Do-it-yourself workshop on furniture restoration: wardrobe and sofa. How to update old upholstery on upholstered furniture with your own hands How to restore an old sofa with your own hands

Decorating furniture with your own hands using decoupage technique is original and fashionable. This decoration method is suitable for the bedroom and living room.

Necessary materials

• The varnish is transparent.
• Brushes.
• PVA glue.
• Acrylic paints.
• A container with warm water.
• Decoupage napkins with the desired pattern.
• Sponge.

Acrylic paint is carefully applied to the primer, when it dries, pictures are applied to the decorated places, the outlines of which are outlined with a pencil. Next, the pictures are lowered into a container of water for a minute, and then put on a cellophane film. The surface for decoration is smeared with glue, after which pictures are carefully applied with a sponge to the glue. The final stage is a colorless varnish, which is applied in two layers.

DIY sofa restoration with photo

Restoring a sofa at home is a painstaking task, but quite doable.

Necessary materials:

• New fabric for sofa upholstery.
• Stapler.
• Screwdrivers. The main one is a flat screwdriver.
• Pencil or marker.
• Needles, threads, scissors.
• Filler.
• Hex keys.

First of all, you need to start disassembling the sofa, removing the decorative elements, removing the structural elements: sides, back. Next, the old upholstery is removed from the sofa, then the accumulated dust is cleaned, foam rubber is replaced if desired. In sofa structures, after the filler, there is a metal mesh with springs, it must be carefully examined and all problems repaired.

The next step requires concentration, attention and accuracy - cutting out new fabric for the sofa. Old furniture upholstery is used as a pattern. With the help of a furniture stapler, a new upholstery is attached, the distance of the staples is 4 - 5 cm. First, this tool is used to pass through several places, then the upholstery is pulled and finally pinned. The final step is the assembly of the sofa structure, which takes place in reverse order.

As you can see, do-it-yourself furniture restoration at home does not require professional skills, experience and special skills. It is enough to show imagination and strictly follow the instructions.

See also video: DIY furniture restoration at home

Do-it-yourself sofa repair in a classic style At home, furniture wear is inevitable. The solution to the problem can be the restoration of the sofa with your own hands.

Most often, external elements require replacement, regardless of the type and quality of the material. The fabric fades in the sun, it is rubbed, the foam rubber loses its elasticity and sags.

Padding ...

How to restore a sofa with your own hands

Do-it-yourself sofa repair in classic style

At home, wear and tear on furniture is inevitable. The solution to the problem can be the restoration of the sofa with your own hands. Most often, external elements require replacement, regardless of the type and quality of the material. The fabric fades in the sun, it is rubbed, the foam rubber loses its elasticity and sags.

Do-it-yourself banner and small repair of a corner sofa

Benefits of DIY restoration:

• buying material is several times cheaper than new furniture;
• preservation of antiques;
• choice of colors and designs, according to personal tastes and the general interior of the room;
• independent choice of material for quality, environmental friendliness, cost;
• the ability to take into account the weak points of the old sofa, their strengthening.

Broken sofa folding mechanism

In addition to external wear, internal breakdowns occur over time. A creak appears somewhere, the folding mechanism does not work, the springs break through.

Repair of the interior of the sofa - replacement of springs

Lubricate the creaking parts of the folding mechanism

The wooden base may crack, break. In order for the restoration of an old sofa with your own hands to be of high quality, you need to know its approximate structure and repair methods.

Cracked bar - part of the base

Bed base requiring replacement

Restoration of a Soviet sofa - new life for old furniture

Conventionally, the sofa can be divided into four parts. This is a wooden base made of solid wood and chipboard, steel springs and a folding mechanism, filler (foam rubber or batting) and upholstery (fabric, leather, leatherette), decorative elements (wooden plates, buttons).

The process of stretching a soft sofa step by step

There are several ways to restore a sofa with your own hands, depending on the complexity:

• minor repairs of upholstery and decor;
• complete replacement of upholstery (banner);
• replacement of upholstery and filler;
• replacement of upholstery, filler, repair of mechanisms;
• complete repair of all parts.

Repair of the spring mechanism, replacement of the filler and upholstery of the sofa-couch

Do not get down to business when it comes to antiques, or the old sofa has complex structural elements. It is also better to entrust work with capricious materials, such as leather, to professionals, or change the material to fabric.

Conversion of a leather sofa after restoration by specialists

Tools and materials required for the repair of upholstered furniture

Restoring an old sofa will take time. It is a creative process that requires desire, tools, and good material. Everything you need to repair a standard sofa 180 * 90 is shown in the table. It is better to purchase filler and fabric for upholstery with a margin.

DIY materials and accessories for repairing a sofa

The following tools may be required:

• construction glue;
• furniture stapler;
• strong nylon thread, and a needle to it;
• box wrench, pliers, screwdriver;
• jigsaw, as a last resort, an ordinary saw (if chipboard replacement is required).

