How to Calculate the Fabric for Reupholstering a Sofa

If your sofa’s frame and padding are fine but its fabric is stained, torn or outdated, you can reupholster the piece to give it fresh life. Before reupholstering or recovering the sofa, take accurate measurements of the different parts of the sofa to arrive at the total amount of fabric you need to purchase. Assign a helper to note the measurements as you take them. For patterned or printed fabrics, purchase 3 to 4 yards more than required to allow you to match the designs on adjacent sections of the sofa.

Tape measure
Notepad
Pencil

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the width of the outer back, or the distance from one side of the sofa to the other, and record it. Measure the length of the back, or the distance between the highest point and the lowest point. Multiply the width and length measurements to arrive at the area of this section of the sofa.
- 2
  Measure the width and length of the inner back of the sofa. This is the area opposite the outer back, or the same side as the sofa cushion. Contour the measuring tape to follow the arch of the inner back. Multiply the length and width to determine the area of the section.
- 3
  Measure the length and width of the outside arm, or the area under the armrest. Multiply the measurements for the area.
- 4
  Measure the length of each inside arm section. This section spans from the lower edge of the inner arm, next to the seat, to the seam of the outer armrest. Measure the width of the inside arm section, or the space from the inner back to the edge of the arm front panel. Multiply the length and width to calculate the area of each inside arm section.
- 5
  Measure the length and width of the seat pad, and multiply the findings to calculate the area. For removable cushions, position the tip of the measuring tape at the back of a cushion, and extend it all the way around it. Multiply the measurement by 2 to calculate the amount of fabric per cushion.
- 6
  Measure the length of each arm front panel, or the section that faces outward. Also measure its width at the widest point. Multiply the length and width, and record the finding.
- 7
  Extend the tape along the gusset, or the horizontal panel along the lower front of the sofa located under the seat pad. Find the width of the section, and multiply the findings to determine the area.
- 8
  Add 2 inches to each noted measurement for seam allowance. Total the area of each section, and divide the result by 1,296 -- the total inches in a square yard --to calculate the yardage you need.

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