Is it hard to move furniture with your own hands? Self-upholstery of upholstered furniture

Sooner or later, even the highest quality and modern sofa can lose its former appeal. With each year of operation, the upholstery of this furniture becomes thinner, stains and bald spots may appear on it. Correcting the situation will help hauling the sofa, which, if necessary, can be done independently.

Peculiarities

You can drag the upholstery on a sofa of any shape and size, while this work can be done both independently and with the help of specialists in a furniture workshop. In the case of performing a hauling with your own hands, it is worth remembering that such a process has some features that you will definitely have to face in the course of work.

First of all, you will have to take care of choosing and acquiring not only the right material, but also a sufficient amount of it. So, for a leather sofa as an upholstery material, it is better to purchase not natural leather, but eco-leather, while the material should always be taken with a margin.

Not only the appearance of the restored furniture, but also the subsequent period of its operation will depend on the right choice of fabric.

Must be taken into account structural features of a particular model of furniture. Some sofas have a rather complex shape and when replacing the upholstery they cannot be completely disassembled, so you will have to try to ensure that in such places the fabric completely repeats the shape of the sofa itself. So, pulling a corner sofa, it is necessary to pay special attention to the degree of stretching of the fabric precisely at the corners and joints of the connection of the parts of the frame of this furniture. With the implementation of this work, some difficulties may arise without the proper skills.

The second feature is that if the furniture is too old and not only the upholstery fabric itself has worn out, when hauling it will be necessary to replace not only the material, but also partially the filler in the furniture, and possibly some parts of the frame.

This should be taken care of in advance.

Thanks to the upholstery of sofas at home, you can not only extend the life of the furniture itself, but also visually advantageously change its appearance, and with it the room itself. After all, many people know that the overall style of the interior of the room is still set by the furniture that is located in it. Therefore, the process of restoration itself must be approached very seriously. During the work itself, one should not rush and be distracted by foreign objects. It is best to do the sheathing at a time when no one and nothing can disturb you.

You need to be prepared in advance for the fact that the work itself, and especially the one performed for the first time, will take you quite a lot of time and effort.

By and large, any sofa can be sheathed at home, regardless of its dimensions. The main thing is to stock up in advance with all the necessary materials and tools, carefully study the instructions for performing this work and be ready to fully follow it. If such work seems rather laborious, then you can practice on a chair or armchair, or even entrust the upholstery pulling to specialists.

Material selection

In any case, regardless of whether the work of pulling the upholstery will be done independently or by specialists, the first thing you will have to face is the choice of the right material. Experienced craftsmen recommend in this case to use the following tips:

  • Necessarily it is necessary to change the soft filler of the sofa and not just its top fabric. If a synthetic winterizer acts as a filler, then preference should be given to one that has a pure white color, as this is evidence of its high quality. If the filler is foam rubber, then it is necessary to use two of its sheets 2 cm thick at once, and lay a sheet of felt between them.

  • As the material of the upper upholstery, it is better to choose dense fabric with a small pattern without large and voluminous prints. This will save on material, because its pieces will not recline due to a mismatch in the pattern. In addition, as practice shows, such sofas get dirty less and retain their appearance better during operation.

  • It is better to give preference to fabrics that do not have pile, for example, from leatherette. If there are villi, it is necessary to ensure that they are short and of the same length. Please note that the fabric does not have a sharp and strong unpleasant synthetic odor. If it is, then this indicates a low quality and its unsuitability as a fabric for furniture restoration.
  • Better abandon too rough materials and replace them with eco-leather or tapestry, which will give the furniture a refined, beautiful and stylish appearance. The word "rough" refers to a fabric that is unpleasant to the touch and has an unpresentable appearance. Using such material, you can not update your furniture, but on the contrary, artificially age it even more.

  • It is worth remembering that natural cotton materials wrinkle too quickly and when used during dragging, they lose their original appearance, so it is best to discard them. Otherwise, after a few months of regular use, the sofa may need restoration again.
  • Jacquard fabric fits perfectly, it is quite dense, wear-resistant, has an attractive appearance and at the same time is realized in various color variations. But it is better to give preference to jacquard in dark colors and without bright color accents on the fabric. They are the first to be erased and spoil the entire appearance of the upholstery.

