The sofa is the heart of the home. It serves as an element of interior decor and helps to relax after a hard day at work. A sofa is not just a piece of furniture. It will certainly become the hallmark of the house and the center of attention of your guests.
In this article you will learn how to make a sofa with your own hands no worse, and perhaps better, than those sold in furniture stores. You will see what elements the sofa consists of and what materials are most often used in the process of its manufacture.
Do not forget that homemade furniture saves the lion's share family budget. If you decide, for example, to make a sofa yourself, its cost will be two or even five times lower than the market price!
However, this depends on the materials chosen and the specific design taken. A folding sofa will cost more, but if this is your first product, opt for the project described in this article - it is perfect for those who have set out to learn how to make upholstered furniture.
Make a sofa with your own hands - and you're on by example make sure there is nothing complicated about it!
So let's get started.
To work you will need the following materials and tools:
1. Tools:
- jigsaw. If you don’t have a jigsaw, it doesn’t matter: use a hacksaw, especially since it will also come in handy in the process of sawing bars;
- pneumatic furniture stapler. If you intend to make only one product, use a mechanical stapler - it will be cheaper;
- screwdriver;
- a grinder or plane for grinding down sharp corners of the frame;
- staple remover or sharp screwdriver;
- sharp knife for cutting foam rubber;
- scissors;
- a sewing machine for sewing together sofa upholstery elements;
- roulette.
2. Materials:
- bars with a cross section of 40-50 mm;
- plywood or any other affordable, durable and, if possible, lightweight sheet material;
- furniture foam rubber, 50 mm thick. You can purchase foam rubber, like many other materials, in a specialized online store “everything for furniture”;
- padding polyester or batting for additional softness of the frame and the product as a whole;
- furniture fabric;
- wood glue;
- strong thread for sewing upholstery parts;
- screws or furniture screws(if using the latter, you will need an electric drill);
- marker or pencil.
Let's get to work.
1. Frame
The basis of our sofa is the frame. It can be of any shape and size, but this article describes the simplest project, which can be made by a person inexperienced in production upholstered furniture.
The basis of the frame is wooden blocks and slats with a cross section of 40-50 mm or any other size that ensures the strength of the finished product.
Additional rigidity is given to the frame by the sheet materials with which it is sheathed - plywood, OSB, chipboard, fiberboard, etc. The inside of the frame is hollow, which makes it relatively light.
At home, the sofa frame is assembled using a screwdriver and self-tapping screws. The holes for the screws can be pre-drilled with a drill, and the screws themselves can be lubricated with wood glue when drilling.
Glue is also often used at the junction of wooden parts before they are connected using self-tapping screws. In this case, they are pressed against each other with clamps for a while.
In addition, when assembling the frame, it is convenient to use all kinds of angular and curved metal fasteners.
The length of our sofa will be 3 meters. It is quite roomy and consists of two equal parts - 1.5 m each. In the photo below you see one of them - left side sofa
2. Frame and mattress
The frame of the future mattress - the base of our sofa - is made of boards. For greater comfort, there is a binding made of furniture straps.
It is not difficult to do: first, the belts are fixed horizontally with a stapler, then the binding should be done and the belts are fixed perpendicularly - vertically.
The photo shows what we should get in the end. These are the two components of the mattress.
3. Back
The photo below shows the frame of the back of our sofa, covered with plywood. Please note that the frame itself is made of wooden blocks, and metal connectors are used to fasten the parts.
The back is hollow and light, making it easy to work with. Form in in this case as simple as possible - rectangular in profile. Without much effort, you can make it sloping by increasing the width at the base and decreasing the width of the frame at the top.
4. Side parts
By analogy with the back, we also make the side parts of the frame. It should be noted that the protruding bars that are visible in the photo will serve as a base for foam rubber in the future. But more on that later.
5. Pasting with foam mats
After assembling the frame, we proceed to installing the foam rubber.
Pieces of foam rubber required size and forms we paste over the top and front part of the back, as well as the inner surfaces of the side elements. We lay the foam rubber on the mattress on top of the binding.
The glue can be applied with a wide brush or used in aerosol form. Immediately after applying the layer of glue, press the foam rubber to the surface and leave for some time (usually no more than half an hour) until it sets.