Variety of tools for furniture repair

Cut the fabric into a cover in advance. Sewing dense elements is difficult, so the production of the material can be ordered by a seamstress. In order not to be mistaken with the dimensions, use the old fabric as a template. When cutting, be sure to leave 5-10 centimeters, for fastening, take into account the height of the seat (width of the back).

We check the frame and base of the sofa, make a replacement in case of breakage

Before restoring the sofa with your own hands, you need to check the condition of the main frame. If there are cracked or sagging bars, it is best to replace them. An array of wood rarely requires repair, but laminated chipboard breaks often. It is not worth repairing, here you need to completely replace the broken part.

We drag the lower base of the sofa, take the old upholstery as a template

The repair of the back, seat and armrests is slightly different, but in general, the restoration scheme for different parts is about the same.

We replace the upholstery on the inside of the armrests, replace the filler and sew a new cover

First of all, you need to carry out dismantling work:

• remove the side armrests (usually the bolts on them are made from the inside, here you may need a hex wrench or pliers);
• remove the seats and backs from the fasteners to the lower frame;
• remove the old upholstery, remove the staples too;
• carefully dismantle the old filler, check for suitability for reuse;
• remove the springs, check their condition, if necessary, clean, lubricate, replace in whole or in part;
• check the condition of the chipboard, replace the sheets if necessary.

We replace the outer part of the armrests and connect both parts together

It is better to put all small parts from parsing into one container so as not to lose.

We fix the upholstery at the base, use a hammer and a stapler if necessary

At the second stage, we replace the old elements. It is best to use both glue and a stapler to hold the parts together. But if necessary, you can get by with handy means. For example, instead of a stapler, use small carnations:

• lay a dense fabric on both sides of the spring block, bend the edges inward on each side and sew with nylon thread;
• lay the spring frame on a wooden base, fix the springs through the fabric with a stapler. If there is no tool, you can make arcuate staples from steel wire, or from thin nails, hammering the "head" to the side;
• put in new, or fit old, filler;
• pull off the entire structure with a fastening cloth, in the manner of upholstery, fix it;
• put on a new cover, secure with glue and a stapler.

It's the turn of our wondrous back - we are doing the work according to the same principle

We fix the outer part of the sofa, decorate with beautiful legs and decorate with buttons - we get a great new sofa

Do-it-yourself sofa restoration is an interesting activity, as well as decorating it. Here you can simply lay beautiful pillows, or make a carriage tie.

Diy carriage tie for the back of the new Diana

Usually the backs are decorated in this way, leaving the seats solid. The tie elements are simple, you need to prepare buttons, or metal rivets. Cross diagonals can be emphasized with tape. In order for the foam to lie flat, you need to cut out small circles from the filler at the replacement stage - places for future buttons. Then, cover with fabric and sew on the selected elements. You can use a stapler or strong thread to tighten the buttons on the other side.

DIY upholstered furniture repair

If the structure contains elements made of wood, you can glue a figured wooden array in color on the front of the armrests. Then all the pieces of furniture are assembled back. It is important to check all fasteners so that nothing comes off during operation. That's all, the restoration of the old sofa is over!

Restoration of an old sofa - photo before and after constriction

Antique upholstered sofa with wooden elements after restoration

Video: sofa renovation with a design change. sofa restoration. timelapse

Old furniture after many years of use falls into disrepair. The sofa looks like an old, humped camel, the fabric is wiped off the sidewalls, and while sitting in an armchair, you can reach the floor with your fifth point? A completely logical question arises: what to do ?! Throw away and buy a new one or refurbish? In our case, start repairs immediately!

Required tool

To restore an old sofa, we need:

• Manual stapler with staples 6-8 mm,
• Hammer, pliers, a set of keys (13, 14, rarely 17),
• Fine-blade screwdriver for pulling out old staples,
• Awl, needle (crescent), threads, wide belts, scissors,
• Upholstery materials.

Materials (edit)

For upholstery, it is best to use high-quality material such as velor, matting, chenille, jacquard, etc.

Matting
Chenil Velours
Jacquard

Spring blocks or foam rubber are used as a filler in furniture production. To replace them, you need to disconnect the bed from the linen pallet (sofa) using a wrench. For the convenience of work, you can use a table, which will not only reduce the time of disassembly and assembly, but also preserve health.

Dismantling the sofa

The upholstery fabric is removed with a special tool. This is an ordinary screwdriver, sharpened in a special way (for pulling out staples), or factory scrappers.

Such devices are not only effective, but also safe, as they completely protect the hands from involuntary slipping.

We must not forget that repairing sofas at home is considered an unsafe business, so excessive prudence and caution will not hurt.

