DiyProject

DIY Foot Stool Reupholstery: Give Your Furniture a Professional Makeover

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Are you looking to breathe new life into a tired piece of furniture? Whether it’s a vintage find with "character" (like dog-chewed legs!) or a worn-out favorite from your living room, boat, or RV, a DIY reupholstery project is the perfect way to customize your space. In our latest video, we tackle a challenging footstool transformation, proving that with the right approach and a few clever tricks, you can achieve professional results right at your own workbench.
Materials List:
  • Covington Fairway Upholstery Fabric
  • CushionRite Premium Upholster Foam
  • Brown Vegetable Tanned Leather
  • CushionRite Polyester Batting
  • CushionRite Spray Adhesive
  • Basting Tape
  • Bound Terracotta Bonded Polyester Thread
Tools List:
  • Staple Lifter
  • Staple Remover
  • Sailrite Clear Acrylic Ruler
  • Chalk Pencil
  • 60mm Rotary Cutter
  • Kai Professional Scissors 10”
  • Sailrite Ultrafeed LSZ Sewing Machine
  • Fabric Edge Match Pliers
  • Sailrite Blade Foam Saw
  • Sailrite Long Nose Upholstery Stapler
  • Stitching Chisel Set
  • Folding Utility Knife

Reupholstering a footstool might seem like a small task, but it’s the perfect project for mastering essential upholstery skills. In this video, we take a piece that’s seen better days - complete with straw stuffing and damaged wood - and turn it into a modern, stylish accent piece. This project is ideal for anyone looking to spruce up a patio, add custom comfort to a cruiser, or simply practice their sewing before tackling a larger sofa or helm seat.

Unique Techniques & Expert Tips One of the standout features of this build is how we handled the damaged legs. Instead of just sanding them down, we opted for a custom leather wrap using a clever masking tape templating trick. This technique allows you to create a perfect pattern for irregular shapes, which we then finished with a beautiful baseball stitch.

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A hand-stitched leather wrap adds a nice rustic finish.

We also dive deep into the teardown process. If you’ve ever struggled with old staples, you’ll love seeing our staple lifter and staple remover in action. They turn the most tedious part of the job into a breeze!

The Right Tools for the Job. At Sailrite, we believe that the right tools make all the difference between a frustrating afternoon and a successful DIY win. Throughout the video, you’ll see some of our favorite supplies in use:

  • Sailrite® Fabric Calculator: We skipped the "guesswork" of using old, gross fabric as a template and used this digital tool to get precise measurements for our new red upholstery fabric.

  • CushionRite® Premium Foam & Batting: We replaced the old straw with high-quality, medium-firm foam, cut to a perfect 90-degree angle using the Sailrite® Blade Corded Foam Saw.

  • Sailrite® Long-Nose Upholstery Staple Gun: This pneumatic powerhouse is designed specifically for upholstery, driving staples to the perfect depth without piercing your fabric.

Building Your Upholstery Skills. This project is a fantastic introduction to our "Platform Cushion" techniques. If you find yourself inspired by this footstool makeover, be sure to check out our larger furniture and marine upholstery series. From using SewReady™ Seamstick Basting Tape to keep your panels aligned to mastering the Fabric Edge Match Pliers for perfect tension, these skills are transferable to almost any sewing project.

Ready to see how we transformed those chewed-up legs into a leather-wrapped feature? Click the video above to watch the full process and get inspired for your next DIY adventure!

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