There are several reasons why you need to change the upholstery fabric on your furniture. It could be out of date, or maybe it’s your cat that loves scratching fabric, or maybe your kids spilled cola all over it. Whether your furniture is out of trend or simply worn out, reupholstering is a great way of giving it a brand new look. Replacing your existing sofa is costly and not really necessary, when you know the right DIY tips for reupholstering furniture.

Here are five steps to reupholster old furniture and make it look good as new.

1. Plan

Before you jump right into it, you need to do some planning. First you need to measure the fabric on your furniture. This will give you the idea, as to how much fabric you need to purchase. The people at the fabric store will help you with the right amount of furniture you need. For chairs, a light-weight fabric would do. But, for the sofas and couches, a strong and durable fabric is required.

2. Remove Existing Fabric

To remove existing fabric, do not start tearing right away. Instead use a seam ripper or a blade to follow the seams.  Fabric from the old furniture can be used as a template for new fabric. With chairs, there is only one big piece of fabric that needs removal, and a similar piece can fill its space. Removal of fabric from a sofa is however time consuming. You might have to dismantle the whole thing. Fabric on a sofa is usually stapled; therefore a screwdriver must be used to remove the staples. Each piece of fabric must be labeled to eliminate confusion.

3. Get the New Fabric Ready

Once you have removed the old fabric, find a large empty space to unroll the new one. Now, using the old fabric as a stencil cut the new fabric accordingly. Leave a few inches for the edges that are meant to warp under the couch. Make sure these pieces are labeled, so you know they are placed correctly. Put the dismantled furniture back together and start sewing along the seams. Make sure that the dimensions match your couch’s frame. Use a high-quality nylon thread to ensure a long-lasting job.

4. Attach It

Now that the draping is done, pull the fabric towards the undersides of the sofa, so they can be stapled. Make sure, you get hold of a high-quality stapler for this job. As far as chairs are concerned, pull the fabric towards the back side and staple them from the centre. Pull the fabric tightly before applying each staple. Keep an eye on the pattern of your fabric while you staple it.

5. The Finishing Touch

Now, the fabric has been secured all around the bottom of your sofa or chair, the access fabric must be trimmed. For couches, you will need to make cushions covers with the fabric that you have.

Reupholstering furniture is not difficult if you follow the steps mentioned above. With the right planning and effort, your old furniture will be good as new.