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Monday, July 11, 2011

My advice when reupholstering…

My advice when reupholstering…

#1 Find the piece that you wish to recover. I recommend having the foam in good condition when first learning to reupholster. New foam is more advanced. Take the BEFORE photo.

#2 Order Fabric- be brave! I order online because I am limited in fabric store selections. Always check the width of the fabric you are ordering. Verify that the weight and durability of the fabric is what you are looking for. Samples are great if you are unsure but will delay your project if you are in a rush. I’m cheap, I don’t like to spend more than $12 a yard on upholstery fabric. Always order 1 extra yard, just in case.

#3 Remove existing fabric gently! The better and more carefully you remove the fabric the easier it will be to remember how to replace the fabric and a better template for cutting the new pieces. I recommend taking lots of in process shots to help you remember how it looked. If there are tricky corners or anything, take a photo. You’ll never regret taking too many photos. If there are more than 5 pieces to replace, I will do one section at a time so I don’t forget how it was done.

#4 Replace fabric. This is when you will get very excited about your project. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect the first time, you can always go back and tweak your work one piece at a time. Having a helper doesn’t hurt either if you have someone who likes you enough to hold pieces. I don’t put 1000 staples in on the first go. I do the minimal about of staples until I am positive that it’s perfect, then I will go back and add more staples.

#5 Decorative touches. I think adding something special to the piece is what will make all of the difference. Decorative nail heads, colorful trim, whatever you want. I will admit that I still cannot get an entire line of decorative nail heads perfectly straight. Practice makes perfect I guess.

#6 Take the AFTER photo and share your creation with everyone you know! Enjoy your piece!












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