{"id":5920,"date":"2022-05-09T10:38:52","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T15:38:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.kovifabrics.com\/?p=5920"},"modified":"2024-07-27T22:06:29","modified_gmt":"2024-07-28T03:06:29","slug":"10-alternative-uses-for-upholstery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kovifabrics.com\/blog\/10-alternative-uses-for-upholstery\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Alternative Uses for Upholstery (Not on Furniture)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My mom has always been a real textile expert, and she loves upholstering her furniture in exotic textiles. When she decided to give me her old lounge suite, I was somewhat stuck as I didn\u2019t particularly like her colorful tribal upholstered sofas. The upholstery was high quality and in excellent condition, but I\u2019m more of a plain Jane. Now what? I needed to find some alternative uses for upholstery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting rid of high-quality upholstery fabric<\/a> is such a waste unless you can upcycle it to make something new that will give that upholstery a new life. That\u2019s just what I did, and I\u2019ve found some amazing alternative uses for upholstery fabric since.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10 Non-Furniture Uses for Upholstery Fabrics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Tribal Bags<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Making use of mom\u2019s tribal weave upholstered cushions, I managed to cut out enough fabric to make uber-cute teen girls\u2019 bags. The thicker-than-usual fabric is sturdy enough to carry all of a young lady\u2019s assorted personal effects in this colorful bag. Christmas was around the corner, so I managed to make one for each of the girls in the family, which was an absolute hit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Upholstery Fabric Baskets<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I still had some fabric left, so I combined it with a plain-colored fabric that picked up a medium tone from the upholstery fabric. With these two fabrics, I easily made some fabric baskets<\/a> to keep magazines in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Make a Rag Rug<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are several ways to make rag rugs. Essentially, all you will need is lots of scrap fabric, such as the upholstery covers that I ripped off Mom\u2019s sofas when I reupholstered them. Circular designs are popular, but you can also weave the upholstery fabric strips to create a more traditional square rug. I love this tutorial by Malena Skote Design<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Cover Useful Stuff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Upholstery fabric is sturdy and can be used for many things that don\u2019t have to be furniture items. Mom and I share a taste in colors, but I just don\u2019t want such overly colorful sofas. Happily, I could use her sofas\u2019 upholstery fabric to create upholstered boxes to store the kids\u2019 toys in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A friend also suggested that I use my mom\u2019s upholstery fabric for my old lampshades to create a nice focal point in the room. I love this idea I found to use the fabric for some amazing lamp shades<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Create Useful Stuff<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Upholstery fabric is also rub-resistant, making it an ideal choice for hardwearing useful items such as door stops that are weighted down with pea gravel or river sand in a plastic packet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can also use upholstery fabric to make a decoupage wall hanging artwork<\/a>. Simply purchase a canvas from the local art shop, then cut the fabric into narrow strips. Once the fabric is arranged in interesting lines, simply glue the strips down with modge podge for a wipe-friendly surface that requires no sewing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the strength of upholstery fabric, you can also use your upholstered covers to make a tote bag (or ten) to take with you<\/a> when shopping. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Cover Traditionally Non-Upholstered Furniture Items<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Furniture items can really get a new life if you use fabric in surprising ways. I delighted my daughter when I used granny\u2019s fabric to facelift her chest of drawers<\/a>. You can also try to \u201cupholster\u201d furniture sections, such as the back of a door or panels that decorate a furniture item such as a cabinet or chest. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Wallpaper With Upholstery Fabric<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Usually, if I were to consider wallpapering a wall with fabric, I\u2019d opt for a roll of nice and straight fabric, but upcycled upholstery fabric covers can be cut and decoupaged for smaller sections of wall you want to turn into a feature such as the panel of the wall above the fireplace. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extend this idea even further by using the upholstery fabric to upholster the backs of your shelves<\/a>. Making different tones of the same upholstery fabric by using different vegetable dyes can help you achieve a unique look. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. Fabric Book Covers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re looking to make the best gift for someone special, look no further than your upcycled upholstery fabric. This fabric is ideal for covering books, making stunning notebooks, and protective sleeves for special books like your family Bible or diary. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. Pet Beds<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your pets will also enjoy a sturdy bed that\u2019s made from quality upholstery fabric. As an added bonus, upholstery covers are already in a box shape when removed from sofa seat cushions. The boxed shape means you have very little sewing to do to make it into a pet bed<\/a>. Simply add a zip (if it doesn\u2019t already have one) and then fill it with loads of sturdy stuffing, and voila. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. An Apron<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

For extra splatter protection, a sturdy upholstery fabric can make for a great apron. Simply cut the leftover panels from your furniture item into the shape of an apron. Sew a hem around the apron edge, then add a few ties to secure the apron around your neck and waist. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Considerations When Upcycling Second-Hand Upholstery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before you grab the upholstery that comes off your grandma\u2019s sofa and start sewing, there are a few things to keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n