After we have removed the old fabric, you can start replacing the spring block or those springs that have broken.

It is very problematic to change the spring block at home, it must be ordered from the manufacturer, and it takes time.

Replacing the sofa springs

A broken spring is indicated by a marker. Spring block after repair

Using pliers, unscrew the spiral tape, if it is a rope (twine), then cut it off.

We install the new springs in place, and do not forget to fix them on the bottom of the frame.

It is imperative to spread batting under the springs so that the springs do not create an unpleasant sound while sitting or sleeping.

Spring binding methods Twine skipping method

It is very important to know and observe the correct upper weaving technique in order to maintain the uniformity of the springs' protrusion in height. You can use the options above.

When the springs are replaced, place the top layer with hard batting to avoid the springs touching the fabric.

Sewing covers

We start patterning and sewing a sofa cover. In order to facilitate the task, you can use the old cut, having previously measured all the details of the sewing.

• Remove the old fabric from the sofa. We carefully sew the seams into separate parts using a special steaming device. If there is such an opportunity, time and desire, then every detail can be well ironed to maintain its original dimensions.
• After ironing, it is advisable to number the parts so as not to get confused in the future. We lay out everything that we have on a new piece of fabric.
• You should try to spread them out in such a way as to "fit" into the width of 1 m 40 cm - this is the standard width. Pay attention to how the fabric fibers go. The longitudinal ones can be put on the seat and backrest, and the transverse ones are best on the sidewalls.

Difficulty can arise if the fabric has a pattern. It is necessary to accurately calculate the moments of joining, for example, strips, in order to avoid unnecessary consumption. The direction of the pile is also taken into account, this is especially visible on the velor fabric.

Always buy fabric with a margin. Take at least 100mm extra length and width!

When all the details have been cut out, the frame has been previously repaired, the springs have been changed, there is a new batting, only then can the fabric cover be adjusted.

We outline all seams only by hand. Marking needles can be used for fixation. Where the fabric sags, you do not need to cut it off right away, measure everything to the end, and only then you can cut and sew.

If you are using a sewing machine, adjust it for the appropriate fabric. Check the seam quality on a separate piece. Make small cuts where there will be seam allowances, especially where the fabric runs at right angles or in an arcuate line.

When the cover is sewn, you can try it on.

Sofa upholstery with fabric

The next step, the final one, will be to sighted the rest of the fabric on the fold.

1. It is best to secure the fabric in four places, this will serve as a kind of beacon.
2. With an interval of 2-3 cm, we begin to hammer in the staples, while simultaneously observing a uniform stretch along the edges of the frame. There should be no sagging or sagging. We do the same with the chair.

This is, at first glance, a simple way you can do the restoration of an old sofa with your own hands!

You can also read the article Do-it-yourself banner of an old sofa on the upholstery and upholstery of the sofa.

Do-it-yourself high-quality sofa restoration

Any, even the most durable furniture gradually wears out and takes on an unsightly look. The sofa, as an actively used piece of furniture, is no exception. Do-it-yourself sofa restoration will restore its attractiveness and functional indispensability.

The easiest way to repair upholstered furniture is by inviting craftsmen. This approach is fully 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 realistic and economical undertaking. The question of how to restore a sofa can be solved quite simply, if you do not spare time and purchase high-quality material.

Useful information

The sofa consists of several elements with a standard design. The main elements include the back, sidewalls, and seat. In addition, sofas can contain overhead elements (ottomans, pillows, etc.), additional mechanisms (folding mechanism, hinges, etc.) and decorating accessories. In turn, the main elements include the frame, upholstery, padding and back panel. 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 hardened with screws. Foam rubber of various thickness and density is used as a filler, as well as batting, synthetic winterizer or other soft synthetic fillers.

The cushioning 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 with an additional layer of soft material. All main elements are covered with fabric or leather upholstery on top. 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.).

Basic principles of restoration: step-by-step instructions

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

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

If, after revealing the damage, the decision has come to restore the old sofa, then it should be determined which element will only be repaired and which one will be completely replaced. Accordingly, a list of required materials and their quantity is drawn up.

When restoring a sofa with your own hands, you should at the same time solve the issue of the need to make changes to the design. The introduction of the following improvements will not cause any particular difficulties: increasing the thickness of the sidewalls; changing the shape of the armrest; changing the rigidity of the seat and back, etc.

The choice of upholstery material

The upholstery of a sofa is the most visible and most wearing part 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 benefits, but is expensive and difficult to do-it-yourself. Such upholstery is used, as a rule, if leather was on an old sofa. A good tapestry is very beautiful and aristocratic, more technological, 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 colors is very important from both aesthetic and practical points of view. When choosing a fabric, one should take into account the need to combine it on different elements of the sofa's structure and to place it on the area of ​​the element itself. The smallest waste is achieved when using solid colors and fabrics with a small abstract pattern. Waste material occurs when cutting fabrics with large ornaments in the form of geometric shapes, lines and cells of different colors.