6. Sintepon (batting)
In order to hide unevenness, smooth out sharp transitions and add volume, the back, sides and, if desired, the mattress are wrapped with padding polyester or batting.
Before proceeding to this stage, it is necessary to sand all the sharp corners of the frame so that the upholstery does not wear out and lasts as long as possible. This operation is carried out using a grinder, plane or just a large sandpaper.
7. Fabric upholstery.
Covers are usually sewn using ready-made patterns and templates. If there are none, you can make them yourself by applying and trying on the fabric to each of the elements of the sofa, be it the back or the pillow. Some of them can have zippers sewn into them for easy cleaning and washing.
The covers can be cut strictly according to the shape or gathered together and secured with a stapler in those places where the design allows.
As a last resort, sewing covers can be entrusted to specialists from the studio. Their design is very simple and inexpensive.
The interior of any modern apartment or private house involves the installation of upholstered furniture: a bed, an armchair or a sofa. Previously, it was assumed that the living room served as the place where the sofa would be placed. Today, developers present so many different types of sofas that, in their own way, functional characteristics and appearance, they can be located in almost any room, from the kitchen to the balcony.
A new owner of upholstered furniture often has the question of how to assemble a sofa with their own hands. The installation process itself does not require any special technical knowledge or skills. The complete set of any sofas implies the presence of a user manual, which details the mechanism of how to do this.
But one must take into account the fact that different shape and the filler of soft parts make certain adjustments to the overall picture of the assembly. Therefore, it is worth paying attention to what sofas can be.
Sofa shapes and types of filling
The following types are distinguished:
Straight is a popular option, often called a classic sofa. Finding the required dimensions of such a sofa to suit the room will not be difficult.
Corner is a roomy and L-shaped option that is practical, saves space by being placed in a corner, and also combines the function of a bed.
Modular is a representative of a new generation of upholstered furniture that does not have a fixed configuration. There are sections that are transformed and composed in accordance with the ideas of the owner of the sofa. At the same time, they can either be fastened together or simply placed next to each other.
In the production of soft parts, two types of fillers are used, defining the following varieties: spring sofas (with dependent and independent blocks) and foam rubber (they use polyurethane foam).
Spring sofas are heavier than foam sofas and during installation can cause a number of difficulties due to their weight.
Assembling a straight sofa
If, after purchasing a sofa, a decision was made to install it yourself, then a certain sequence of actions is necessary and a mandatory study of the sofa assembly diagram is necessary. First you need to carefully, without damaging the upholstery, remove each part from the packaging. After which it is recommended to simply leave them in this state for a while so that the material can “assimilate” the humidity and temperature conditions of the room.
At this time, you can check the quantity and quality of the accessories that come with the kit, and also prepare the required tools: screwdrivers, you may need a drill with drills of the required diameter, hexagons.
The next step is to screw the legs, if any. This needs to be done for the simple reason that when assembled the structure will be less agile and much heavier. In addition, it makes sense to free up space for further work so that all parts and tools are in sight.
The straight sofa includes the main frame and additional elements (back, armrests, decorative components).
The basic assembly process is carried out as follows:
We install the fasteners by aligning the holes and inserting bolts, self-tapping screws or screws into them as provided in the manual. Next, carefully twist them. Similarly, we connect the seat and back of the sofa. The design obtained at this step is the basis.
Then we install armrests and all decorative elements, if any, on the frame on both sides. There are cases where the mounting holes were not visible because they were hidden behind the upholstery. Then it should be carefully bent. The instructions should say this.
At the last step we check sliding mechanism, if the sofa is equipped with it. Its operation should proceed smoothly, without creaking or extraneous sounds.
It is important to remember that it makes sense to not tighten the internal fasteners all the way; later, if the sofa is not mounted correctly, it will be easier to disassemble it. However, after completing the work, we must not forget about tightening all fastening points.
Corner sofa and the nuances of its installation
Assembling a corner sofa involves connecting two or three parts, which are seats, backrests and a retractable part. Any specialist will recommend assembling the large elements of the sofa first, and then the small ones.
First of all, you need to familiarize yourself with the design of such a sofa. It can be right-handed or left-handed, one part of it is longer than the other, the folding mechanism itself is different models also different; The assembly sequence will depend on these facts.
