Home Garden

How to Fix a Hole in a Couch Pillow

According to Anything Research, from 2005 to 2010, the furniture repair and reupholstery industry grew from $2.5 billion to about $3.5 billion. However, many people pay for furniture repair services when they could fix tears themselves inexpensively. While a hole in your couch pillow can degrade the appearance of the couch and create an eyesore in the room, there's no need to throw out the couch, or spend a fortune in repairs or reupholstery. If you're crafty, you can make the pillow as good as new yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • Scissors
  • Furniture cushion foam
  • Needle
  • Thread
  • Fabric glue
  • Tweezers
  • Plastic wrap
  • Heavy book
  • Iron-on fabric patch
  • Ironing board
  • Iron
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Instructions

    • 1

      Cut away any frayed material around the tear using scissors. Stuff the pillow with furniture cushion foam if the tear is large and foam has been removed.

    • 2

      Stitch together the fabric using a needle and thread. Verify the thread you use is the exact color of the fabric.

    • 3

      Cut a small segment of fabric from the back of the couch or a pillow you don't need if you cannot stitch together the tear. The fabric you cut should be 1/4 inch larger than the hole.

    • 4

      Slip the fabric inside the hole to confirm it fits. If it fits properly, dab a small amount of fabric glue into the hole in the pillow. Use tweezers to slide your homemade patch into the hole. Wrap plastic wrap around the tear and place a heavy book on top of it for several hours while it dries.

    • 5

      Purchase iron-on fabric patches if you feel uncomfortable cutting fabric from your couch. You must be able to find the exact color and fabric type to make a quality repair. Patches can be found at most craft, fabric and sewing stores.

    • 6

      Place the pillow on top of an ironing board. Set your iron to the "dry" setting rather than steam and set it to "cotton" or high heat.

    • 7

      Position the patch over the tear and place a doubled paper towel over it. Press the iron flat on the patch for 25 to 40 seconds. Do not move the iron -- just let it sit.

    • 8

      Wait for the fabric to cool completely. With your fingernail, test an edge of the patch to verify it's secure. If not, repeat Step 7. Thicker fabrics may require more time to heat up.