good money in it, reupholstering it makes sense. When I moved into my first apartment, I bought an old set of furniture on Craigslist for my living room. Now it’s time to cut out the middle piece. For the legs, I spray painted them with a hammered metal spray paint. It’s a new sew tutorial and if I can do it, anyone can do it. Quick question though - did you have to use any type of foam for the inside back or inside arm? There were two "hidden" sections which included under the couch and under the seat cushions. Don’t worry about getting it perfect. If you have a couch with a great frame, but the cover needs to be replaced, you can expect to pay $800 to $4,950+ to have it reupholstered. Be sure to also check out my how to reupholster a chair tutorial too. Good luck with your project! Filed Under: Decorating, DIY couch, DIY Tutorials, Our Home & Projects Tagged With: compressor, couch, cream, diy, staples. Yes, I have heard of dropcloths being used. Thanks for the reply Tori! Explore upholstery fabric by the yard at JOANN. ToriM (author) from Atlanta on September 28, 2018: Hi Jin, For my particular couch, there was no foam on the inside back or arm when I took it apart, there was only batting. You will be able to cover the edges with the existing pleated skirt that you cut off earlier. That is the beauty of a DIY sofa upholstery project, you can change things as you go if you do not like it. Please help :( I'm stuck! New fabric gives dated or unattractive furniture a fresh look, revealing the true potential within that faded armchair or worn beige couch. :) I hope if you do reupholster again that the tutorial comes in handy and that you will be able to send pictures :). 1. You might purchase a few extra yards of fabric and batting just in case something happens and you need more. what a project Jess!! Removing the staples is one of the most arduous parts of the process. The price to reupholster a leather couch runs $600 to $4,000, depending on size. After the arms were done, most of the tedious work of covering the frame was over. The one piece slipcovers that you buy as is are beautiful as long as you don’t sit on the furniture. A fresh new look for a couch that use to be two feet longer for zero money! If you are new here, we sold this house and moved to a new one. And here's the before and after comparison! Yes, you could try a heavy duty one and see how it works. Drives me crazy! After the chair tutorial and now this, I think I can reupholster my wing back loveseat without sewing! I hope you found this tutorial helpful for your own project. It will give the couch a new look, that is more in sync with your current living room ambiance, besides restoring the couch to its old soft and comfortable self. Do you love the look of slip covers but hate all the wrinkles and mess? :). Make a Table to Keep Track of Your Measurements. Reasons to Reupholster Your Sofa. Average Cost To Reupholster a Couch The cost of giving your old seat a makeover includes fabric, labor, and supplies. Cat damage for days. A couple weekends ago, I decided to reupholster it again with an old Pottery Barn slipcover that was in the bottom of my closet. I used a compressor and heavy duty staple gun with 1/4″ staples. You saved me a lot of time and money. For me, they are hardly noticeable. just wanted other's thoughts. I need to update a chair and was going to start from scratch with fabric but this sounds like a better idea;). The very first thing you will need to do is to plan your project. Awesome reupholstery job! When upholsterers put the new fabric right on top of the existing fabric with a layer of cotton in between, instead of stripping away the old stuff. This is so amazing and so much easier than the process i was going to do. I decided to cut straight across being sure to leave enough fabric to cover the back and sides of the couch. To adequately plan, you will need to first take measurements of every piece of visible fabric on the couch, and some hidden pieces. My husband has a staple gun and compressor
You make it look so easy, Jessica ... love it ... thanks for the tutorial! First, we deconstructed the covers and used them to cut pieces of fabric that were about the same size (with a few extra inches of room on each measurement just to be safe). There's more fabric hidden on the inside that you can't see, places where the fabric is sewn or stapled to hold it in place. I do not think that I have the courage to attempt another reupholstering myself but if I do I know which tutorial to follow. Durable upholstery is a vital feature of any outdoor furniture installation and the same applies to furniture that is used frequently in commercial settings. This is NOT a one-weekend project. Thanks for your help! To adequately... 