The frame, armrests, seats and backrests are the parts of a corner sofa, the connection of which requires the following steps:
- First, the supports are attached to the base, corner sections and armrests using screws. Rollers are installed on the retractable part. All elements must be strictly recorded.
- Using screws, one of the armrests is connected to the corner section. It is necessary to check the stability of the fixed elements.
- The base section and backrest are installed, and the box is connected to the second armrest, after which the assembled structure is fastened to the corner section.
- The back wall is installed and fixed with the armrests. The stability of the resulting structure should be checked again.
- Finally, a roll-out mechanism is attached to the guides installed in the base part.
Exist corner sofas(Atlanta) complete with a table that is attached to the side and serves as an armrest. The Atlanta sofa is assembled in the following sequence: first, the transport fasteners are removed and the roll-out seat, secured with a special stop, is pulled out, the screws are unscrewed with a screwdriver.
Next, the armrest is aligned with the back of the sofa and secured with two hexagon screws. Then through metal corner The back of the ottoman box and its wall are secured with three screws. A bar table is screwed to the ottoman with two hexagon screws, which also serves as a second armrest. In this way, two modules are assembled, and subsequently they are tightened together with fasteners.
Assembling a modular sofa
Each furniture manufacturer has its own design of modular sofas; the only thing that remains unchanged is that they can be assembled and disassembled at your discretion. Another advantage of the modules is the fact that they themselves are often sold already assembled, and the buyer is given the opportunity to combine them at his discretion.
But if the sofa configuration requires a more complex module, you will need to do a number of additional steps taking into account the specifics of a particular model. Modular sofas come in two types: sectional and convertible.
The sectional option implies a rigid connection of ready-made modules, which the buyer chooses himself in the store. The possibility of combining exists precisely at the pre-sale stage, when they are considered various options layout. And here you may need sofa assembly drawings that reflect all the nuances of possible combinations. Then, already in place, the sofa is connected with fasteners and remains in this form permanently.
More interesting option is transformable modular system. The number of purchased sections is unlimited, then any design is formed from them. The initially purchased modular sofa, when rearranging the sections, can become a single bed or a set of armchairs. In addition, sections can be given a variety of geometric shape: square, rectangular, round, etc.
Thus, the process of assembling a sofa is quite a responsible task. But it can be done by anyone who has the time, the necessary tools and the desire to do it with their own hands. In any case, there is always the opportunity to contact professionals, assemblers from the company from which the sofa was purchased, or private individuals providing installation services.
Photo of the sofa assembly process
If the idea of creating a book shelf, a kitchen stool, or a bench for the garden with your own hands comes to every second home handyman, then not every one of them will decide to go to the sofa. And in vain. Simple designs such furniture is quite affordable for self-made. Moreover, this does not require any special skills or special tools. Only time, desire and patience. You don’t even need to know how to sew to make covers. Of course, it all depends on the chosen model.
Some, on the contrary, require tailoring skills and do not involve the use of construction tools. In a word, make a sofa for the apartment, country house or a gazebo can be used by anyone. Especially if he has detailed instructions before his eyes.
Don't believe me? Then read this article carefully and be sure to watch the video.
Unusual do-it-yourself sofas
People who are creative, courageous, and who prefer non-standard solutions Before picking up a hammer or jigsaw, you should carefully look around. Perhaps their free imagination will suggest how they can use a variety of things and objects as the basis for a designer sofa.
Let's give a few examples.
Transformable sofas without frame
Several thick pieces of foam rubber, square or rectangular shape can be turned into cozy upholstered furniture. To do this, you need to sew covers on them from a suitable fabric with zippers for easy washing. One part of the resulting soft modules will become seats, the second – backs.
If you sew strips of double-sided Velcro on the sides of such modules, you can use them to assemble sofas of different configurations - straight, corner, U-shaped. Or unfold to create a spacious sleeping place.
Prices for various types of corner modular sofas
Corner modular sofa
If you need a higher sofa, we stack the modules on top of each other. If you want to retire in a chair, we tear one module off the sofa and take it to a quiet corner. In general, there are a lot of options. The only drawback The problem is that you can lean on the back of such a sofa only if it is against the wall.
