How to Determine How Much Fabric to Reupholster a Couch

Choose a workspace that gives you a lot of room to make a mess. You must have plenty of room for your sofa, room for you to move easily around it, and a large table.

Carefully remove the fabric from your sofa, starting with the back. Use a screwdriver to gently pry up staples and the pliers to pull them out. Do not rip, cut or tear the fabric as the pieces you remove will serve as the pattern for the new covering.

Use a seam-ripper to open the sewn seams.

Number or label each piece when you remove it and draw arrows indicating the direction of the pattern or nap of the fabric. Draw the shapes of the pieces on a piece of paper and label them accordingly (including arrows). This will give you a manageable blueprint to organize the project.

If you have piping, welting or cording, save it for measurement as well. This also applies to quilted batting around the cushions.

Lay out all the pieces on a table. Make sure you place them consistent with the nap, bias or pattern of the fabric. Also take into account that most fabric comes in widths of 54 to 60 inches.

If you plan to use two or more different fabrics, lay out the pieces for each fabric separately. Consider that the platform (the part that the cushions sit on) is usually made of a less expensive fabric (such as bleached muslin). Measure this separately.

If you are planning on making matching pillows, add that measurement on the end.

Measure the layout. If your measurements indicate you need 6 yards, buy 7. This will give you a little leeway that you can use to cover the cording. (Buy new cording according to the same principle; measure and add an extra yard for comfort).