Reupholstering A Leather Couch

Reupholstering a leather couch may seem like a daunting task, but in reality it is quite doable given the proper instructions. Over time, leather furniture gets damaged and worn. Reupholstering the old frame can give new life to your old pieces while saving you money as compared to buying brand new furniture.

Let us begin by talking about the materials that you will need for this project. First, needle-nose pliers or a screwdriver will be needed for removing the old upholstery. Then, you will need to gather a good quality staple gun with staples, sharp scissors, a seam ripper, and a hammer. All of these are important in the process to ensure a professional-looking result. Fresh batting may be necessary if the old batting is non-usable. Lastly, you need to pick out the new leather that you want for your couch.

Once you’ve gathered all of your supplies, it is time to begin removing the old fabric from the frame. This can be done by using the screwdriver or needle-nose pliers to pry out the staples in order to loosen up the old upholstery. The seam ripper can help you by making sure that you get all of the old upholstery off before you try to add the new upholstery. If the upholstery you are trying to get off is tough or thick, then electric scissors can be used to aid you. Make sure that you remove the old upholstery in one big piece if possible. If not, then lay the pieces out in the way that they were on the couch. These pieces will serve as a template when you try to reupholster with the new leather. In the same fashion, carefully remove the old upholstery from the cushions, saving it as a pattern for sewing the new cushions.

Subsequent to removing the old upholstery, you will need to lay out the new leather. I cannot stress enough that when you cut the leather to the size of the old upholstery’s template, be very careful. In fact, you may want to practice cutting the shape with another type of fabric or paper before the actual leather. Leather can be extremely expensive, so it is very important that you cut carefully. Once the leather is cut, drape it over the un-upholstered couch. If the batting needed to be replaced, then do so before attaching the new leather. Start by stapling each corner of the leather to the corners of the frame. When this is completed, continue by stapling around the edges every inch or so. Keep on going around edges clockwise, pulling the leather so that it is tight. Pulling it tight will ensure that the material is not loose or contain any bubbles. When you finish stapling the edges, and have the new cushions sewn and in place, you will have transformed a couch that had seen better days into one that you will be bragging about for the years to come.

Of course, if all this is too daunting, just leave it to the professionals at Finish Line Upholstery! Call us at (803)796-2020!