Sofa made from construction pallets
Not everyone is comfortable using too low frameless furniture. The option described above can be improved by using ordinary pallets to create the base of the sofa - wooden construction pallets for transporting bricks and other materials.
And here again you will need a little imagination to come up with a convenient design from the available parts. Pallets can be disassembled into individual boards and used, but this is not necessary. It is enough to assemble a sofa frame with a back and armrests from them, fasten all the elements together with nails or self-tapping screws, and then cut out the parts from foam rubber in accordance with the resulting dimensions. As in the previous case, they are covered with fabric. And they are secured in place either with the same Velcro or with rubber bands.
Mini sofa made of chairs
Several chairs fastened together are a ready-made frame for a small sofa that can be placed in the kitchen or on the terrace. Of course, it needs some finishing and decoration, and here too you can give free rein to your imagination.
Cast iron bath sofa
If you decide to replace your old metal bathtub with a modern acrylic one, do not rush to throw it away. From old bath You can also get a sofa, and a very unusual one that will surprise all your guests.
Of course, this idea is not suitable for everyone, and for various reasons.
- Firstly, the work ahead will be long, dusty and quite difficult.
- Secondly, the furniture with small dimensions will turn out to be very heavy if the bathtub is cast iron, and unusually cold.
- And thirdly, such a sofa will not fit into every interior.
Sofa from the movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's"
If none of the above scares you, let's get started.
- After dismantling the bathtub, we outline a smooth outline of the front part of the sofa on one of the walls.
- Cut out the excess part with a grinder.
Prices for angle grinders (grinders)
Angle grinders (grinders)
- Having replaced the cutting wheel with a grinding wheel, use the same grinder to smooth and level the cut.
- We remove the legs and thoroughly clean them and the bath itself, if necessary using chemicals or grinding tool. It is necessary to achieve a flat and relatively smooth surface.
Sanding from the inside. Puttying uneven edges
- Then we putty on rough defects and cover the bathtub with primer.
- We paint it in the desired color, applying several layers of paint, drying and sanding each layer.
- We install the bathtub on restored and painted legs.
- We make a mattress from foam rubber covered in a cover, sew small pillows under the back - and the sofa is ready.
Video - Making a sofa from a bathtub
How to assemble a traditional sleeper sofa
In our small apartments the sofa often serves as a sleeping place, if not for the owners, then for the guests staying overnight. Therefore, it should unfold when necessary and fold again for convenience and space saving.
Such furniture is not so easy to make and requires the installation of special mechanisms, but it can also be made at home.
Material selection
The sofa, if we consider it in parts, consists of a frame, filling, upholstery and a folding mechanism. Let's figure out what material can be used for each part.
Table. Options for materials used
| Material | Description |
|---|---|
| As a rule, they are used to make the frame, support posts, legs, armrests and other decorative elements. There are also completely wooden frames, especially if we're talking about about hard sofas in the form of a bench with a back for the street or a gazebo. In upholstered furniture, in which the base is practically invisible under the upholstery, their use is impractical both from a financial and practical point of view due to their heavy weight. | |
| Inexpensive, durable and very easy to use material with low weight. It is used to line frame frames and make drawers. High quality plywood of good thickness can also be used as a facing material. | |
| The main advantage is the low price. Disadvantages: instability to moisture, low strength, heavy weight. Sofas with such a frame turn out to be very heavy. If they are made from chipboard visible details structures use laminated chipboards. |
| Externally, this material is similar to chipboard, but surpasses it in many ways. He's stronger, he's not afraid high humidity, does not emit harmful substances, is easy to process, but also costs more. Depending on the exterior finishing, can imitate different breeds wood and other natural and artificial materials. |
The softness and elasticity of the sofa is given by the filler located between the frame and the outer upholstery. Typically, foam rubber, padding polyester, batting, and special springs are used.
Requirements to upholstery material simple: it must be durable and wear-resistant. Otherwise, there are no restrictions, you can choose flock, tapestry, artificial or natural leather, etc.
Fastenings may require screws, furniture screws, small nails or staples. As well as special fittings.
Prices for different types of upholstery fabric
Design selection
If you are making a sofa for your home yourself and have no experience in such work, it is better not to take on complex designs, but to choose something simpler. For example, a folding sofa or a Eurobook.