2. Be sure to staple to the wood part/frame of the sofa. Now that you have measured and made allowances, it's time to draw the pieces on a small scale so that you can figure out how much fabric you will need altogether. If you can, take pictures of how it was put together to help you remember how to put it back together. This includes stapling on the new cambric dust cover and attaching the legs. After the zippers were installed, we pinned and sewed the walls of the cushions to the cutouts of the seat cushion tops and bottoms. Before doing this, make sure you know how wide the roll of fabric is that you picked out so that you can effectively plan the cuts to waste minimal fabric. I tried to staple where the staples wouldn’t be seen but a couple do show. Step back and look at the couch to determine how many "sections" you will be reupholstering. Here's the front of the couch with the seat cushions! Of course if you want it perfect, you will need to invest hundreds of dollars and pay to have it professionally upholstered. You may have noticed that Kim mentioned Curve-Ease. If you choose an unusual color, prepare to pay more per yard. See the one I made below. The "visible" sections for my couch were arms, back of back rest, front of back rest, sides (under arms), front bottom, pillows, and cushions. The first step for all couches will be to turn it upside-down and take the legs off, then take the cambric dust cover off. Ikea Hack! (sorta) Upholstered Headboard on the DALSELV Bed Frame. However, if this is an investment, this should not be attempted on your own. This will be good to refer to when you are putting the couch back together. Great place to read a book. It’s simple enough for me to do and accomplish. If you're considering buying it at a yard sale … I love the whole look and feel of this room... such a relaxing retreat! It was an older couch when I got it and the fabric was already in rough shape and then the kids made it rougher. I am little intimidated. Between the ring clamps and staples those where the days the kids had pizza for dinner.No our hubby's where NOT the helpful types. It's important to take notes of what you do while dismantling the couch so you know how to put it back together again. This piece requires sewing: first the inside seat fabric covering the spring batting. Your post gave me a lot of confidence and tips on doing mine. I applied another layer of batting around the base of the couch, then I measured my fabric to recover the base. The fabric on the arms are basically shredded so I put a slipcover on it. But every couch is different, so take the time to do thoughtful measurements. An average three-sofa set may cost $1,100 per chair to reupholster (inclusive of labor and fabric costs). Take note of everything you do: how pieces were put on the couch (which sides were stapled vs. where a tack strip was used, etc. Perhaps u could supervise me while I do the work. Study your couch. So now, I don't know how to tuck the fabric between the back and the arms since they are attached mostly. on January 08, 2015: Hi Tori. It just depends what look you want. My fabric and batting are here, just need to get foam for the back and arms. Remove the current fabric from your furniture. The higher end cost often includes services such as re-stuffing cushions, repairing broken frames, and replacing old fabric. Wear shoes so you don't step on any pieces of metal that might go flying. I rarely even sit on it because of my hatred lol Now for my question, because I do not want to spend a lot of money (dont really have it to spend), I wonder if the canvas painters drop cloth could be used to recover the couch. Thanks for the inspiration!~~Angela. Furniture reupholstering – whether it is indoor, outdoor, domestic or commercial – can redesign your décor and greatly improve the durability and lifetime of your furniture. I ran out of zippers and velcro is what I had so that is what I used. ToriM (author) from Atlanta on July 15, 2014: don't be discouraged!! If you make a mistake or don’t like it, just get a hammer and screwdriver and pry out the staple. I was quite intimidated starting this project...after I started ripping off the fabric it really hit me that I was committed to the project now, haha. After it was stapled, I cut off the excess. I needed five pieces: one for the front of each arm, one for each side of arm, and one spanning the top back of the couch. This project only took me two hours and seriously, learning how to reupholster a couch is very easy. … And from there, I was finished! This gives the couch a finished look. Take notes on how you take it apart. I'm quite puzzled how to tuck the inner arms - the sofa in the video you inserted isn't exactly like my sofa. Cost To Reupholster A Couch The average cost to reupholster a couch is $600 to $1,800 depending on the size, style, fabric, and labor. Thanks for linking up to I'm Lovin' It Jessica!! ToriM (author) from Atlanta on October 04, 2018: If it was like my sofa, there will be about a half inch of space between the back and the arms, where the arms would touch the back. I have just finished removing all the fabric and staples from my couch. No reason for it not to,but it is MUCH more difficult. North Wind from The World (for now) on July 14, 2014: Wow! For me, that wasn’t an option. The very first thing you will need to do is to plan your project. If you love the uniqueness of the piece and want to update it, consider reupholstering it. There is no space (I'm exaggerating :P, there's actually 8 inches space from the top of the arms) between the arms and the back. Then I applied a layer of batting and also pieces of cardboard across the front to help support the top of the base. Batting (the puffy, cushiony layer of material under the upholstery). It included a burnt orange corduroy couch, a chaise lounge, and a coffee table. Using pliers, remove all the staples around the bottom of the sofa so you can start figuring out which piece you need to take off