How to select an upholsterer? How to upholstery DIY your sofa? If you ever find yourself asking these questions, then watch today’s episode of Super Charge Sunday where Helena McHugh (my sister!) will share her expertise on this topic. Helena has been upholstering sofas for many years and specializes in slip covers, cushions, and everything in between. In her talk she shared highlights on how to select fabric, measure, and the tools necessary to upholster.

Fabric

When selecting fabric for upholstery, it can be tempting to choose fabric just because it is pretty or you like it. But before doing so, it is important to consider the following:

• the size of the item being upholstered
• does the fabric coordinate with other items in the room
• ease of maintenance

Measuring

The adage measure twice, cut once is most a propos when it comes to upholstery. In fact, it’s probably a good idea to measure multiple times as there are many considerations to take into account depending on the type of item being upholstered. If you are doing your own upholstery, you will need to have multiple measuring devices from tape measures (in metric and inches) and yardsticks.

• if measuring a chair, make sure that the distance from your knee to the floor (while seated) is comfortable
• remember to make room for seam allowance, so always have extra in your calculation
• when measuring fabric, the amount needed can also depend on the width of the fabric; if there is a pattern on the fabric, it will likely require more fabric than a solid color.

Tools

There are a variety of tools that are part of the upholsterer’s toolkit. Some of the basic ones include:

• as mentioned above, tape measures, yardsticks, a clear ruler
• staple remover
• staple gun with various gauge staples
• mallet
• spray adhesive – like Elmer’s Craft Bond (use the adhesive most appropriate for your project)

Resources/Reference Materials

Helena mentioned that various You Tube videos were helpful to her and serve as a reference to look up certain techniques. Two of her favorite videographers for furniture is Chester in Russia and Alo Interiors. In addition, she highlighted the Singer series of upholstery books that she has been collecting for years that serve as excellent reference books.

• If you want to learn how to build a sofa from scratch, then watch Chest’er in action here making a sofa bed
• To DIY your own couch or sofa, check out Alo Upholstery.

Bonus Tip: How to Clean Upholstery

A lot of people asked the question about how to clean and maintain their upholstery. It all depends on the type of fabric you have, so the appropriate techniques apply based on the fabric. So before using any cleaning solution, check with the manufacturer of your furniture first or do a small test in a hidden part of the furniture (like under the seat) to make sure it works before doing the entire piece of furniture. If you have a cotton/canvas type fabric then the instructions in this video on how to clean upholstery should help you with some great tips plus the lint shaver is the coolest thing to not only get rid of lint, but to make your furniture look like new!

If you have any tips on how tp clean furniture or how you make a couch, please share below. Make sure you’re all signed up for the Super Charge Weekly Newsletter and get your download Super Charge tips download so you don’t miss a beat!