Introduction
I will say at the outset, I’d rather pay someone to reupholster a couch than do it myself. But I am also a huge advocate of DIY projects and thriftiness, so when my husband and I decided to refurbish our living room furniture—and save some money doing it—I went looking for a way to make our beloved but worn-out couch look new again. This is how we did it!
Remove the old cushions and springs.
The first step to reupholstering a couch is to remove the old fabric and springs. You can do this with a pair of scissors or a utility knife, depending on how much time you have and how well you’re at using tools. If it’s just one cushion that needs replacing, then use your weapon of choice (scissors or knife) to cut through the seams holding it together. Then pull apart each side of fabric until there are no more pieces left attached to each other or any part of the couch frame itself!
If you’re replacing springs (or if they were already broken), then use pliers or other tools as needed so that all four legs have no remaining spring tension holding them up anymore–it should be easy enough after removing all four cushions because those were probably keeping some amount of pressure on those springs anyways due to weight distribution issues caused by overstuffed cushions sitting atop them too long…just saying…
Replace or clean the padding.
Reupholstering a couch is a great way to give your living room, family room or den a new look. It’s also an economical option if you want to keep the frame (or most of it) intact. But before you can begin reupholstering your couch, there are several steps that must be taken first:
- Remove the old padding by pulling up on all edges of it until it comes free from its moorings and remove any staples holding it in place. If there are metal pins attaching the cushion covers to their frames–as opposed to staples–you may need pliers or tongs to loosen them before removing them completely.
- Measure out how much foam or cushion material you’ll need based on how much extra space there is between where your old padding stopped and where new foam/cushion material should go (usually about 1 inch). Order this amount from an online store like Amazon or Ikea if they don’t sell such items locally; then cut out pieces using scissors before sewing them together using sewing machine needles appropriate for thick fabrics like denim jeans (these can be found at any craft store). Use double stitching so seams won’t come apart easily over time due to stress caused by movement during use!
Re-create the cushion shape and height.
Now that you’ve removed the old material, it’s time to re-create the cushion shape and height. The first step is to measure your couch cushions so that you know how wide they should be. Then, cut two pieces of foam board or poster board that are each 1 inch wider than the width of your new fabric (for example: if your fabric measures 54 inches wide, then cut two pieces of foam board measuring 55 inches).
Next comes trimming down those pieces into perfect rectangles with sharp scissors! This is where having a ruler comes in handy; use it as a guide for making sure everything stays straight as you cut along all four edges of each piece until they look like perfectly square cushions with rounded corners on top (don’t worry if these aren’t perfectly straight–they’ll still look great once covered!).
Finally comes reassembling everything into its final form: simply lay out one piece flat on top another until there are two layers stacked together; this will create extra thickness which will give us greater support later when stitching things back together again!
Lay down your fabric, cut it to size and sew it on.
Lay down your fabric, cut it to size and sew it on.
Once you’ve selected a pattern or template for your couch (or other piece of furniture), lay out the fabric on top of it. Make sure that the pattern lines up with the edges of your fabric by using chalk or pins to hold them together. Cut around this shape using a pair of scissors or an X-Acto knife; if you’re using a template with measurements written on it, make sure those lines are straight as well! Use double-sided tape at each corner so they don’t shift while you’re working on them.
Sewing machine: With right sides together (RS), stitch around all four sides with 1/4 inch seam allowance (SA). For example: If there are eight inches between two pieces of material being sewn together then use 3/8 inch SA when sewing that seam line from side A onto side B; then repeat process again by stitching from side C onto side D etc… Hand sewing needle + threader combo tool works great here too if needed!
Hands only method: Place two pieces together face down so RS looks like mirror image images facing each other; pin all four corners securely before starting hand stitching process
Attach springs and buttons, reupholster your chair or couch.
- Attach the springs to the frame. If you’re reupholstering a couch or chair that has removable cushions, remove them first and set aside.
- Attach buttons to fabric (optional). This is only necessary if you want to give your furniture piece an extra layer of security by adding buttons along its edges–buttons are great for keeping upholstery tight and preventing it from slipping off over time. To attach these, simply sew them onto one side of each piece of fabric before attaching it to your furniture frame later on in this process!
Reupholstering a couch yourself can save you money, but it takes time and patience, so plan accordingly!
Reupholstering a couch yourself can save you money, but it takes time and patience, so plan accordingly!
It will cost less to reupholster your own couch than to buy a new one. But if you’re going to do this project yourself, then you need to know what is involved in the process. The first thing that needs to be done is removing all of the old fabric from the frame of your furniture piece; after that comes measuring out how much new material will go around each cushion or backrest section (depending on how much work needs done). Then comes connecting all of those pieces together with staples or pins before stitching them together permanently by hand–or machine stitching if available–and finally putting everything back together again once finished sewing every seam closed securely with threading needles through holes already made along edges where two pieces meet up side-by-side during assembly stages earlier on when building something like this upon completion day!
Conclusion
Reupholstering a couch yourself can save you money, but it takes time and patience, so plan accordingly!
