I have been upholstering furniture since 1992. In the begining, as my profession, but over the years, I have transitioned into other things, and now upholster only occasionally, or for myself. The hardest part, is learning the basics. Everything after that is time and practice. You do need some basic sewing skills to begin with, and some basic hand tools.

BASIC TOOLS NEEDED: Sewing machine capable of sewing heavier weight fabrics, wire cutters, pliers, chalk, yardstick, flat head screw driver, small mallot or hammer, fabric steamer or iron, several bricks wraped in fabric to use as weights, staple gun and 1/2" bite staples, a few wood clamps and a good pair of scissors. Specialized upholstery tools are sold at many fabric stores with upholstery departments and upholstery wholesellers, but unless you plan to do lots of projects, you really don't need to spend the money on them.

LEARN THE STEPS: There are some steps to follow that will be the same for every project you tackel. These are; Choose new fabric, Label parts, Measure old fabric and purchase new, Tear down of originl piece, Frame repair and prep, Cut and sew new fabric, Attach fabric and finish.

CHOOSE FABRIC: When you are chosing a fabric, be sure to choose an Upholstery fabric. Most decorator and craft fabrics just won't hold up to the use a piece of furniture gets, and no matter how good of a job you do, they will begin to wear out and look shabby fast. Also, remember that if the fabric you choose has a very noticible or distinct pattern, you will need extra fabric to allow matching and pattern centering. For begining projects, I suggest a solid color or tweed stlye fabric that doesn't require lots of skill and waste fabric to match the pattern.

LABEL PARTS: Before you ever remove the first staple or tack, you need to label your parts. How are you supposed to put it back together if you don't know where it came from right? I like to use a fat black marker. It shows up well on almost everything. If you are recovering something that is currently covered in a very dark color, you can use a white paint pen, or masking tape with the part written on it. I have included a list and description of common furniture parts for you. You may have some, all or even additional different parts.

Common Part Names:

Inside Back- this is the part you lean your back against.

Outside Back- this is the back of your piece you would see if you were standing behind it.

Inside Arm- the part of the arm that would be against your body if you were sitting.

Outside Arm- the part that you would see if you were looking at your piece from the side.

Seat- the cushion where you sit.

Back Cushion- a loose pillow that you lean back against.

Boxing- the band along the front and sides of a cushion that holds the top and bottom together.

Welt- the stiff decorative trim sewn into the seams of many cushions and other key seams.

Deck- the solid fabric below your cushions. It is usually a solid khaki color on manufactured pieces.

Front Deck- the section of fabric connected to the deck that wraps out from under your cushions, and down to the bottom of your furniture.

Skirt- the decorative extra fabric around the bottom of your furniture.

Dust Cover- the piece of paper like fabric on the bottom of most furniture. Not a required piece, but helps hold the dust and lint from springs and padding inside your piece and off your floor.

MEASURE OLD FABRIC AND PURCHASE NEW: Ok, when you measure your piece, you need to be sure you always measure the same direction for each piece. I like to use Height x Width x Depth. The reason you measure the same way for each piece has to do with your fabric. Some fabrics can be cut in any direction. Most can not. You have a nap or pattern to deal with, and you want to be sure they match. When measuring the inside arms or inside back, be sure to add several inches to what you can see. These pieces have to go back into the padding and staple to the frame. To measure cushion, go from seam to seam, and add 1 inch to the measurement for seam allowence. Example: your cushion is 24x24. When you diagram it to find out the yardage you need, diagram it as 25x25. This will allow you a 1/2 inch seam allowence all around. If you have an L or T shaped cushion, measure to the widest point. After you have measured all of your pieces, you need to diagram them to figure total yardage. Don't forget to measure the Welt (piping) that many pieces have! Most welt is cut 1 1/2 inches wide, by the length all around that piece, and add about an inch for seam. Graph paper is best for diagraming. In general, upholstery fabric is 54-58 inches wide. I always diagram based on 54", unless i know the fabric is narrower. The next thing you need to know is how the fabric runs. Does it repeat along the bolt endlesly(Railroad) or across the width(in-line)? Most fabrics are railroad except those with a nap like velvet. After you diagram all of your pieces, you can determine the yardage. As a safety, you should always purchase extra fabric. When you are diagraming, think of a puzzle. You want to fit the most pieces in the smallest space. But you also want to put them facing the right direction, and match any patterns as needed. So, if you have railroaded fabric, think of it as 54" tall, and endless in width. If your fabric is in-line, you have endless height, and 54" in width. Draw out your pieces the same way you measured them, Height lined up with height and width lined up with width on the diagram.

TEAR DOWN OF ORIGINAL PIECE: Alright. Now that you have your fabric, and all your parts are labeled, let's get it taken apart. The first step is to turn it upside down. Using the screw driver as a staple lever, wede it under the staple and give the handle a tap with the mallot. The staple should rise up enough that you can grab it and pull it out with the wire cutter or a plier. Work your way around the entire bottom like this. Be sure to remove any broken staple edges so you don't cut yourself later on. After you have removed all of the staples from the bottom, turn your piece right side up. Continue to work from the outside in, pulling staples as you go. Leave the fabric sitting in place until you are ready to cut the new pieces out. It will help protect the cotton or foam padding on the frame. If you damage the frame padding, you will have to repair or replace it. That will add time and money to your project. When you do remove the fabric, go slowly! Pay attention to what piece is under or over the next. The inside back usually comes off before the inside arms, and there are many other pieces that only go in order. Remember, this is like a 3D puzzle. I suggest you write a list detailing the exact order you removed items, and any notes. Example: bottom, skirt, outside arms, outside back, inside arms, inside back, deck, spring cover, etc. You will need to work this list in reverse order when you put the piece back together, so don't forget to make it! Word of caution..most chairs and couches will have some type of burlap or fabric over the spring system. It is ok to remove those staples, but don't remove any staples or nails that may be holding the springs to the frame.

