Making Old Furniture New by Changing the Upholstery

Are you sick of looking at your own furniture but don't have the money in your budget to buy new? Not to worry! You can transform the look of your furniture and even change the look of your whole room simply by changing your upholstery.

Many people find the idea of upholstering furniture intimidating, but it is actually relatively easy to do, depending upon the piece of furniture. Obviously the easiest pieces to upholster are those with nice straight, clean lines. Curved pieces or furniture with intricate details can be more challenging, but in many cases is still doable.

The keys to successfully reupholstering your furniture are to find the right fabric and to cut it correctly so that it fits your furniture like a glove.

Choosing fabric is largely a matter of personal preference, although there are several things you should keep in mind. First, you want to look for a fabric that can stand up to the wear and tear that a particular piece of furniture gets. A family sofa is going to get a lot more use than an out-of-the-way antique chair, so it will require a more durable fabric.

Look for darker fabrics or patterns for high-use furniture since the darkness or the pattern will help to hide any stains or accidental spills. Also make sure the fabric is specifically for upholstery and won't develop fuzzballs or wear too quickly. Most fabric stores have a section specifically devoted to upholstery fabric. Try to limit your shopping to this section of the store since most of the fabric they sell there will be durable enough to be used for just about any of your furniture projects.

When it comes time to actually upholster your furniture, the easiest way to cut the fabric and be sure it fits is to use the original fabric as a template.

Carefully remove the current fabric from the furniture, using caution to not rip it or stretch it out of shape. You may need a number of different tools to pull out staples, nails or other fasteners. Just go slowly and take your time with this step. If you get in a hurry you are more likely to damage the fabric.

When you have the original upholstery removed, lay it out flat. If parts of it are sewn together, use a stitch ripper to take them apart. Be sure to label how they go back together and keep track of what order they need to be sewn.

When all the pieces of fabric are labeled and laid out flat, you can use them as pattern pieces to cut your new fabric. Be sure to keep track of the pattern or grain on your new fabric and cut each piece the same so that you don't get weird clashing patterns or have the grain going in opposite directions.

Sew any pieces together that need to go together following the notes you made while taking the original fabric apart. Finally, attach the new upholstery to the furniture using staples, nails or any other suitable fastener. Be sure to pull the fabric tight and stretch it evenly in all directions.

With some time, effort and attention to detail you can cover you old furniture with new fabric for a fraction of the cost of replacing it. You will be amazed at how simply changing the fabric can completely transform the look of your furniture...and in many cases of your whole room.