Re-covering a footstool is a fairly small job that can have a big impact on a room. With the huge variety of decorator and upholstery fabrics available, you'll be able to turn a utilitarian item into a decorative accent. Best of all, you can transform your footstool with a minimal investment of cash and time.
The Basics
A footstool has a cushioned top supported by legs, You can cover just the top or make a skirt for the legs, as well.
If you're not going to cover the legs, restain them or give them a fresh coat of paint before replacing the top. For a custom look, cut design elements from your fabric and decoupage them to the outsides of the legs.
Materials
You can use any durable fabric to re-cover a footstool. Upholstery fabrics work very well. Canvas, duck, heavyweight twill or tapestry are also good choices.
Along with fabric, you'll need a screwdriver, staple gun and staples, measuring tape, cushion foam and batting. If you're making a skirt, you'll also need a sewing machine.
Re-Covering a Footstool
Start by removing the top. Use a screwdriver to loosen the screws that connect the top to the base. If the top already has a fabric covering, press it flat with an iron. If the covering is leather or vinyl, smooth it out and weight the edges with heavy objects such as large cans of vegetables. Use the old covering as a pattern for the fabric, foam and batting.
If you don't have the original cover, place the top on a piece of cardboard or poster board and trace around it with a marker. Draw another line outside the first, about 3 inches away. Cut out the pattern along the outer line.
If you're making a skirt, measure the circumference of the stool top and multiply by 2 for gathering. Measure from the floor to the top of the frame and add 1 inch for stapling.
Lay the fabric wrong-side up. Set the top pattern on it and cut around it. Repeat this step with the batting and the foam.
Place the stool top on the piece of foam you just cut, centering it so that an even amount of foam extends beyond the top in all directions. Fold the foam over the stool top at any point and staple it. Move to a point directly opposite the first one, fold the foam over and staple it. Work around the top in this manner so that the foam doesn't skew in one direction. Since you're working with a circle, you'll need to make little tucks in the foam to take up the fullness.
Next, set the top on the piece of batting you cut out. Staple it in place in the same manner. Finally, set the top on the fabric, making sure that the fabric is right-side down and the top is centered on the wrong side of the fabric.Staple the fabric to the top.
Cut the skirt according to your measurements. Make the skirt by sewing a long basting stitch across the width of the skirt fabric, leaving long thread tails at the beginning and end. Pull on the thread tail at one end to gather the fabric. Adjust the skirt to fit the top, and sew the gathers in place. Hem the skirt on the bottom and sides. Staple the skirt to the base by folding an inch of fabric over the top of the frame, where you'll be putting the stool top. This way, the staples will be hidden. Replace the stool top and screw it on.
Tags: foam batting, foam over, making skirt