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

Filler selection

Foam rubber and synthetic winterizer are widely used as a filler. When choosing a material, you should pay special attention to its quality. The synthetic winterizer should be white without significant shades. It should not emit unpleasant odors. The strength of the padding polyester is such that it is difficult to break it by hand; if it breaks easily, then this is a low-quality material.

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

Dismantling the sofa and its elements

The restoration of a sofa begins with its complete disassembly. It is produced in the following order. All overhead and decorative elements are removed. The sidewalls are unscrewed. The dismantling of the mechanisms for the layout of the sofa and fixing the elements is being carried out. The back and seat are separated.

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

Disassembly of the backrest begins with the removal of the rear 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 sofa seat includes dismantling the tightening elements and removing the upholstery. The 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 back and seat upholstery is carried out with one continuous piece of fabric for both elements.

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

Cut out new upholstery

The easiest way to cut new fabrics is to use 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 pulling. 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 the fabric is cut.

Seat and back restoration

First of all, the frame is repaired, if necessary. For this, damaged or deformed wooden blocks are replaced. The attachment points of the bars are being strengthened. Damping elements are installed. Using a tape measure, foam rubber and other filler materials are cut. Filler sheets are being laid. Upholstery fabric is applied over the filler.

Sofa upholstery tools: hammer, drill, saw, wrench, screwdriver.

The tightening elements are installed in the places where they were previously, in order not to make new holes in the base of the frame. A hole is made in the fabric and filler with an awl. The fastening elements are fixed on the back of the frame base, thereby fixing the upholstery to the seat surface. The upholstery fabric is stretched over the seat and secured with a stapler on the inside of the frame bars. The fabric is pulled evenly to prevent skewing of the fabric. The fabric is fastened with staples. The distance between the staples is usually less than 40 mm.

Repairing the backrest is the same as restoring the seat. There are no shock-absorbing elements in the back, which somewhat simplifies its restoration. In most sofas, the backrest and seat upholstery is combined, so the upholstery fabric is not attached to one side of the seat, but passes over to the back. Then the fabric is fixed on the back with tightening elements, similar to the seat. The upholstery fabric is evenly stretched over the backrest and secured with staples. The piece of fabric that covers the joint between the seat and the back is not fixed to the frame and should allow these elements to move relative to each other when the sofa is unfolded. The back panel plywood is wrapped in fabric and secured to the back of the back.

Sidewall restoration

A synthetic winterizer or thin foam rubber (20 mm thick) is applied to the frame of the sidewalls and fixed on the surface of the frame base with glue or staples. An armrest is formed of foam rubber of the required size and fixed with glue. The upholstery, pre-stitched in the form of a cover, is put on the sidewall and stretched from both sides, from the back and from the bottom, and then secured there with brackets.

The junction of the fabric at the rear end of the sidewall is closed with a plywood panel sheathed with fabric. Tightening elements are installed, if they were provided. Additional elements and accessories are mounted.

The assembly of the sofa is carried out in the reverse order in relation to disassembly.

Sofa restoration tools and equipment

• mechanical or electrical stapler;
• drill;
• screwdriver;
• sewing machine;
• awl;
• side cutters;
• pliers;
• flat screwdriver;
• hammer;
• hacksaw;
• chisel;
• plane;
• scissors;
• roulette;
• meter ruler;

If the sofa creaked, loosened, took on an unsightly appearance, this is not yet a reason to get rid of it. Self-restoration of the sofa will allow it to return a second life.

Sofa restoration: how to update an old sofa yourself

If the upholstered furniture ceases to suit you, because it is dilapidated or outdated in appearance, it is not necessary to buy a new thing, you can do DIY sofa restoration .

Immediately, we note that to update the sofa, you need to have at least some skills in working with tools and a sewing machine. In this case, even if you use other technologies, the result can be quite good. But if you don't even have basic skills, then you shouldn't mess with updating the sofa yourself, especially if the model is complex or expensive.

To restore the sofa, you will need tools that you need to stock up on in advance:

Kit screwdrivers (flat and cross), which remove old fasteners;

Hexagonal the keys if the structure has bolted connections;

Side cutters, nippers, jigsaw;

Building stapler and paper clips for securing new upholstery or boot hammer and furniture nails;

Sewing machine , tailor's scissors, chalk or marker, thread to match the fabric, needles.

Stages of constriction

The upholstery of the old sofa must go through 5 stages in sequence:

1. Dismantling the sofa into individual elements: pillows, backrest, sidewalls, etc.
2. Deleting old upholstery
3. Cutting out new upholstery
4. Fitting
5. Assembly sofa.