Preparation of materials and tools
To purchase required quantity materials and decide on their appearance, you need a drawing of the future sofa with dimensions. In our case we use:
- pine bars with a section of 40x40 mm;
- fiberboard sheets;
- plywood sheets;
- chipboard panels;
- boards;
- dense and thick furniture foam;
- upholstery fabric;
- self-tapping screws;
- furniture legs or wheels;
- glue for gluing foam rubber to the frame.
To work you need the following tool:
- jigsaw for cutting workpieces;
- plane;
- screwdriver;
- stapler with staples;
- knife and scissors;
- tape measure and pencil.
Prices for popular models of jigsaws
Jigsaw
Note. Sewing machine for sewing a cover - a tool is desirable, but not required. You can cover the sofa with fabric without it. What is important for those who do not know how to sew.
Assembling the box
Let's start with a box, the walls of which will be made of chipboard. You will need 4 panels - two short (about 60 cm) for the sides and two long (150-160 cm) for the front and back wall. The width is selected depending on the desired depth of the box. Optimally 15-25 cm.
Step 1. First, we screw the legs and the timber guide to the sides using self-tapping screws.
Step 2. Then we assemble the frame of the box, placing all the parts on a flat surface and screwing the back and front to the legs. A spacer beam needs to be secured in the middle of the frame.
Step 3. Having turned the box bottom down, we attach a short block under the central spacer, to which we will subsequently screw one of the hinges. Using small self-tapping screws, we sew the plywood bottom to the box, having previously cut out the corners of the plywood for the legs. Be sure to check the equality of the diagonals.
Assembly frames for seat and back
They will be assembled from timber. The assembly algorithm is the same for each element.
Step 1. Using self-tapping screws, twist a rectangle to the size of the seat. To make the frame strong, we reinforce the two outer cross members at the edges with small pieces of bars.
Step 2. We check the diagonals and screw the plywood to the frame.
Step 3. We install additional cross members into the frame at regular intervals. Two of the intermediate crossbars of the backrest must coincide in level with the position of the drawer legs, since the outer hinges will be attached to them.
Step 4. The seat frame is ready, but on the back frame you need to sew a fiberboard sheet cut to size on the back side.
On the left is the back frame, on the right is the seat frame
Video - Assembling the box
Video - Frame assembly
Making legs
Before finishing the sofa seat, you need to make two legs for it (you can skip this step if you purchased the fittings in a store). To do this, we grind down the corners of the block with a plane and paint the rounded part with a dark stain to match the color of the upholstery.
We wrap the middle square part of the leg with synthetic padding and upholstery fabric, which are secured with a stapler. We leave the upper part open for fastenings, and stuff a piece of felt onto the supporting part of the leg.
The fabric is turned inside out, fastened along the upper edge, and then the edges of the fabric are fixed with staples
Assembly and covering of the frame with plywood
Step 1. We cut out a drawer from plywood or chipboard with a length equal to the length of the seat and a width of at least 150 mm. We apply it to the seat frame and make marks on both sides of each block.
Step 2. Using the markings, we cut out grooves 40 mm deep (the thickness of the block), install the drawer perpendicular to the base and attach it to the long block of the frame with self-tapping screws.
Step 3. Flush with the frame, we install the previously made legs on the frame, secure them with self-tapping screws and reinforce the fastening with a through bolt.
Step 4. From the remnants of plywood we cut out the shaped sidewalls for the seat and screw them to the sides of the frame, covering the end of the drawer and the base of the leg.
Video - Seat assembly
The frame is ready, it's time to do the upholstery work. Let's start again with the drawer, its front and side panels. There is no need to trim the back, it will not be visible. It is also not necessary to use foam rubber; it is enough to cut a strip of fabric a little wider than the depth of the box, so that there is enough for the hem, and use a furniture stapler to shoot it to the walls.
Prices for the model range of pneumatic staplers
Pneumatic staplers
Video - Drawer upholstery
Making a soft back and seat from foam rubber
In our case, its thickness is 40 mm, the filling will consist of two layers.
Advice. The density of foam rubber must be at least 30 kg/m3. Material of a lower density is too loose and soft; sleeping on such a mattress will be uncomfortable.
