How To Reupholster a Sofa

The individuality of vintage furnishings can encourage the thought of giving it a second, reupholstered life. Whether or not you obtain one thing handed down from a relative, or luck up on a discover at a thrift retailer—when you might have that inkling to revive it, pay attention. Reupholstering furnishings is usually a nice weekend undertaking, and the sensation of accomplishment is unmatched. Spoonflower Maker Wendy Conklin of Chair Whimsy exhibits us how she’s giving a sofa a second life.

Wendy: Settees make nice dialog items across the residence. You’ll be able to typically discover small ones that may be tucked into corners, positioned alongside a function wall, put on the finish of a mattress or used at a eating desk for further seating. In case you are a newbie, beginning with a small one can be a lot simpler so that you can study.   

A sofa is a small, cushioned chair—just like a settee—that sits on wood legs and accommodates, often, two folks. Settees had been fashionable by the 18th and nineteenth centuries. As we speak, you might even see settees in powder rooms, sitting rooms and different ornamental areas.  

A sofa is a fantastically designed piece of furnishings. With the precise tender love and creativity, reupholstering one could be enjoyable and supply a possibility to convey your house collectively. If you wish to get into upholstering, a small furnishings piece like a sofa is an effective begin.  

Let’s begin with the supplies you’ll have to reupholster a sofa.

Previous furnishings is commonly very telling of its age, so eradicating supplies all the way in which right down to the body is all the time greatest. 

Take away the material and all of the insides by taking out the staples or tacks. Use your staple lifter and mallet. Place one tooth of the staple lifter underneath the tack or staple. 

Use your mallet to hammer the tip of the staple lifter till you’ve lodged the staple lifter beneath the staple. Pull up as you hammer.  

Proceed till you might have a clear body. It does take some time and energy however consider it like pulling weeds. It’s senseless work and also you’ll be glad you probably did it as soon as it’s full. 

When you’re glad along with your sofa’s authentic coloration, proceed to Half 3. 

Since I’m utilizing this Spoonflower floral cloth, I selected inexperienced in order that the material would pop towards the paint coloration.  

If you wish to paint your furnishings, now’s the time to do it. My mantra is “The material all the time drives the paint coloration.”  

That is the half the place you’ll be including a number of layers onto the wooden base to make it snug to take a seat on. First jute webbing, then burlap, then cotton, then foam, then Dacron. The steps under will stroll you thru all these layers, with images too!

Begin by laying the sofa down on a desk or set of sawhorses to be able to work over prime of it. 

Place a few items of jute webbing strategically to assist assist the material. Staple in place and fold over the tip items. 

After securing the jute webbing, staple a layer of burlap tightly throughout the sofa’s prime. Fold within the edges and staple in order that none are hanging over the facet. 

Lay paper throughout the highest of your sofa. Hint across the prime—the place we’ve positioned the jute webbing and burlap—to make a template. This may assist us put together the correct amount of froth for this space. 

Use your paper template to hint and minimize out a bit of 1” medium-density foam. We’re not including the froth simply but. It’s simpler to hint out the template on the burlap fairly than the cotton we’re including within the subsequent step. After chopping out your foam template, place it to the facet. We’re coming again to it in step 9.

The subsequent layer we’re including to our sofa prime is cotton. This may go on prime of the burlap. 

Seize your foam piece and place it on prime of your cotton layer. 

Place a layer of Dacron on prime of your kind. Staple your Dacron in place, pushing the cotton and foam down firmly as you go. 

Now that your Dacron (and different insides) are safe, trim off the surplus Dacron. 

Prepare the material to get the easiest look. I all the time take my time with this step as a result of it issues probably the most. When you’ve determined in your supreme placement, staple the material tightly into place. Use scissors to chop away the surplus cloth. 

This facet goes to go a bit of faster than the entrance, however nonetheless be as stunning and safe!

Now that we’re engaged on the again of your sofa, flip it so the bottom is dealing with up. Be sure to’re working in an area the place it could lay flat. 

Staple a layer of burlap tightly to the again. Fold again and staple the perimeters to maintain issues neat. 

Cowl the again with a layer of Dacron and staple it into place. 

Place the material the way you need it on the again and staple it into place. Minimize off the surplus cloth exterior of the staple line.

These steps are going to look just like reupholstering the highest of the chair, so that you’ve obtained this!  

Measure and minimize strips of jute webbing that attain from the entrance to the again of the seat. Individually place every strip on the seat and staple one finish. Pull tightly earlier than stapling the opposite finish. Fold again the perimeters and staple these down. 

Measure and minimize strips of jute webbing that attain from the left to the precise of the sofa. Staple one finish of those strips to the left facet of the seat. Weave the horizontal strips by the vertical strips. Pull tightly on every strip as you staple them down on the precise facet, and fold again the perimeters. Now we’ve got a strong base for our seat! 

Place a layer of burlap throughout the seat and staple. Subsequent, fold again and staple the perimeters. 

Similar to we made a template for the sofa’s prime, we’re going to try this for the seat. Lay your paper throughout the seat and make a template. Make sure you mark the place the again supporting legs are. 

Hint your paper template onto the two” medium-dense foam and minimize it out. (Some folks like to make use of an electrical knife for this.) Set the froth to the facet. We’ll come again to it after the following step. 

Pile the cotton evenly throughout the seat on prime of your stapled burlap. Lay a pleasant, thick layer to make the seat extra snug.  

Seize your 2” foam cutout and place it on prime of the cotton. 

Cowl your sofa layers with Dacron and staple it into place.  Minimize off the surplus Dacron. 

Now for crucial half—attaching the material. We’re going to take our time on this step, beginning with positioning.  Lay your cloth on prime of your seat and place it to get your required look.  

To maintain issues nonetheless as we work across the seat, place a number of momentary staples to carry the material in entrance. 

With the design sides dealing with, make a V minimize in the back of both sides. Fold the material across the wooden and tuck the V into pocket so it could’t be seen. 

Staple the again sides and fold the tip edges beneath to get a straight line.  

Undo your momentary staples in entrance, we’re going to exchange them with precise staples. Pull the material tightly and staple beginning on the middle and dealing your approach to every edge. Cease earlier than attending to the sting and depart it open. 

Staple the edges and are available round to the entrance, pulling the material tightly. Place a few staples to carry it into place. We’re about to fold this nook over. 

Return to the entrance and fold the nook. Staple it into place so that you’ve a pleasant, folded edge. Trim off the surplus cloth. 

Time so as to add these last particulars to finish your reupholstered sofa!

Flip your sofa over in order that the underside is dealing with up. Cowl the underside with mud cowl cloth. Fold the perimeters underneath and staple to get a pleasant line across the backside. 

Let’s cowl these hard-working staples with one thing extra engaging.  Determine what trim you need to use to cowl over the staple line.  

Glue (or hammer) the trim over the staple line on the seat, prime and bottom. Tuck the perimeters underneath and glue down so you might have a pleasant end.  

You’ll be stunned at the place you’ll be able to match a small sofa and the persona it is going to convey to an area.