Upholstery Techniques for Corners

Preparation

• Cut the fabric to fit over the portion of furniture that is to be covered. The cloth should have an excess measurement of 1 to 2 inches. Pull the upholstery fabric along the side of the seat or frame of the piece of furniture using your hands. Stretch the fabric from the front of the piece to the back and secure it to the wood using a staple gun and 1/4-inch-long wire staples. Be sure to staple or tack the fabric firmly in front or back of your fingers to prevent puckering. Stop stapling when you get about two inches from the corner.

Corner Fold

• Staple the fabric in place down the opposite side and to the same corner. The fabric at the point of the corner will form a sort of open pocket or pouch. Pull the fabric upward, at the outer edge of the corner, until it is taut. This is your first fold. Pull and tuck the excess fabric from the top and down under the first fold. The fabric should be smoothly pressed against the wood frame. Staple it in place at a 45-degree angle at the top portion of the corner.

Cut and Fold Corner

• Pull the fabric outward from the corner point. The edge of the material will come to a point. Cut along one side of the point to remove excess material with heavy-duty fabric shears. Fold the other side of the fabric down and smooth it over the wood frame. Staple the material in place.

Tools

• A heavy duty staple gun is useful when you are attaching the heavy fabric to the wooden frame of the piece of furniture. A professional upholsterer will have an electric upholstery gun to secure fabric to the many pieces of furniture that he works on. A magnetic tack hammer and 3/8-inch upholstery tacks may also be used to tightly attach the materials to the wooden frame. You will need heavy-duty fabric shears to cut the thick fabric.