first. That way, you can also give it a personal touch and make it a unique piece of home furniture. I used Curve-Ease along the top edge next to the cording, then used one tack strip on the left and right vertical sides, which covered the edge of the fabric and staples from my outside arms. If you take a peek at the before pictures of this pool house, it’s hard to believe it’s the same space. Here is a tutorial on using Curve-Ease which will make finishing the arms a little bit easier. Question: What are the best steps to putting back the upholstery fabric? They loved the couch as much as I did. Give your old tired couch a new look and trust me, you can do this. Designer fabric typically starts around $70; while high-quality velvet fabric can cost as much as $200, says Hughey. I removed all of the staples and found that the short sides of the fabric were held in by tack strips. It is generally a good idea to purchase additional fabric beyond what you measured for just in case you need it. At $30 to $60 per yard, leather costs around the same as other upholstery fabrics. Here's how I did it! These pieces can often be picked up inexpensively at estate sales and thrift stores. DIY: Mock Tufting. & it looks so cozy! Just because the fabric on an old couch has seen better days doesn't mean the couch needs to be consigned to the junk heap. To save money, instead of buying a new dust cover, I used an old purple sheet. Check out these DIY upholstery projects to find out how to upholster everything yourself! Updated 2019. Take overall and … Today I am sharing how to reupholster a couch without sewing! Last year I shared the most insane project I have ever done, a DIY couch. On paper, plan the cuts you'll make on upholstery yardage. I used a compressor and heavy duty staple gun with 1/4″ staples. Work slowly and meticulously to remove the fabric … This is Curve Ease, or Ply-Grip. I chose to leave the arms of the couch “loose” simply because I wanted a casual look. I tipped the couch up and stapled the new dust cover onto the couch. I then covered the inside back, using two layers of batting instead of just one because I thought it needed more. You are such a big help :). Here's the couch while I'm removing the cambric and after it's removed. I had to look up tutorial videos in order to make sure I was doing it in the easiest and fastest way possible. But just keep trying - as long as you have the right tools and material you can do it! I decided to reupholster it and ended up with a beautiful, red suede couch when I was done. There is no need to remove the old fabric. Loved how you finished before but this looks great with the new room. Then I stapled the piece all the way shut on the bottom wooden part of the frame. Now, simply tuck your fabric and staple with your hand powered staple gun. To compensate for that hidden seam or overlap, you need to add an "allowance" to every piece of fabric. From being tossled and pulled (because it does not fit properly) even the slipcover now has a couple of holes in it...which leads to my question....Let me say this before I ask my question: I HATE MY COUCH!! BUSINESS EMAIL» queeniirozenblad@gmail.comFollow me on ig : https://www.instagram.com/lifewithqueenii/ The purple sheet was used to cover the springs. WOW!! If that space has a bunch of cross supports that would prevent you from pushing the fabric in as one piece, then cut little flaps in the fabric and push the flaps in to each space, making the cuts just big enough to make the inner arm fabric lay flat and not bunch up. This is such a great way to reupholster a couch without removing the fabric first. Next, cut the excessive fabric (on the floor) off but be sure to not cut the pleated part. Putting on the batting for the base of the couch, and Zeus helping me re-measure the fabric from the bottom of the couch so I got the right shape. Outside couch fabric (the upholstery on the shell of the sofa), Interior fabric (the upholstery on the inner part where you sit), Cambric (the dust cover, usually made of a thin material that covers the underside of the sofa—it's different from the upholstery fabric), Cording (that round, upholstered cord you might see at the seams that adds an accent and also makes the seam stronger). 2. I used an old blue sheet for my inside seat fabric, so that I didn't have to use the expensive suede fabric for this part. If the old batting is still in good condition, you don't have to replace it. The base and spring cover fully attached. See below how I stapled the skirt back on the couch. I laid a piece of cut-to-size sheet down first, then a layer of batting, and stapled both down. You’ll even be helping the environment as the old furniture won’t need to be sent to a landfill and less emissions will be generated than making a brand new sofa. A friend and I did a lot of upholstery work,both home and auto. They loved it so much that they wanted to literally be inside of it and managed to pull the arm fabric open so they could climb inside. Now, simply tuck your fabric and staple with your hand powered staple gun. Right after I got the set, I adopted two kittens, Zeus and Oliver. Many of the tools I had already, but this total includes the cost of tools if you need to buy them. You can purchase roping or ribbon in the fabric store and use stitch witchery to adhere to the slipcover if you want to hide the staples.