If the "track record" of the furniture is more than 7 years, you will have to update not only the upholstery, but also the springs, backrest or side elements.

Let's consider each stage separately.

Stage 1. Disassembly

To properly disassemble the old sofa, use manual or photo of this model which you can find on the Internet. Usually, the backrest is removed first, then the sidewalls and the seat.

If the back was made of chipboard, then we look for places where the material crumbled, and remove these pieces ... Using a pencil and a ruler, mark out a patch from a new piece of chipboard, thinner than the main one. The area of ​​the patch should be slightly larger than the old size. We cut out with a jigsaw two identical patches ... We put the backrest on the screws, and on each side of the back, we put patches on the same screws. Then we tighten this "pie" with nuts. At the same time tighten all other screws and screws weakened during the use of the sofa.

Step 2. Removing old upholstery

Using a side cutter, a staple remover and a screwdriver, separating the old upholstery ... Your goal is to preserve the old material as much as possible. If you manage to do this, you will get excellent patterns for new patterns.

Consider at the same time springs or other frame fillers ... If the filler is worn out, it is better to replace it all or the worn out part.

Stage 3. Pattern

We make new patterns by overlaying the old upholstery material on the fabric. Pay attention to how much seam allowance was given, and sew the elements taking into account this distance. It is best to draw a line of the future seam with chalk along the old marks, baste, and then sew where necessary.

You need to cut out taking into account the pattern and direction of the pile. If the pattern of the new fabric is small, then adjustment is not required, a large pattern may require the combination of decorative elements, so the consumption of fabric will be higher.

Choose the fabric taking into account the design of the room and the type of filler. If the "filling" of the sofa is foam rubber, then for the upholstery you should choose a fabric with an average thread tension. If there is cotton wool inside, then the fabric should be well stretched. For the spring seat, you can choose thick fabrics.

The most popular fabrics for upholstering upholstered furniture are tapestry, jacquard and velor. They look great, are practical to clean and are easy to handle. Find out about the density of fabrics when buying or on the Internet. Avoid rough fabrics even if you liked them by design. It's hard to work with them.

The combination of companion fabrics will brighten up your sofa , but it will require more skill, and it is better for beginners not to get involved with leatherette, it is so different in quality characteristics that only an experienced person can find a "common language" with it.

Stage 4. Fitting

You will need here mechanical stapler ... We turn the fabric on one side and fix it with staples to the wooden frame. If there is an edge, then no need to tuck. Place the staples with a frequency of 3 cm, the direction of the staples is perpendicular or parallel to the edge. Having secured the fabric on one side, we move to the opposite edge. You can first attach the upholstery with 3-4 staples to make sure that it lies flat without moving, and then go through the staples around the entire perimeter.

To begin with, before proceeding directly to the work on the restoration of the sofa with your own hands, you need to make sure that it is advisable, namely, the integrity of the frame itself. After that, we will prepare all the necessary tools and consumables: a screwdriver, pliers, a hammer, a stapler, a sewing machine, threads, scissors, a screwdriver, PVA glue, foam rubber, coarse calico, synthetic winterizer, upholstery fabric. In addition, new springs or a spring block may be needed, depending on the degree of wear on the sofa.

So, let's move on to the restoration process itself, which consists of the following stages:

Content

Dismantling the sofa

Dismantling the sofa is necessary, first of all, in order to identify damaged parts in its structure, which will necessarily be replaced with new ones during the repair process, or to repair them, if possible. Let's start the disassembly by unscrewing the armrests. They are most often attached to two bolts, the first of which is under the seat of the sofa, and the second behind. The armrests can be combined with the legs or located separately. In order to unscrew them, we raise the seat or you can move the retractable part, which depends on the design features of the sofa itself.

It is difficult to do without the help of outsiders in this matter, since the sofa is a rather bulky thing. After that, turn it over in its unfolded form, unscrew the back. When the back is removed, we dismantle the transformation mechanism using a conventional screwdriver.

Removing the upholstery

Thus, the sofa is completely disassembled, you can start removing the old upholstery from it. This is done with a flat screwdriver and pliers, which hook the ends of staples or nails, or with a staple remover.

We put the old covers aside and do not throw them away until we cut out new ones, as they will become a template for them. After removing the upholstery, we remove the old foam or batting, leaving only the spring block.

Replacing Springs or Spring Block

Now let's check the condition and functionality of the springs. If we notice deformations, breakage, etc. one or several springs at once, then we have to replace them. All springs of a modern type, as a rule, are fastened together with special spirals. In order to disconnect one of them, we dissolve the fixation of the spiral from one end, and from the other end we pull it out like a screw. When the spring is released on both sides, we replace it with a new one. Next, we attach the new spring in the same way in the reverse order, as we removed the old one.

