The main thing when replacing furniture upholstery is to correctly calculate the amount of material. After all, it is not always possible to purchase the necessary meters in a specific color and with a specific print. You will have to urgently figure out how to combine different materials, and this can ruin the entire design style. To prevent this from happening, we will tell you how to correctly calculate the amount of fabric for furniture, what are the features of different upholstery materials and much more.
When reupholstering upholstered furniture yourself, it is not enough to measure only the visible part of the upholstery. When calculating, it is important to take into account allowances for seams, edge hems, and features of the pattern if it needs to be combined on adjacent parts. Next - methods for calculating fabric, how many meters of fabric will be needed for furnishings, cutting features, cases when fabric should be purchased with a good supply.
Methods for calculating material for banners
There are two ways to calculate how much fabric you need. The first time, measure the length and width of the furniture being repaired, add the data and multiply by two - this will be the required area. For example, if the length of the object is 2 m and the width is 0.5 m, then to reupholster it you will have to buy 5 linear meters. But this method gives an approximate result, so a lot of material may remain after work.
The second way to calculate the amount of matter is more accurate than the first:
- Remove the old upholstery.
- Measure every detail with a tape measure: seat, back, armrests. If the elements have a complex shape, then take into account the maximum width and length of these parts.
- Schematically draw the object on a sheet of paper, sign the results of its measurements, adding 4-5 cm for hems and seams.
According to the second method, the width of the cut should be equal to the widest part of the furniture. Length – the sum of the results of the vertical lengths of all elements. We also recommend adding another 10-15% to the final length - margin for edging, the need to combine patterns, colors, etc.
How to choose a chair cover design
The choice of decorative elements for decorating a home has always been based on the general stylistic direction of the room. The requirements are different for different rooms. But the following recommendations are highlighted:
- For a kitchen area, it is preferable to have a variation of the product that will be easy to take off and put on, will not interfere with a person’s movement around the room, and will be especially wear-resistant.
- For the living room, restrained, sometimes even strict, lines are acceptable. It is advisable to use muted colors without a pattern or with slight geometry.
- In the bedroom, light, airy models made of flowing fabric with flounces and frills are acceptable.
- Make children's chairs from bright fabric with a cheerful pattern.
Approximate amount of upholstery for various items
All given data are approximate, calculated taking into account the width of a single-color cut of 140 cm.
Sofas
We determine how much fabric is needed for sofas of various models.
To upholster a standard “book,” measure the back and seat. Let's say their sizes are 40x190 cm and 60x190 cm, respectively. It will take another 5 cm for the hems.
The overall width is measured as follows: (back height + seat height) + (hem × 4). Convert to a digital value: (40 + 60) + (5 × 4) = 120 cm.
Total length: sofa length + (fold × 2). Convert into numbers: 190 + (5 × 2) = 200 cm.
Total: 2 m – that’s how much fabric is needed for a sofa book. A Eurobook with covered soft side walls takes two meters more.
The photo shows a sofa reupholstered with SAVOY velor furniture.
To reupholster a sofa with soft sides with disassembled dimensions of 160x190 cm and 3 pillows of 50x60 cm, you need 10 m. This amount will cover all visible parts of the sofa. To reupholster the invisible sides of the sofa-sofa - the bottom of the seat, the false panel - additional materials are required.
But the upholstery of a corner sofa with dimensions of 230x152 cm and a sleeping area of 145x200 cm will require 12.6-13 m.
The photo shows a sofa reupholstered in RUSTIC faux leather
Armchairs
Here's how much fabric is needed to reupholster a variety of chairs:
- A standard medium-sized chair is 2.5 m, for upholstery of a large-sized object with a long back, massive armrests and a seat – 4-5 m.
- Frameless chairs (bean bag or pear chair). For such products, which in finished form will have a diameter of 90 cm and a height of 120 cm, you will need about 2-2.5 m.
- Computer chair. For an item with only a soft back and seat, approximately 1-1.5 m is enough.
It is difficult to determine the exact area of material for upholstering a chair, because structurally these objects are very different. When making calculations, proceed from the actual dimensions of specific furniture.
Upholstery material Flock for furniture ANFORA anti-claw.
Other items
Approximate amount of material for other furniture paraphernalia:
- Kitchen Area. A dining chair from a corner takes about 0.2-0.5 m, a corner sofa 3 m long with a hard back - 1.2 m, with a soft back - 2 m.
- Double bed with bed dimensions 200x160 cm. The headboard and soft panels must be reupholstered. The standard dimensions of the headboard for such beds are 100 cm by 180 cm. To cover it, taking into account the drapery of the carriage drawstring, all the folds and hems, 2.6 m is enough. It is worth mentioning separately about the panels. The length of the longitudinal ones is 210 cm, the length of one transverse one is 170 cm, and their height is the same - approximately 24-32 cm. Such panels take an average of 2.4 m. And the total footage for such a double bed is about 5 m.