FRAME REPAIR AND PREP: Now check your joints and springs. If any of the joints are visibly loose, add wood glue, knock back into place and clamp to dry. Scan for cracked boards. If you find any, squeeze glue into the crack, clamp tightly and allow to dry. Replace any broken springs. Check all spring hardware. If it is not secure on the frame, fix it. If the springs on your piece have been tied, check for broken and loose strings. Replace as needed. Inspect frame padding and cushion foam. Replace as needed. It is a good idea to add a new layer of new batting over the exsisting padding. This will give your new fabric a smoother finish when you are done.

CUT AND SEW NEW FABRIC: Now, using your diagram as a guide, begin to lay out the old fabric onto the new. You may want to iron the old pieces and use your fabric weights to make cutting easier. To start, you will be cutting basic squares and rectangles. I know the pieces you took off have cuts and curves in them, but for now, just cut the fabric basic, and then you can fine tune each piece as you get there. I always sew the cushions LAST, I don't even take it apart until I am ready to make it. The reason is, your inside back and arms may be pulled snugger or left looser than the original. If you do the cushion first, and it is too small or big, you will have an issue. After you cut out your basic pieces, be sure to leave the old fabric with it until the piece goes on the frame or gets sewn, and NEVER throw it away until you are totally finished. You never know if you may need to look at it again. Ok, once you have your basic pieces, it is time to take out the old seams and draw your patterns. The only pieces you need a pattern for are ones with seams. In most cases, things like inside/outside arms and backs are trimmed on the frame, not before, so leave all inside and outside arm and back pieces alone unless there is sewing to be done on them. You can use your chalk to trace in the frame cuts, but do not cut them in. You will use the lines as a guide for your own frame cuts, to be made as you attach to the frame. After you have carefully removed any seams, iron out the old piece. Weigh it down face up on the new piece, and use your chalk to trace it, then cut it out. Be sure to take note of the seem allowence they used, and how things are attached. It may be helpful to sew each piece as it is ready and fresh in your mind.

ATTACH FABRIC AND FINISH: Once you have all of your fabric cut out and sewn(except the cushion), it's time to begin reattaching it to the frame. Remember that list I said you would need? You need it now. In general, the easiest way to get a nice finished piece is to work from the center out. before you begin covering a section, add a new layer of cotton or polyester batting to it. With very few exceptions, every piece of fabric that gets attached to the inside frame will be worked on exactly the same way. I will use the inside back as an example, and you should be able to figure out the rest. Mark the center of the top and bottom on your fabric. Now mark the center of the top and bottom on your frame. Line the top edge of the fabric up with the top edge of the frame. Put 1 staple at the top and 1 staple at the bottom to hold the fabric centered and straight. Work your way out from the center a few inches at a time. Along the bottom, use just enough staples to hold the fabric in place in case you need to make adjustments. Alternate top and bottom working toward the arms. As you go, you will be using your hand to smooth and pull the fabric down. It should be tight enough that you can't pinch the fabric between your fingers. At this point, do not cut off the excess fabric, it may need adjusted. After all of the inside pieces are attached, test the old cushion. If it fits properly, go ahead and cut and sew the new one. If it is too large, ie: sticks out in the front or is too tight, you don't have your inside arms or back pulled tight enough. If it seems too small, you have your inside arms and back pulled too tight. After you are sure the cushion works, add more staples to the bottom of the inside to hold it permently to the frame, and trim off excess fabric. Now it is time to attach the outsides. You probably noticed a cardboard strip along the top of the outside back and arms. This gives your outside parts a nice straight line along the top. If it is still in good condition, you can use it again. If not, they are availible at most fabric stores with upholstery sections. Outsides are centered just like the insides, but secured first all along the top, then pulled taught and secured at the bottom. The hardest part of the outside is reattaching the side edges of the back. You may want to us a tack strip like your piece probably came with. But if you aren't fomfortable with that, you can blind sew the sides. If you decide you use the tack strips, buy new ones. I have never yet been able to reuse a strip sucessfully. For the best result with a tack strip, cut the strip 2" shorter than the height of the back. Your outside back should be fully attached along the top, and attached to within 5" of the back legs along the bottom. Line the strip up snugly along the outside edge of the frame back, with the prongs facing the wrong sige of the fabric. The top of the strip should be 1" from the top of the fabric. While holding the strip firmly to the side, pierce the fabric with the prongs. Hold the strip at top and bottom, and rotate toward the front of piece until the prongs are facing the frame. With your mallot, tap the top prong into the wood of the frame. Work down the side until all prongs have been embedded in the frame. Finish of the bottom edge with staples.