  • Flock and velor have a beautiful appearance and are quite pleasant to the touch, but at the same time they quickly rub off and lose their attractiveness, so the use of such fabrics is also highly undesirable.
  • material such as chenille, has good wear-resistant performance, is attractive in appearance and is perfectly cleaned of any dirt, so it is recommended to use it as a material for dragging sofas.
  • Arpatek It may well become a worthy replacement for genuine leather or eco-leather, as it has the same characteristics as them, but at the same time has a lower cost.

As the main material for pulling sofas, you should choose a dense, lint-free fabric with a small pattern or plain materials that have high wear resistance. It makes sense to choose only such fabrics, because they will allow you to use the updated sofa for a very long time.

I would also like to note that if the sofa has wheels or legs, they should also be changed to new ones while the upholstery is being pulled. This will completely refresh the appearance of the sofa and improve its stability.

Preparatory stage

After the necessary material is selected, you can proceed to the first stage of dragging the sofa, which consists in creating a pattern from the fabric. Particular attention should be paid to this stage, because the result of all the final work will depend on the quality of its implementation. In this case, the pattern can be made in two different ways:

  • Make a pattern based on the old upholstery, which was previously dismantled from the sofa. In this case, the removed upholstery is applied to the purchased fabric and outlined. Be sure to leave an overlap of a few centimeters - 5 will be enough. In the future, the resulting pattern is applied to the frame of the furniture, and if it matches its contours, then it is cut out.
  • The second option is more labor intensive. First, all parts that can be removed are removed from the sofa - armrests, backs and pillows, carefully measured with a tape measure from all sides, and the results obtained are transferred to the fabric, taking into account the addition of 5 cm to each side. Further all parts of the pattern are cut out and applied to suitable places on the sofa. If everything is in order and the parts of the pattern are of the required size, you can proceed to further steps.

When creating a pattern using any of the methods described above, experts recommend double-checking the correctness of the measurements taken before cutting the pattern out of the fabric. It is in this situation that the proverb “measure seven times, cut once” is more relevant than ever.

Required Tools

In order to carry out the upholstery of the sofa at home, as well as to perform its preparatory stage - creating a pattern, the following tools may be required:

  • Upholstery material.
  • filler material.
  • Scissors.
  • Chalk or bar of soap.
  • Stapler and staples for it.
  • English pins.
  • Sewing machine or just a thread with needles.
  • Extra strong threads.
  • Screwdriver.
  • Pliers.
  • Pliers.
  • Roulette or regular measuring tape.

Depending on the type of sofa, you may also need a glue gun, medium thickness felt, a spring block, a screwdriver and self-tapping screws. The number of tools always directly depends on which model, shape and dimensions of the sofa chosen for restoration.

If everything is clear with the material, scissors and chalk, then pliers and a screwdriver, as well as pliers, can be used to unscrew some parts of the sofa while directly pulling the material. Not in all cases, it may be necessary to use all of the above tools, but just in case, it is better to prepare everything in advance than to then run around the apartment in search of a suitable tool.

How to do it yourself?

Covering a sofa at home is not such a difficult process. If this procedure is performed for the first time, then of course, some difficulties may arise. In order to avoid them and fit your favorite sofa on your own as simply and quickly as possible, we will tell you step by step how to drag two types of sofas - regular and corner.

Straight without springs

Work should begin with the dismantling of individual components of the sofa, such as corners, pouffe, backs and pillows:

  • If necessary, use a screwdriver or pliers. The main thing, dismantle with the utmost care so as not to damage all parts of the sofa. It is best to put them together sequentially when removed.

  • Further the old upholstery is removed from the sofa body and the removed parts. This process is quite time-consuming and requires extreme accuracy, because the removed material can later be used as the basis for a pattern. It must be laid out on a flat horizontal surface for its leveling. This will help in the future to take measurements more accurately and correctly create a pattern.
  • After tissue removal cleaning the interior of the sofa, dust, debris and stuffing particles are removed. Now, if necessary, you should remove all the packing and replace it with a new one, or simply straighten it and give it the correct position.
  • The next stage is creating a pattern. How it can be done correctly was described in detail above, so we will not describe this process again.

