As you reupholster chair cushions, you will often find yourself covering corners with fabric. Ensuring proper coverage without unsightly wrinkles and tucks on corners presents a special challenge. The process differs slightly depending upon whether the corner is an inside corner or an outside corner. Proceed carefully as you recover a cushion so that your reupholster job looks attractive and stands up to years of wear and tear.
Start the task
Cut the upholstery fabric to fit the padded seat cushion, making the fabric approximately 7.5 cm (3 inches) larger on all sides.
Place the fabric on a flat work surface with the wrong side facing up and centre the cushion upside down on the fabric.
Stretch the fabric around to the backside of the cushion along the side edges and staple the fabric to the cushion with the staple gun. Staple the side edges of the fabric to the side edges of the cushion, stopping about 5 cm (2 inches) from each corner.
- Cut the upholstery fabric to fit the padded seat cushion, making the fabric approximately 7.5 cm (3 inches) larger on all sides.
- Staple the side edges of the fabric to the side edges of the cushion, stopping about 5 cm (2 inches) from each corner.
Inside corner
Make a diagonal cut in the corner of the fabric toward an inside corner of the cushion, stopping about 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the cushion.
Make two diagonal cuts 1.3 cm (1/2-inch) long from the first cut to finish the "Y" cut in the fabric. This will create a flap of fabric at the corner to cover the corner effectively. Repeat this "Y" cut at each corner.
- Make a diagonal cut in the corner of the fabric toward an inside corner of the cushion, stopping about 2.5 cm (1 inch) from the cushion.
- Make two diagonal cuts 1.3 cm (1/2-inch) long from the first cut to finish the "Y" cut in the fabric.
Pull the "Y" flap straight over the corner and staple it securely. Pull each edge of fabric on each side of the corner straight over the seat cushion and staple each to the backside of the cushion. Repeat the same process with each corner. This technique covers the inside corner completely.
Outside corner
Arrange the fabric at each outside corner so that the fabric fans out from the corner from the points where you already stapled the fabric to the backside of the cushion.
Cut off the fabric at a diagonal about 2.5 cm (1 inch) beyond the outside corner. This cuts the fabric at a 45-degree angle and removes a triangle corner of fabric.
Stretch the remaining fabric along the cut edge straight over the corner and staple it securely.
- Arrange the fabric at each outside corner so that the fabric fans out from the corner from the points where you already stapled the fabric to the backside of the cushion.
- Stretch the remaining fabric along the cut edge straight over the corner and staple it securely.
Wrap one side edge straight over the stapled fabric at the corner, pulling it tightly around the corner, and staple it securely.
Wrap the remaining side edge straight over the already stapled fabric and pull it tight to make the corner neat. Staple the fabric tightly.