More details about the hauling of the old sofa can be seen in the video

Sometimes there are situations when almost all the springs in the spring block must be replaced, then there is no point in changing each of them separately. In this case, you will have to buy a new spring block and replace the old one with it.

Pattern of new upholstery and its fastening

After replacing the springs or the spring block, we proceed to the assembly of the sofa itself. First, we cover the spring block with coarse calico and fix it with staples around the entire perimeter. Then, according to the shape of the sofa frame, we cut out a sheet of furniture foam rubber, which has a thickness of 30-40 mm. It must be glued to the coarse calico so that it does not travel during the operation of such a sofa. To do this, we apply PVA glue simultaneously on coarse calico and foam rubber and apply them to each other until they stick together. To add extra volume to our sofa, you can also stick a piece of padding polyester over the foam rubber, which is cut in the same way.

We carefully unpick the old covers at the seams, as a result of which we get a ready-made pattern. We apply them to the new upholstery fabric and cut new covers strictly along the contour with a slight overlap. Then we sew each part of the cover together on a sewing machine.

We carefully put the ready-made covers on the sofa, while, in the process of fastening with a furniture stapler, we pull them when fixing in order to avoid the appearance of folds in the finished sofa.

Assembling the sofa

When all its parts are upholstered in new fabric, including the backrest, armrests and others, you can proceed to assembly. This is done in the reverse order, as in disassembly. So, the restoration of the sofa with our own hands is over and we have received practically new furniture that will serve you for more than one year.

Over the past ten years, it has become popular to restore old upholstered furniture - Soviet book sofas, table chairs, favorite armchairs. The reasons forcing people to give new life to old things are almost sentimental - a relic sofa brought by my great-grandfather as a trophy from the war, or an armchair in which my grandmother knitted a lot of socks for a family in three generations.

But more often we are surprised to understand that good-quality Soviet furniture is much better than new furniture in low and medium price ranges in terms of the quality and integrity of the frame. Such furniture is often made from raw timber, cheap spring blocks, and pulled from above with cheap and low-quality fabric.

A great many restorers have appeared - there are even such craftsmen who can transform the appearance of an old sofa so much that it will not differ from its modern counterparts in design and filling. But, in fact, with minimal household skills, desire and patience, hauling upholstered furniture with your own hands is a simple and even creative activity.

DIY furniture restoration and upholstery methods

Furniture restoration allows you to completely transform old interior items

There are two ways to update the look of upholstered furniture: washing and replacing. Both options are quite time consuming and technically cumbersome, but feasible! All efforts will pay off when you see and feel the fruits of your labor with a sense of complete satisfaction.

This option is best suited for small pieces of furniture: chair seats, stools, and small armchairs. If you like the upholstery fabric on your favorite old sofa and is well preserved, has a unique woven pattern, and you understand that a modern analogue is not affordable, then the sofa cover can also be washed.

For washing large furniture covers, it is better to use the services of a professional laundry.

• Save money - you only waste time with little expense, including the cost of laundry detergents and furniture fittings (staples, lining).
• The revival of the authentic look of the furnishings.

There is one minus, but a significant one - it is highly likely that the cover will "sit down" or creep altogether during washing. Since the upholstery fabric is not designed to be washed, it is not treated for shrinkage like, for example, garment fabrics.

Complete replacement of the furniture cover

This path is the longest and most difficult, but sure. Old and dilapidated upholstery is ruthlessly thrown away, and the sofa can delight you with a brand new fabric in fresh colors. A complete replacement of the furniture cover can be done by yourself at home. But be prepared for the appearance of problems hidden under the leaky cover: cracked frame beams, broken springs, broken fiberboard or faulty locking mechanism.

If, having opened the cover, you are upset with internal breakdowns, do not despair - just the operation of replacing the cover develops into a more complex, capital phase of the upholstered furniture constriction.

Padding

This relatively new concept includes not only the replacement of upholstery, but also: complete repair of the frame, replacement of foam rubber, locks, spring blocks, everything that is required. In fact, the hauling is a major overhaul of upholstered furniture, as a result of which you will receive a new interior element made in your taste.

Overhaul allows you to save even the most "killed" furniture

Required tools and materials

In order for the work on hauling upholstered furniture to proceed comfortably, measuredly and without unnecessary nerves, you need to prepare the necessary tools in advance.

Instruments d for disassembly and assembly work

• Large flat head screwdriver and pliers - pick up and pull out old staples.
• Phillips or flat head screwdriver for the size of the slot of the screw heads that attach the lock to the frame.
• A set of wrenches for nuts and bolts.

Almost all upholstered furniture frames are bolted, so a set of keys is indispensable

• Roulette - take the necessary measurements when replacing body parts.
• Stapler - construction or pneumatic. The second is preferable, because, without any effort on your part, it drives long strong staples deep into the frame tree, even through several layers of fabric.
• Staples - from 6 mm to 10 mm, depending on the thickness and density of the selected upholstery fabric.
• Garbage bags (bigger and tighter).