  • Now you need cut details attach directly to the sofa. This work should be done in stages and carefully. The material itself should be stretched as evenly as possible so that the pattern does not squint and as a result the sofa looks like a new one. It is best to start the hauling from the back, sides and seat of the sofa.
  • After the upholstery is replaced on them, you can proceed to direct pulling of the frame the sofa itself. The fabric is attached with needles and threads to removable parts and with a stapler to the frame. You can also use a standard glue gun.

  • Now you need reassemble the sofa in the reverse order of its dismantling. In the event that pieces of fabric remain, they can be used to haul ottomans or decorative decoration of the backs or armrests of the sofa itself. The decor, of course, should be selected independently, in accordance with the overall interior of the room and the style of the furniture itself.

Angle with spring mechanism

The corner sofa itself has a more complex design, and the level of complexity of the upcoming work on replacing the upholstery is also increased by the existing springs. Therefore, I immediately want to say that the sheathing of a spring sofa will be longer and more troublesome compared to the restoration of a simple model that does not have spring blocks. In any case, the process of pulling the sofa can be divided into the following stages:

  1. Dismantling the sofa into two components. Here it is necessary to separate the corner parts from each other. With the correct execution of this stage, you should get a free-standing small sofa and a corner chair.
  2. Now you need to remove all the components that you can dismantle yourself.
  3. Next, we remove all the stuffing from them and do the same with the material on the frame of the sofa itself.
  4. We remove the filler and take out the spring block itself, which is attached to the bottom of the sofa with twine, which must be carefully cut. If the springs are intact, then we carefully straighten them and set them in place, if not, then we go to a hardware or furniture store and get new ones.
  5. It is necessary to intertwine all the springs together with very strong linen or cotton threads.
  6. We make a pattern from the removed packing, and carefully fold it and lay it on top of the springs, lay out the filler on top, new or previously cleaned of existing contaminants.
  7. Now we cut out the patterns obtained and sheathe the removable parts of the sofa with new upholstery, then its frame. As in the previous case, you should carefully monitor the uniform tension of the material on the parts of the sofa.
  8. After all parts of the furniture are overstretched, you first need to assemble the sofa, that is, connect the sofa itself and the corner chair, and only then install its removable parts.

According to a similar scheme, almost any model of sofas with spring blocks can be restored. The main thing is to carefully follow the instructions and perform all the stages of work slowly.

Speaking of self-retensioning sofas at home, one cannot fail to mention the useful advice of experienced professionals in this matter. It is their recommendations that will help to perform such work as correctly, safely and quickly as possible, but most importantly, the result will please you for a very long time.

First of all, it is worth mentioning once again about the choice of the material for the upholstery of sofas, it should not only be dense, but also quite heavy. The fact is that such furniture is used in various situations, and the heavier the fabric, the longer it will last you. The material is exactly the part on which you should not save.

Often, when performing such work, many people prefer to change the upholstery inside the furniture itself. It makes sense to do this if the internal packing is in a satisfactory condition. If it has completely become unusable, and the spring block, if available, also has to be changed, it is better to abandon the restoration of such furniture and purchase a new one. Many competent furniture experts often say that a complete restoration of a sofa is often more expensive than buying a new one. Therefore, you can re-tension the sofa if its springs or padding are in good condition.

If such work is performed for the first time, you should first practice on smaller furniture. If the sofa is expensive or antique, it is better to give it to specialists for restoration.

Pulling sofas is actually quite a fun and creative activity. Many people admit that after doing the restoration of their furniture on their own, they began to practice such work regularly. After all, such upholstery allows you to change the appearance of the furniture when you want, and with constant practice, restoration takes little time and does not cause any inconvenience.

How to give a second life to an old sofa, see the next video.

Any, even the most durable furniture gradually wears out and becomes unsightly. The sofa, as an actively used piece of furniture, is no exception. Restoring the sofa with your own hands will restore its attractiveness and functional indispensability.

The easiest way to repair upholstered furniture is to invite craftsmen. This approach is justified if your sofa is unique and has an antique value, or if its design is very complex. In most cases, sofa restoration is a very real and economical undertaking. The question of how to restore a sofa is solved quite simply, if you spare no time and purchase high-quality material.

Useful information

The sofa consists of several elements that have a standard design. The main elements include the back, sides, seat. In addition, sofas may contain overhead elements (ottomans, pillows, etc.), additional mechanisms (folding mechanism, hinges, etc.) and decorating accessories. In turn, the main elements include the frame, upholstery, filler and back panel. The design of the seat also includes a shock-absorbing element.