- A chair with a wooden back – 1 m. To reupholster an upholstered chair you need 1.6-1.8 m.
To understand how many meters you need, also consider the type of upholstery fabric you will use.
How much fabric is needed for a corner sofa with a Euro-book layout mechanism
An example of calculations will be given for such a corner sofa “Danae”. You can purchase such a corner sofa on our website, choose the appropriate upholstery and place an order with delivery throughout Ukraine, our store manager will help you - call!
Let's return to the calculations of fabric consumption for a corner sofa. The overall dimensions of this particular model are 230cm by 152cm, with the sleeping area being 145*200cm.
Please note that fabric consumption depends on the fabric combination you choose and the need to match the fabric pattern.
Below we have presented a cutting map for the Danae corner sofa and divided it into four parts for ease of viewing. The cutting chart is made for fabric with a width of 140cm. The total fabric consumption for the “Danae” corner sofa was 12.6 m linear meters of plain fabric.
Features of fabric cutting
When calculating the cost of reupholstery, decide on the type of material and its pattern, because... fabrics have features that “pop up” when cutting. And this affects their consumption:
- Pile materials. When cutting a product with noticeable pile, for example, velor, keep in mind that the piles should be directed in one direction over the entire surface of the product. Such a distribution of patterns may result in an overrun of 10-15%.
- Fabric with a stripe or pattern directed in one direction. Furniture should be covered in one direction - lengthwise or crosswise, so an overrun of 20-25% is possible.
- Upholstery fabric with a large-sized ornament placed in the middle. When upholstering, large cuts are made so that the ornament “lies” in the center of the furniture. To reupholster a sofa or large chair, it is better to take 25-30% more upholstery.
Also, approximately 20% more upholstery fabric with symmetrical patterns will be required.
Assembly
Now you need to put the office chair back together.
The most difficult part of the job is fitting the parts correctly.
To do this, you need to do everything step by step, following the diagram for disassembling the chair, but performing the manipulations in the reverse order.
First you need to attach the armrests, then assemble the seat frame and secure it with screws.
After this, we assemble the backrest by simply snapping the protective back panel and the inner surface of the backrest together. The chair is ready!
Reupholstering an office chair at home is not at all difficult.
It is only important to choose the right material for the upholstery and take measurements. It is cheaper to do it at home yourself than to pay for repairs in a workshop. A refurbished chair will delight you for many years to come!
Benefits of using chair covers
A cover for a computer chair or upholstered furniture can radically change the interior, become its main element, and improve the atmosphere as a whole. It completely covers the furniture upholstery, giving it a neat look. To prevent the material from sliding off the armrests, it can be secured with additional decorative elements or ribbons.
Making a bedspread for classic furniture and a cover for a computer chair with your own hands has the following advantages:
- Saving money. There is no need to pay for the work of a professional seamstress, whose services are not cheap. In addition, you can choose a fabric that is affordable.
- Selecting suitable fabric and product design. Here the craftswoman has the right to realize all her fantasies within the chosen style. Additionally, she can decorate the cape with decorative elements.
- Acquiring new skills. Decorating your home is a fun activity. Having learned to sew, the housewife can refresh the interior more often.
- The manufacture of the case is strictly according to the parameters. There is no need to adjust the finished cape. The risk of altering the product and damaging the material is eliminated.
Chair covers not only decorate the furniture, but also protect it from dirt, damage by pets, and quick erasure of the original upholstery.
Is it possible without a pattern?
A cover sewn without a pattern may become slightly deformed and lose its proper appearance. That is why the cover for the chair should be sewn according to patterns, so that during the work you do not waste a large amount of material and, as a result, the cover looks high-quality and neat.
Seashell chair cover
Thus, sewing a cover for a car seat or home furniture is not difficult. Using the patterns provided on the Internet, in a couple of minutes you can make a drawing and sew a protective product for a chair, rocking chair, and even for a sofa element.
Recommendations and tips
Before starting work, you need to take a closer look at the room where the updated chair will stand, its interior, shades and the atmosphere that it can create after making a new cover. You should try to imagine a finished composition. All this will help in determining the color and material with which you will need to work.
When selecting fabric, it is important to pay attention only to durable material that will not deform during use. This choice can not only make it easier to grind the material, but will also serve to increase its use. In the case when sewing such a product is the first experience, it is advisable not to choose fabric with clear prints, large-sized designs and checkered patterns, since fitting it will be quite difficult and time-consuming.
Product for computer chair
For people who have little sewing experience, it is recommended to start by sewing a bedspread for a chair. This product will serve as a little practice before making a cover, which will be a little more complicated. An activity like this will help you get better at it, as well as understand all the stages of manufacturing.
