Is it easy to reupholster a sofa?

When you want to reupholster a sofa, your first action would be to call a furniture upholsterer. Sometimes, the cost of reupholstering may be out of your budget so you would think of other ways on how you can remake your sofa. 

It's a pleasant idea to do the reupholstery yourself to save money. For beginners, it is possible to reupholster a sofa. Still, there may be at risk of messing up the furniture and being in a worse position than you started, a bit like trying to cut your own hair during lockdown but making a much more expensive mistake. To avoid this, you must research first the steps involved. Also, the materials required must be prepared beforehand; there's nothing like a standstill project just because of something not in stock.

Reupholstering a sofa does not only mean replacing the fabric as it also involves adding new foam and other elements. It needs a lot of materials and tools like fabric, batting, staple gun, hammer, and tack strip. Once done, the reupholstered sofa will look like a brand-new piece and is ready to be used for many years to come. The end sight is near, but the work must be carried out.

It is easy to reupholster a sofa provided you have enough knowledge of the process, tools, and materials. 

Having said this, it is tough to decide if you are going to reupholster your sofa by yourself or not. Here are some quick pointers that can help you in coming up with a decision: 

• How old is my sofa? If it has been with you for a couple of years now, chances are it is made with good materials.

• Is the frame solid and crafted from hardwood? A high-quality sofa is made of hardwood for the frame, while cheap sofas are usually built using engineered wood.

• Does it have sentimental value? If your sofa is a family heirloom, you will do anything to bring it back to life. 

If you have decided to do the reupholstery of your sofa by yourself, read on as we discuss the basic steps. 

1. Take pictures and notes
Before tearing down your sofa, take several pictures and notes. In carrying out this step, it will save you a lot of backtracking and time. Doing this will also, you will have an idea of how to put back all the pieces together. Take note of the materials and supplies used in your chair. There are times that your sofa requires a specific material. If this is the case, other stuff may not work. 

2. Buy extra fabric 
Measure your sofa to know the right amount of fabric to be used. If you are new in reupholstering, it is better to have two or three extra metres of fabric than to run short. In this way, you will not run out of fabric if you make a bad cut. 

3. Tear down the sofa 
Tearing down your sofa can be a messy job. Dust, dirt, and spill are filtered down through the upholstery fabric. Replacing the old padding is important, especially if the support systems are in bad shape. Even if your fabric is new, this will only be put to waste if the materials underneath are old. 

Reupholstering sofas require time, skill, and money. As we mentioned above, reupholstering a sofa is easy. However, it would help if you learned the correct way of doing it. Who knows, this can start a new opportunity for you. Put in mind that although reupholstering a sofa is a great and environmentally friendly idea, there are times that doing it can cost more than buying a new one. With this, you have to decide whether to reupholster or purchase a new sofa carefully. 

Here at the Yorkshire Fabric Shop, we offer reupholstering fabrics. We will make sure that your new sofa fabric will be taken care of properly. Visit us or take a look at our website to know more about our beautiful fabrics and services. Check out Yorkshire Fabric Shop's customer creations page, where loads of our customers have done reupholstering themselves, be inspired.