Step 1. When cutting foam rubber, make allowances of 2 cm on all sides except one long one.
Foam rubber with thread markings
Vide - How to cut foam rubber
Video - Foam rubber on the seat
Video - Seat upholstery
Step 2. And stick it on the base in the same way - with overhangs. First glue one sheet of foam rubber to the plywood of the back or seat, then glue the second one on top of it.
Step 3. Then cut strips from the remains to line the ends and sides and glue them.
Attaching the next layer of foam rubber
All that remains is to sew and put a cover on the sofa, securing it at the bottom and back with furniture staples using a stapler. If this is not possible, it is quite possible to get by with just one stapler, stretching the fabric, putting it in folds in the corners and shooting as often as possible.
Video - Back upholstery
The assembly of the sofa is completed by screwing three hinges to the back panel of the drawer, one of which will be attached in the middle under the central tension bar of the drawer, and the two outer ones to its legs.
Video - Assembling a sofa
The second shelf of loops is screwed to the lower part of the back. To do this, the sofa is first installed in the unfolded position, and markings are made, determining their position on the rear plane of the backrest.
This is not to say that creating a sofa with your own hands is a simple task. But it is completely solvable, and you could see for yourself. The advantages of this solution are significant cost savings and the opportunity to get upholstered furniture that fits perfectly into the interior of the house in design and size. And, of course, a justified sense of pride in yourself and your abilities.
Read about it on our website. such furniture will fully suit everyone necessary requirements, and also ideally suits the child's room in size and design. And most importantly, you can make interior items from materials that meet all your wishes and, first of all, the level of environmental friendliness and safety.
The product market offers a huge amount of upholstered furniture of different models and configurations in any price category. But often in the interior of a room you want to have an original product in an unusual design. Making upholstered furniture with your own hands is an entertaining process that will not only save money, but also implement individual configuration ideas, as well as appearance products. So what is important to know when creating an exclusive piece of upholstered furniture?
For high quality workmanship For upholstered furniture, you will need various building materials and tools that will allow you to independently make the desired model. First, you need to decide what material the components of the product frame will be made of. There are several options for what upholstered furniture is made from:
- Chipboard (chipboard) - a panel made of pressed shavings, sawdust - is wear-resistant and durable;
- Laminated particle board(LDSP) – the facing side of a pressed wood panel covered with a special film – is resistant to environmental factors (temperature changes, increased humidity), mechanical damage during use;
- Fiberboard (Fiberboard) is a fibrous material with a fine structure. Has good thermal insulation and is used as structural elements back or bottom parts of furniture;
- Plywood is a material that consists of glued wood sheets of different thicknesses, is easy to process, is strong and durable;
- Tree - natural wood characterized by strength, environmental friendliness, durability during use.
When making upholstered furniture, you need to pay attention to the question of how to make the body yourself and cover the product with fabric. Therefore, you will need tools designed to both work with building materials, and with fabric:
- Hand tools - used for preparatory stage in the manufacture and assembly of upholstered furniture;
- Electric tools – necessary for sawing and processing materials;
- Additional tools – devices for working with upholstery fabric.
In addition to the material that serves as the basis of the body, you should have a number of building elements on hand:
- Filling – foam rubber, padding polyester, batting;
- Upholstery fabric – artificial leather, genuine leather, microcorduroy, polyester, flock;
- Boards and beams.
When making upholstered furniture with your own hands, a sufficient number of materials and tools are used. First, you need to decide on the design model of the product in order to make a list with a set of required accessories. This will allow you to stock up on the most necessary tools. For creating original style in appearance Upholstered furniture can use various decorative elements.
Filler
Manufacturing technology
How to make upholstered furniture is the main question in the DIY process, which needs to be taken seriously. When creating a soft product, several principles should be taken into account that will help achieve the desired result:
- Choose durable materials, reliable fittings, high-quality filling, wear-resistant upholstery fabric;
- Consider the shape of the product being manufactured: it should be simple to avoid exhausting work and the consumption of a huge amount of materials;
- The design must be functional, ergonomic, and convenient;
- Decide on the material and design of upholstery fabric for furniture harmonious combination with the interior of the room.
To make furniture that will last long years, need to be given Special attention, both the process of assembling the body and the choice of filler material and external upholstery. Creation quality product requires strict adherence to production technology.
