by Jane Allyson

Created on: July 25, 2008

Reupholstering a beloved old couch, or that bargain piece you have picked up at the local thrift shop, can at first glance seem like an impossible task. However, all you need is a bit of "know how" and a lot of patience and you will end up with a lovely piece of furniture, and saved yourself a few dollars in the process.

Materials you will need:

Staple gun
Small hammer

Strong, good quality thread
Curved upholstery needle
Large darning needle
Pair of pliers (to pull the needle through the fabric)
Dressmakers chalk
Assorted studs or tacks
Wadding
Webbing (If it needs replacing)

The trick to achieving that professional finish is to take the old upholstery apart bit by bit without ripping or cutting it. Put aside any cardboard or decoration such as piping etc. These can be saved to be reused or used as templates or used to measure fresh pieces. If you can see how the thing was put together in the first place, it should be relatively easy to make an exact copy of the same method of work.

Remove the staples and pins carefully and make a note of where the upholstery has been fixed to the frame. To recreate the same neatness of edge you must remember the correct placement of tack and staples so that you can recreate the effect at a later date.

You can use the old piece of upholstery as a template for your new pattern, but remember that over the course of time the old fabric may have stretched and lost its shape, so this will need to be taken into consideration when measuring up.

Wadding or packing is relatively inexpensive and can be bought from your local upholsterers or even from the Internet. eBay is a good place to source your fabric and materials and it won't break the bank. Replacing the webbing may be an option too if it has become saggy or worn.

Upholstery fabric can be horribly expensive but there are cheap alternatives available. Search the shops for end of rolls, buy cheap curtain material in the end of season sales, or search the Internet for that special deal. The only advice I would give is that if buying from the Internet or mail order sources, then ask for a sample of the fabric before you make your purchase. It is difficult to get a true idea of color or texture just from a magazine photograph or an image on your p.c. screen.

To choose the amount of fabric you needed, lay out the old piece of fabric that you have removed from the couch and use it as a template or pattern. I use newspaper or an old bed sheet. Add another couple of meters to make an allowance for mistakes

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