To sew new covers, you will need:

• New upholstery fabric - the choice in stores is breathtaking, choose according to taste and cost. In order not to be mistaken with the footage, sketch out an approximate detailing before buying. Take into account the standard roll width - up to 145 cm (including the edging of the edges of the canvas) and the location of the patterns relative to the pile and shine of the fabric.
• Padding fabric for padding the rear surfaces of the backrest and seat. It is not necessary to do this, but the lining layer will keep the furniture from getting inside dust, and the cost of the lining material is low. Therefore, it is better not to neglect this simple operation.
• Sharp scissors, best of all special tailor's for cutting.

When cutting new covers, tailor's scissors will be simply irreplaceable.

• Crayons or thin bars of soap.
• Threads - no less than No. 10, and better - special reinforced for hard fabrics.
• Meter ruler.
• Pattern paper, if you are going to modify the appearance of the product: change the shape of the beads, back and seats.
• Sewing machine.

Waist technology

Dismantling old furniture

This is the first and dirtiest stage - you have to unscrew and remove the legends, locks and disassemble the frame. Then remove all the old staples that fasten the upholstery to the frame.

After removing the upholstery, a rather unsightly picture may open up.

Take care of the place of disassembly - you have to stir up the "dust of centuries" that has permeated the sofa or armchair. And staples have a sneaky habit of scattering across the floor and digging into the soles of slippers (or feet). If it is not possible to disassemble the sofa on the street, cover the equipment (TVs, computers, etc.) with film, and take everything that you can to another room.

Keep trash bags on hand - you will have to throw away a lot of rubbish, which has become the interior of the sofa (armchairs, chairs, etc.). After you finish disassembling, immediately remove all the resulting garbage from the house. Various filth can lurk in the internal dust of upholstered furniture - from allergens to dust mites.

Repair work and replacement of parts

Having removed the old cover, you can find a number of serious breakdowns under the harmless abrasions of the upholstery, do not rush to give up and throw away the sofa, counting in your mind how much it will cost to buy a new one.

All repair problems are solvable, and the parts are replaceable - the list of breakdowns and ways to fix them is not as extensive and scary as you might think at first glance.

Cracked framed beams

All old sofas and armchairs are based on frames, held together with locks and glue. It is a strong and durable system, much better than modern self-tapping mounting. But when the service life ends, the corners of the frames give slack and crack. The beams need to be changed. Choose dry wood, free of knots, cracks and bark - bast or the middle with an even, straight structure... Otherwise, a beam carrying a large load and lacking strength and integrity will quickly burst. A damp tree in warm and dry apartment conditions will begin to dry out belatedly and warp. It is better to repeat the castle wash down - order it to a master carpenter or do it yourself. It is better to impregnate the joints of the frame beams with PVA glue before joining.

Broken fiberboard parts (lintels for the seat and backrest frame)

Everything is simpler here - you measure the size and cut out new parts yourself with a jigsaw or make it to order in a furniture workshop. It is better to prepare separate parts of the jumpers (in old sofas there are usually three of them - the middle and two side ones), which are easier to change in the event of a break. You can attach them to the frame with nails or a pneumatic stapler.

Broken springs not only impair the ammarting properties of furniture, but can also cause injuries and cuts.

The sore spot is the middle of the seat, where children love to jump and sit guests. Some craftsmen manage to "twist" the spring blocks, replacing the broken springs with new ones. However, there is no guarantee that after some time some old spring will not burst and for the sake of it you will not have to start all the work anew. Therefore, it is more rational to replace the spring blocks completely.

Changing seat belts

Any thick tape of suitable width can be used as belts.

Usually, the frames of the seats and backs of old chairs are tied with intertwined wide belts, on which foam rubber is laid. And belts very rarely break, most often the junction of the belt and the frame is wiped. Any belts you think are durable will work as replacements. The main thing is that they are densely woven, preferably made of synthetic materials and at least 5 - 7 cm wide.

Caked foam rubber

Any kind of foam rubber has such a technical characteristic as the number of squeezes. This is an indicator of how many times the material will withstand compression and will be able to restore its original shape and elasticity. Almost always, in old furniture, foam rubber has long outlived its usefulness in this parameter and turned into dust or a viscous substance resembling sticky plasticine. Throw it away without regret and lay down new foam.

It is better not to save on foam rubber - it is not only a soft layer, but also protection of the internal structure from damage

Replacement of locks

It is also a common problem - over time, the steel mechanism of the lock looses out, a backlash appears in it, or springs fly off that snap the lock into the "sitting" or "lying" position. Inspect the lock carefully, it may be necessary to change the screw or adapt a new latch spring. If not, then the lock will have to be changed - fortunately, this is not a problem, in furniture fittings stores you will be offered a large selection of modern locks.

