Upholstery Fabric

This is the era of the do it yourself gal and guy. Welcome to upholstery 101, where penny pinching is the mother of necessity. Grab a ruler and start measuring. Begin small, dinning room and kitchen chairs, valances and pillows are a snap. Shopping for upholstery fabric can be fun. Walk into a local fabric store and be amazed. The choices are astounding. If you have questions, your cutting table person can assist. Heavier gauge fabrics wear better (kids and pets). Delicate fabrics do not, and should be "use" appropriate. Consider color, texture, durability and function. Scrunch the fabric in your hand, heavy wrinkling can be problematic. Save money, stain proof your fabrics yourself with Scotchguard, or Nikwax (poly/cottons). Rubbing alcohol is a great stain remover (test first). Try not to skimp on buying enough to cut an extra cushion cover just in case you make a mistake. Sometimes it can be hard to find the same pattern once you have left the upholstery fabric outlet.

If you prefer online shopping there are great deals on discount upholstery fabric. One example, FabricGuru.com carries top-end Laura Ashley, Waverly and P.Kauffman fabrics at reduced prices. They offer special bolt end mill grade yardage packages. Shipping any size order costs an extra $4.99. At Outdoor Fabrics Direct, www.outdoorfabricsdirect.com they sell specialty fabrics like Subrella, Outdora and Jor. Prices start at $7.19 low-end, to $32.95 per yard high-end upholstery material. Look for durability and sun protection.

Start by unscrewing the seat. Place the measuring tape where fabric meets the wood, slip the tape over the top of the foam and back to the opposite underside. Do this step until you have the circumference measurements. Add an inch or two just to be safe.. You can also use the old covers or make a paper template. The thicker the foam, consider more overhang. Remember the cloth will wrap around and tuck under. Multiply that yardage by the number of chairs plus one extra. Strip off old upholstery and remove tacks and staples (a timesaver). Buy a staple gun, staples and a staple remover. When you get your upholstery fabric home lay out cushions or template on material (measure twice, remember overhang). If the fabric is patterned, check the direction of the design of the cloth. You don't want one cover pattern going up and one going down. If its plaid make sure the plaids match. When in question don’t fold material; cut it face up. Print a corresponding number on the inside of the chair frame and one on the plywood cushion base. This helps line up screw holes. Slip the new fabric over the foam, center, flip over, and pull fabric evenly. Place three staples, one on each side and top, attaching fabric to wood. Pull bottom fabric taut and staple; evenly pull and staple fabric every two inches. Cut excess from the corners and practice pleating and tucking the corners (French corner). When you feel confidant staple the material in place. If the fabric looks saggy, pull a few staples out, pull taut and re-staple. Tight even pressure and pulling is the secret to a great upholstery job.

It is as simple as this to do it yourself upholstery. Now you can save a ton of money and redesign your furniture every couple of years.