Reupholstering Large Sectionals With Curves

Look over each piece of your sectional from top to bottom. While at first glance it may look like the fabric pieces are sewn together, you’ll find that most of them are stapled or tacked to the frame of the sectional for easy removal during reupholstery. Make note of anything different or unusual in the way the fabric is attached so that you can refer back to it later. Take plenty of pictures from various angles if you think you’ll need a visual reminder of your sofa’s original construction.

Find the piece of fabric that should come off first. In most cases, this will be one of the larger pieces, like the bottom or back panel. Remove this piece using a screwdriver or pliers to pry the staples out of the couch’s frame.

Pin a piece of paper with the number “1” and a description of where it came from to the fabric piece you just removed. Lay it aside for later use.

Locate the next piece you want to remove. Now that you’ve taken off one of the main fabric panels, you should be able to see which piece will be the easiest to remove next.

Remove the second piece and label it as you did the first. Repeat this process until you’ve taken off the fabric from each part of your sectional.

Spread the fabric pieces out on the floor, clipping any darts or seams that prevent the pieces from laying flat. Arrange them as close together as possible so that you can estimate how much fabric you’ll need to purchase.

Purchase fabric according to the measurements you took in the previous step. Remember to include enough fabric to recover cushions and/or throw pillows as well.

Trace the old fabric pieces onto the new fabric, adding an inch of fabric on all sides of each piece. Cut out each piece with scissors and pair it with its matching original piece. Use the original fabric pieces as guidelines for cutting material for slipcovers.

Staple the new fabric pieces back onto the sectional in the opposite order that you removed them, tucking under the raw edges of the fabric. Always begin stapling at the center of the piece and work out, rather than starting at one end.

Fix mistakes as you go. Reupholstery mistakes are easy to correct when they happen and nearly impossible to fix later.

Check your finished product for any minor flaws. In most cases, a few blind stitches will correct fold or corners that don’t lay right.