Master class on sewing new covers

The most creative stage of the work. You can leave the look of the furniture the same, in this case, you can use old covers as patterns. They should be thoroughly shaken out and vacuumed before use.

When cutting new pieces, pay close attention to the position of the weft and warp threads, as well as the direction of the pile. This is especially true for sewing patterns and seat-backs, if the width of the fabric does not allow making a one-piece cover (meaning the upholstery of a sofa-book).

With creative and sewing skills, you can transform the look of old furniture, make it more modern, comfortable and appropriate to your taste. The main part of the modifications is achieved by foam rubber overlays - soft bolsters are added on the backs, backrest headrests. You can take into account the position of the body in a sitting position and add foam rubber pads on the seat (under the knees) and inserts under the lower back.

When using darts, folds, curly details, the covers will get a completely new shape and become more modern.

In order to efficiently and beautifully perform work on modifying the appearance of upholstered furniture, you need basic cutting and sewing skills. If you are not confident in your abilities, it is better not to risk doing it yourself, but to involve a specialist in the work.

The nuances of cutting and sewing

• Leave a 1 - 1.5 cm seam allowance, depending on the weight of the fabric.

When cutting fabrics, be sure to leave 1-1.5 centimeters on the seams.

• It is advisable to process the edges of the sewn parts with an overlock or zigzag.

• Coarse-pile upholstery fabrics must be folded up by hand before machine stitching to avoid misalignment.
• If leatherette, artificial or natural leather is selected for the upholstery, then use a special roller when sewing the front seams as the presser foot of the sewing machine. As a last resort, you can coat the surface of the fabric under the foot with a thin layer of machine oil.
• In the case of sewing decorative overlays into the case, baste the folds by hand.

As often as possible in the process of sewing, do fittings - foam rubber, softening a rigid spring frame, pliable material, the shape of which is set precisely by the cover.

Fastening new covers on upholstered furniture parts

The repair work has been done, the covers have been sewn, it's time to start the crucial stage of stretching the new upholstery. You need to be clearly aware that the final result and the appearance of your chair or sofa depend on the quality of this stage. You will need patience and accuracy in your work.

At the stage of the last fitting, it will still be possible to correct mistakes - to sew in or release the corners a little, to alter the darts. Do not be alarmed if the cover fits very tightly on the frame - in the process of attaching it, you will still “shoot” it even more tightly. Worse if the cover is put on freely, because attaching it with staples, there is a high probability of getting ugly folds and creases.

The sequence of work on attaching new upholstery covers:

• First of all, put the covers on the parts and, while they are in a free position, straighten them as much as possible. The seams should be even and parallel to the edges of the parts, match the corners of the covers with the corners of the frames.
• Then start attaching the cover with staples - holding the stapler in your right hand, with your left constantly, ironing movements, pull the fabric from the middle of the part to the edge. Pay attention to an even and evenly rounded bevel - especially for the edges of the backs and seats of armchairs and sofas. It is better to start "shooting" with staples from the middle, so possible excess fabric will move to the edges, where they can be sutured by hand.

The stapler is the best tool for attaching furniture covers

• When upholstery, carefully cut the bolt holes with scissors and shoot the edges of the cutouts with staples. If necessary, use a hammer to drive the staples into the wood more tightly.
• After stretching the upholstery, you need to close the seamy sides with sheets of lining fabric. You should not waste time on carefully cutting and cutting the lining with scissors. Having outlined the approximate length, taking into account the curl of the edges, 3-4 cm on each side, make a notch with scissors and tear the fabric, the synthetics of the lining tears exactly along the thread, which you will not get when cutting with scissors. Shoot the wrong side of the lining from the corners, pulling the fabric tightly.

Bylce - (from Ukrainian) headboard of a bed, chair, armrest of a sofa, armchair, etc.

The last stage of work is assembly. When assembling the sofa, first of all, we attach the lock to the back and seat, then attach the resulting structure to the pallet of the sofa-book and attach the by-sheet. When assembling the chair, you gradually mount the seat and back to one story, then attach the second to the structure. The legs are mounted last.

Restoration helps transform old furniture into a new, stylish piece of furniture

Video: hauling an old chair

Since the process of restraining furniture is quite complicated, we bring to your attention a short video that will clearly demonstrate all the stages of restraining, using the example of restoring an old chair.

Do-it-yourself padding of upholstered furniture is a responsible, time-consuming business, but with excellent practical benefits and moral return. You get satisfaction from the work done and an updated look of your own renovated piece of furniture. And most importantly - experience, which, who knows, can lay the foundation for a new hobby, and possibly a profitable business. Successful renovation!