How to Make Your Own Billiard Felt

Pick a felt covering that you enjoy looking at. Look for your favorite color of felt or pick a specially designed pattern printed on the fabric.

Look on the underside of the pool table to find the bolts that secure the rails. Determine the size of bolts securing the rails to the table by comparing them to socket wrench bits. Remove the bolts from the pool table rail with the appropriate socket.

Determine if the installed felt is stapled or glued. Look for staples in the underside of the felt. Pull out the staples with a staple remover to remove the old felt or simply pull up the edges of the glued-on felt and pull away a section at a time.

Measure the dimensions of the table with the tape measure. Add an 5 inches to the measurement. For example, if the table is 6-by-3 feet, then make the length 6 feet, 5 inches and the width 3 feet, 5 inches to allow for fitting.

Cut the felt material to the size of your billiard table. Keep the trimmings of the felt to use as pocket liners. Measure the length and width of the pocket rim, and then cut the trimmings from the larger piece of felt to fit the rim. Make six strips of felt of the same size for each pocket rim.

Spray adhesive on the pocket rim, and then place the felt strip along the rim. Place the top edge of the strip slightly below the top of the rim so as not to block balls rolling into the pocket. Repeat this step for each pocket.

Stretch the felt sheet over the top of the pool table, allowing the felt to hang over the edge. Insert three staples into the one short side of the table edge through the felt. Place the staples near a corner of the table edge.

Pull the felt taught on the opposite corner of the staples. Hold the felt so that it is tight and flat against the table and and insert three staples in this corner.

Pull the felt hanging over the pocket between the corners that are stapled. Insert staples on either edge of this side pocket while holding the felt tight and flat against the table.

Repeat steps 7 through 9 for the other side of the table. Pull the fabric into a corner pocket and wrap to the underside of the table. Make a small slit in the cloth if wrinkles form on the edge of the pocket. Staple the felt fabric to the underside of the pool table. Repeat this process for each pocket. Trim any excess felt from the edge of the table with a utility knife.

Measure the length of the pool table rails and then cut feather strips and a length of felt to match those measurements. The wide of felt must be 5 inches to cover the rail sufficiently.

Lay the rail on the top edge of the rail near the exposed wood. Place the feather strip sized for that rail near the edge of the rail that faces the inside of the table. Pound the feather strip into the rail, through the felt, to secure the fabric.

Pull the other edge of the fabric over the feather strip, and then flip the rail over so that you can work on the underside. Pull the felt tight on the corner of the rail, and then begin inserting staples along the edge of the rail.

Move your hand to hold each section of the felt on the rail tight as you insert more staples. Line the entire edge of the rail underside with staples to secure the felt.

Repeat steps 12 through 14 for each rail. Reinstall the rail by reversing Step 2.