The frames of the main elements are made of wooden blocks of different sizes. Usually, the bars are connected with adhesives, and the joints can be strengthened with screws. As a filler, foam rubber of various thicknesses and densities is used, as well as batting, synthetic winterizer or other soft synthetic fillers.

The shock-absorbing element of the seat is most often made in the form of springs, but it can also be represented by a thickened foam rubber sheet. The armrests of the sidewalls are formed by an additional layer of soft material. All the main elements are upholstered on top in fabric or leather. To prevent sagging or stretching of the fabric upholstery on the surface of the main elements, tightening elements are used (decorated, for example, in the form of buttons, rivets, etc.).

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Basic principles of restoration: step by step instructions

Any restoration of an old sofa (regardless of its reasons) includes the replacement of upholstery and filler, since the materials of these elements are subject to the most rapid wear. Replacement or repair of other elements is carried out as necessary, if they are damaged.

An exception is the repair of a fairly new sofa if the frame or shock-absorbing element is damaged due to mechanical stress or due to a manufacturing defect. In this case, the upholstery and filler remain in good condition and their replacement is impractical. When repairing, the upholstery is carefully removed and the damaged element is replaced, after which the upholstery returns to its place.

If, after identifying damage, it was decided to restore the old sofa, then it should be determined which element will only be repaired and which will be completely replaced. Accordingly, a list of required materials and their quantity is compiled.

When carrying out the restoration of the sofa with your own hands, you should simultaneously decide on the need to make changes to the design. The introduction of the following improvements will not cause any particular difficulties: an increase in the thickness of the sidewalls; changing the shape of the armrest; changing the rigidity of the seat and back, etc.

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The choice of upholstery material

Sofa upholstery is the most visible and most worn element of any sofa. The upholstery material must meet a number of requirements, such as:

  • abrasion resistance;
  • mechanical tensile strength;
  • reduced ability to concentrate dust and dirt;
  • aesthetic appeal;
  • harmlessness to humans;
  • dye fastness.

Leather upholstery has many advantages, but is expensive and difficult to do by hand. Such upholstery is used, as a rule, if the skin was on an old sofa. A good tapestry is very beautiful and aristocratic, more technologically advanced, but not much different in price from leather. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that both leather and tapestry have a long service life.

The choice of fabric color is very important both from an aesthetic and practical point of view. When choosing a fabric, one should take into account the need to combine it on different elements of the sofa design and location on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe element itself. The least waste is achieved when using plain fabrics and fabrics with a small abstract pattern. Overspending of material occurs when cutting fabric with a large ornament in the form of geometric shapes, lines and cells of different colors.

Dense fleecy fabric is able to hide many flaws when it is stretched. When choosing a fabric, it is necessary to check that the pile is firmly fixed to the base. Cotton fabrics are not practical, wrinkle and do not have abrasion resistance. Velor fabrics look good, but have low wear resistance and actively collect dust.

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Filler selection

Foam rubber and synthetic winterizer are widely used as a filler. When choosing a material, you should especially pay attention to its quality. The synthetic winterizer should have a white color without significant shades. It should not emit unpleasant odors. The strength of the synthetic winterizer is such that it is difficult to break it manually; if it is easily torn, then this is a poor-quality material.

In the seat and backrest, foam rubber with a thickness of at least 50 mm or several layers with a thickness of 20 mm is usually used. The structure of high-quality foam rubber contains very small pores. When buying a material, you should check its elastic properties: after pressing the foam rubber with your hand, it should quickly return to its previous position.

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Dismantling the sofa and its elements

Restoration of the sofa begins with its complete disassembly. It is done in the following order. All overlays and decorating elements are removed. The sides open up. The mechanisms for folding the sofa and fixing the elements are being dismantled. Separate back and seat.

Complete disassembly of the sidewalls includes unscrewing the legs and fittings, removing the upholstery and removing the filler. The armrest is removed. The strength of the frame is checked.

Disassembly of the back begins with the removal of the back panel. Then the tightening elements are dismantled and the upholstery is removed. The filler is removed. The strength of the frame is checked.

