Posts Tagged ‘upholstery instruction’
Spruce Upholstery Tip: Organizing Your Workspace
A clean and organized workspace makes an efficient one. I have to take breaks throughout the day to tidy my area and gather all of my hand tools that mysteriously walk off. As you might imagine, there are many tools and materials I use throughout the day, so it would be unfair for me to…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Staple Lengths
Upholstery staples come in several different lengths. The most commonly used lengths are 1/4″, 3/8″ and 1/2″. I like to keep a box of each at my station at all times so I can quickly swap out sizes when working on different parts of a project. Let me elaborate on how I use each of these staples…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Reinforcing Panel Nails
If you are unfamiliar with upholstered panels, let me give you a short explanation of how they work. Panels are often used to cover the front of arms or sides of backs on furniture pieces such as wingback chairs and camelback sofas. A panel nail is first punched through the bare panel before it’s covered in Dacron…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: How to Protect Fabric When Using Ply Grip
Ply Grip (a.k.a. Pli-Grip, Flex Trim, and Curve Ease) is a nifty invention that helps create professional looking, clean, smooth edges for all your projects. It can be a little tricky when working with thinner fabric, as the metal of the Ply Grip will sometimes cut through delicate fabrics. Naturally, I have a quick solution for…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Creating a Smooth Edge on Damaged Furniture
Sometimes the stripping process can take quite a toll on your furniture. Even the smallest of missing chunks will be noticeable when the fabric is pulled around the edge, especially when using a thinner fabric or a fabric with a sheen. In these scenarios, fear not! I have a very simple solution that will help…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Create Your Own Welt Cord Stick
Sometimes we work on projects that require miles of welt cord. Making a welt cord stick can help you quickly draw your welt cord on fabric. Let me show you how! We use Masonite to make our welt cord sticks because it is durable, light, and doesn’t splinter. You can easily find Masonite at your…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Hanging Velvet
Tip time! At Spruce, we often cut out many or all of the fabric pieces for a project before we start upholstering, which helps us be efficient with our time. When working with fabrics that crease or scar when folded, such as velvet and leather, it’s handy to set up a spot where you can…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: How to Position Pleats
This week, I had a couple of projects which required some pleating here and there, so I thought this would be the perfect time to share some suggestions about making pleats. The number one goal when making a pleat is not to create a “crumb catcher.” There are two simple ways to prevent this upholstery…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Making a Felt Tip Hammer
Sometimes you’ll find that your DIY upholstery project may include decorative nail head trim. Traditionally, a nylon-tipped tack hammer is the best tool for this job because of its lightweight and non-abrasive tip. If you find yourself in a pinch or you’re not ready to invest in this specialty tool, use this easy one-step tip. To…
Read MoreSpruce Upholstery Tip: Padding Sawhorses
Reupholstering can be rough on furniture. With all of the flipping and turning that goes on, it’s all too easy to nick the finished wood or painted surfaces by accident. Luckily, this problem can be solved by padding your sawhorses. Here’s a quick and easy tutorial to make your sawhorses furniture safe and super cute.…
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