Dismantling the seat of the sofa includes the dismantling of the tightening elements and the removal of the upholstery. Depreciation elements are removed. The filler is removed. The strength of the frame is checked.

It should be borne in mind that in a number of sofa designs, the upholstery of the back and seat is carried out with one continuous piece of fabric for both elements.

Often the seat of the sofa is installed on a pallet. Its separation and disassembly completes the disassembly of the entire sofa.

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Open new upholstery

The easiest way to cut a new fabric is through the old upholstery. If it was possible to remove it carefully, then it will serve as a template for a new upholstery. With this cutting, it is advisable to add 1-2 cm in all directions, providing an allowance and facilitating the subsequent stretching. If a decision is made to expand the sidewalls, then the corresponding change is taken into account when cutting. If it is impossible to use the old upholstery, all elements are measured using a tape measure and a meter ruler. Then a pattern is made on paper and cutting fabric.

Even the highest quality furniture in the process of intensive use fails or loses its former attractiveness. There is no need to immediately get rid of it after the purchases made. There are many ways in which you can update interior items. You don't even need a master for restoration. It is quite possible to fix a sofa with your own hands. Below are methods that will help give things an updated look.

If a thing has lost its former attractiveness, you can return it to its original appearance through a number of tricks.

How to update an old sofa:


How is furniture upholstery done?

In fact, this procedure is a major overhaul of furniture. If you try, you can get almost new furniture from an old sofa that fully meets the ideas of an ideal piece of furniture.

This work is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance, even if you are not a home master. To restore a leather sofa, you need to prepare in advance all the necessary fixtures and materials.

For stretching you will need:

  • screwdrivers and pliers (they are needed to remove old staples);
  • a set of wrenches designed for nuts and bolts; tape measure (without it it is impossible to take measurements);
  • construction or pneumatic stapler;
  • staples (6-10 mm. In this situation, everything depends on the thickness and density of the material that will be used to upholster the repaired item);
  • trash bags.

To sew a new sofa cover you will need:

  • upholstery fabric (or leatherette) and lining fabric;
  • tailor's scissors;
  • special crayons for the material (in extreme cases, you can take remnants);
  • reinforced threads;
  • ruler;
  • paper for creating patterns;
  • sewing machine.

How to remake furniture at home?

Just follow the instructions:

Stage I: we begin to restore the furniture with its disassembly, which involves unscrewing and removing the locks, as well as detaching the old brackets that were needed to fix the upholstery on the frame. Be sure to keep garbage bags on hand to remove dust and old filler immediately.

It is necessary to remove all unusable parts and debris

Stage II: carrying out repairs and replacing parts that have become unusable. In fact, the restoration of an old but beloved sofa is possible if you pick up the right spare parts. If you notice that cracks have appeared on the beams that form the frame, this indicates that their useful life has come to an end. It should be replaced by choosing solid beams. If desired, they can be ordered to a carpenter or prepared independently. In order for the alteration to be done with high quality, the joints of the beams should be registered using PVA glue. If you notice broken parts, then they also need to be repaired or new ones installed by sawing them with a jigsaw.

If necessary, it is worth replacing the beams

For their subsequent fixation, the master uses nails or a pneumatic stapler. This tool will be needed if you decide to return the furniture to its original form. Often, springs break during operation. We repair them by completely replacing the blocks. Sometimes this is the only solution that is suitable for bringing your favorite bedchairs back to normal.

Stage III: replacement of the filler, which is often foam rubber. Over time, it becomes caked, and becomes unsuitable for further use. We restore the seat by removing the old material and covering the new one. How to restore the seat? Only in this way, although it can be made easier by leaving the old filler if it is in good condition.

Foam rubber replacement is a mandatory step

It's no secret that over time, the upholstery of upholstered furniture loses its original appearance, especially if there are pets in the house, old furniture often does not fit into the new interior after renovation. In this case, you should not change existing furniture for new interior items.

A simpler solution would be to replace the upholstery fabric and soft lining of upholstered furniture. In most cases, this is not at all difficult to do. This short review provides detailed instructions on how to pull the sofa with your own hands.

Self-upholstery of sofas

It is quite possible to update the upholstery of upholstered furniture on your own or with the help of professionals. When doing work on your own, you may encounter the following difficulties that are difficult to overcome without special skills:

Problems can arise at the first stage of disassembling furniture. Sometimes without special skills and tools to do this is problematic. Therefore, having decided on this work, you need to test your strength by pulling at least a stool. On this simple task, you can hone the technology and pick up a tool.


Sofa details can have complex geometric shapes. Therefore, it is difficult for them to make the correct pattern, and then carry out the correct stretch. It will be easier to make a pattern if you copy it from an old upholstery.

Pulling a book sofa, which essentially consists of two rectangular halves and two sides, is much easier than a non-folding sofa with large armrests and additional pillows, or in the case when the pattern consists of several pieces of fabric.

When restoring old furniture, it may not be enough to just replace the upholstery. Often, replacement of the filler, repair of the frame, and even replacement of springs in old sofas is required.

Antique furniture requires very careful handling, it is better to entrust its repair and renovation to professionals.

For finishing, materials difficult to work with can be used. Leather is much more difficult to deal with than fabric. For the first hand-made upholstery of the sofa, it is better to choose fabric materials.

Work performance technology

This task is time-consuming, but quite doable work. Drag the sofa at home is not difficult at all, if all the steps must be performed carefully and in accordance with the recommendations and instructions.

At the first stage, the sofa is disassembled: overhead elements, seat, backrest are removed. Fasteners are useful during assembly, so they are carefully assembled.

Next, the old upholstery is removed. This is done with an ordinary thin flat screwdriver. The cover should not be thrown away, as new pieces of fabric will be cut out according to its shape. After removing the coating, you need to check the condition of the internal structure and clean it.

Foam rubber requires mandatory replacement, as it has a short service life compared to natural materials. Instead of foam rubber, a relatively recently appeared synthetic winterizer, which has a long service life, can be used. In addition, you need to correct and check the fastening of the metal springs.


Then patterns are made from new material. They are very easy to make using the removed old upholstery, you just need to add a few centimeters on each side for an allowance, the excess of which is then cut off. Similarly, all fabric blanks are made for both pillows and for the sofa itself.

Upholstery fabric is best purchased with a small margin. Since with inaccuracies in size and calculations, it may not be enough and in the worst case it will not be possible to buy it in addition.

Depending on the purpose of the furniture, various materials are purchased. They can be made from breathable natural but non-durable fabric ideal for sleeping in, or they can be made from hard-wearing leather suitable for long-term continuous use, such as in organizations.

Buying fabric or leather is a very important undertaking, so before you reupholster a sofa, you should study photos of various design solutions, choose your individual style, choose the right fabric and store.

Material selection

The choice of materials should be made with great care. It is necessary to select fabrics not only for their design and combination, but also for their quality.

Good quality fabric should not smell strongly. The pile must be firmly fixed on the base, there should be no molting. Its consumption depends on the pattern of the fabric, since in some cases it is required to set the pattern in a certain direction.

The synthetic winterizer is also not the same and requires a choice. When buying it, you should pay attention to the fact that it must be white, odorless, durable, not torn in the hands.

Foam also comes in different quality. The main characteristic is the size of the bubbles. In high-quality foam rubber, the bubbles are small, and in lower quality material they are large. The size of the bubbles, oddly enough, determines the durability and wear resistance of foam rubber.

Upholstery with fabric is the final step and is carried out using a construction stapler and glue. This operation is easier to perform if you take photographs of the furniture before disassembly.


Self-upholstery of furniture at home is quite feasible, but requires certain skills and patience. A neatly executed hauling will bring pleasure and save a lot of money.


Your upholstered furniture will serve faithfully for many more years, however, its appearance is no longer aesthetically pleasing?

To remedy the situation, it is enough to change the upholstery, which you can do yourself, saving on the services of furniture makers.

We offer a simple algorithm and some useful tips that will help make the process of reupholstering a sofa or chair quick and productive.

A bright sofa is in perfect harmony with the intense shades of fuchsia in a bright room.

When might upholstering of upholstered furniture be needed?

During operation, the upholstery loses its attractiveness, brightness, smoothness, and, possibly, integrity. However, the furniture frame is still strong and reliable. It is irrational to purchase a new piece of furniture, because you can only change the upholstery.

It happens that the furniture is in almost perfect condition, but you have made repairs, and the color scheme of the upholstery now does not fit into the interior. Perhaps you have long dreamed of a particular sofa model, but it comes in a modest range of colors. This is where changing upholstery comes in handy.

It is certainly profitable to make these manipulations with furniture with your own hands, but the result will not always be ideal.

In what cases can not do without the help of professionals?

  • If the service life of the product exceeds 5 years. Surely, in addition to worn upholstery, there are damage to the frame elements. When hauling furniture, all defects must be corrected, and the necessary tools or spare parts may not be at hand.

Classic sofa, in a new velor "wrap"

  • If the furniture has a non-standard design, and its elements have a complex shape. Inexperienced, you may not be able to reassemble a disassembled item of intricate design. And unusual details require certain knowledge in the field of cutting in order to correctly determine the shape and size of a fragment of future upholstery.

  • If you are going to cover the furniture with leather or leatherette. This is a difficult material to work with, and at home it is not always possible to do quality work.

Dismantling furniture

The upholstery process begins with the stage of disassembling the furniture product into individual parts. Here, the procedure depends on the configuration of the furniture, usually the armrests (if any) are first disconnected, then the backrest and mattress. Most likely, you will need several screwdrivers of different sizes. Place all mounting hardware in a pre-designated container so that during assembly you do not encounter the problem of a lack of fasteners. Number all the parts and sketch a diagram on paper so that later you will know exactly how to assemble.

Advice:record the disassembly process on video or make a photo report, so you will receive visual instructions for assembly.

Removing the upholstery

To do this, use a flat screwdriver to lift the staples that secure the upholstery, and then remove the staples with the help of wire cutters. We work carefully so as not to damage the upholstery - it will still come in handy.

Advice:before starting this stage, lay polyethylene or newspapers on the floor. The fact is that when removing the upholstery from old furniture, crumbled foam rubber and various debris will fall.

Cutting upholstery material

This is where the old upholstery comes in handy - we use it as a pattern. When cutting, make additional allowances - 1-2 cm, so that it would be easier for you, as a non-professional, to mount the material. When purchasing upholstery fabric, always take with a margin. If in the course of work you find that there is not enough fabric, it is not a fact that the store still has it. Perhaps they brought another batch, and the shade differs by several tones.

Advice:if you bought a lot more fabric than you used up, sew additional decor elements from it - sofa cushions, lampshades. So you create a harmonious and stylish interior.

Fitting furniture pieces

Before stretching the fabric, you need to carefully prepare the base. On top of the foam rubber or “sandwich” with a spring block, be sure to lay a synthetic winterizer, batting or interlining. This gasket will protect the upholstery fabric from abrasion from the inside, facilitate the process of stretching the upholstery and extend its life. If you use a fairly thick layer of synthetic winterizer, the furniture will be noticeably softer.

You need to stretch the material carefully, it’s good if you have an assistant. The fabric should be stretched equally in all places, on all sides and in each of the directions. Then the product will look neat, the upholstery will not deform over time. It is easiest to fix the upholstery with a furniture stapler, but you can also do it the old fashioned way - with the help of carnations and a hammer.

Advice:in those places where you need to sew fragments of upholstery, use special threads for furniture fabrics - they are stronger and more durable than simple sewing.

We assemble furniture

We act strictly according to the photo or video instructions, which we prudently made when disassembling the furniture. If you limited yourself to the numbering of parts, it is also easy to assemble a product with a plan.

Furniture upholstery at home: choice of fabric

The fabric base with a small pile glued to it is a flock, a popular upholstery fabric. Flock has high decorative properties and a wide range of colors, it is soft and easy to clean. To prevent abrasion of the flock, it is coated with Teflon, such a material is called courtisan.

The most beautiful velor is sometimes called furniture velvet because of its high decorative properties. This material is practical and wear-resistant, but shrinkage, lint loss, and abrasion during active use are possible.

Simple, but at the same time practical chenille will last for many years

Jacquard and tapestry have very unusual textures, unless, of course, you have a fake in front of you. The fabrics are strong enough, but prone to deformation and do not tolerate contact with moisture.

The most practical upholstery will be microfiber. The fabric has dust-repellent properties, resistance to pollution. Microfiber is easy to wash, does not change color and does not deform. The only downside is the hefty price.

Turn an old and boring piece of furniture into a brand new and stylish piece of furniture! Do-it-yourself furniture upholstery can save you money and gain new skills.