Measurements and drawing creation
Measuring and calculating product parameters are the main points of the preparatory stage in creating furniture. The quality and ease of use of the design depends on this. How to make upholstered furniture beautifully and efficiently with your own hands? There is a certain algorithm of actions that will help you competently organize the start of work:
- Measure the parameters of the room in which the future piece of upholstered furniture will be placed;
- Measurements are drawn up graphically;
- Prepare drawings and sketches of the future product for clarity;
- Draw up a diagram of cutting, processing, fastenings components.
Measurement involves a graphical representation of the main dimensional parameters of the room and the nuances in the interior of the placement of the future product: skirting boards, radiators, ledges, window sills. Based on the measurements, the stage of drawing up a drawing begins: independently thinking through the dimensions of the component parts of the furniture and design features. When making a complex structure, draw up a sketch in several projections and planes at once. A roughly drawn up sketch is the basis for designing a product model. With the help of special furniture programs(for example, PRO-100) you can design the final version in compliance with all overall proportions. Detailed graphic designs indicating the parameters will help you select materials for self-production of the required sizes.
We take measurements of the room
Making a general drawing
Making a diagram of the components
Creating parts and frame
Creating furniture with your own hands at home requires making the frame and preparing the parts. To do this, you will need pre-drawn diagrams with accurate measurement data. Part markings are applied to the selected material from which the furniture frame will be made. The basis of the body is wooden supports in the form of beams or slats of the required size to create a product of the desired shape. To give the frame rigidity and an ergonomic shape, you can sheathe it with thin sheet materials.
After careful measurements, the blanks are cut out - the components of the frame for upholstered furniture using an electric jigsaw or saw. After receiving the finished parts, it is necessary to connect them together to ensure that the parts are tightly joined. If the first time it was not possible to produce elements that form a single structure, you need to correct the discrepancies until the final match.
After cutting out the frame parts, you need to start choosing the type of connection of the parts. At the stage of creating the body of the product, it is important to pay attention to the processing of parts in order to avoid sharp corners protruding and causing discomfort during future use. For a longer service life of upholstered furniture, it is necessary to choose reliable connecting materials:
- Ties: furniture corner, confirmat, eccentric tie, rod;
- Self-tapping screws;
- Screws;
- Wood glue.
At the stage of creating the frame, you need to follow a certain algorithm:
- Cover the parts of the structure that are to be upholstered with the selected fabric;
- Prepare a filler that is selected in accordance with the model of upholstered furniture, as well as upholstery fabric;
- Start assembling the structure.
Making blanks
Cut out the required filler sizes
We cover furniture with fabric
Assembly
Assembling parts and components is the main stage in creating upholstered furniture with your own hands. There are several stages of production:
- Base assembly;
- Back assembly;
- Assembling the side parts;
- Assembly of frameless furniture.
Important details of the base of upholstered furniture are the crossbars, which are connecting elements designs. To assemble the frame of the product at home you will need electric tool- screwdriver with self-tapping screws. It is important to stock up on wood glue, which will help in the process of joining wooden parts and lubricating the elements for a tight connection. For convenient assembly of the furniture body, you can use various corner or curved brackets and metal fasteners. When assembling the base you need:
- Make holes for the screws using a drill in the designated places to make work easier;
- Attach plywood to the bottom of the base;
- After connecting all the parts, sand the furniture frame, polish it, and, if necessary, varnish it.
Backrest prepared in advance from required material according to the drawn up drawing, it is fixed to the frame of the product using connecting fasteners or wood glue. The side parts and armrests are attached to the body of the product using connecting fasteners.
Frameless upholstered furniture or special shape It is very easy to assemble soft toys with your own hands: the filling from any material needs to be given a certain shape. It must be sheathed or secured using zippers or a stapler with pre-cut upholstery fabric. If the product consists of several parts, then they are fastened according to the configuration.
If the installation of lamellas is not provided, then all parts of the product can be wrapped before fitting. soft material made of foam rubber, padding polyester or batting to smooth out irregularities, protrusions and sharp corners.
Base assembly
Assembling the side parts
We create frameless furniture
Installation of slats and supports
After connecting the parts of the furniture body, you need to proceed to the base, which can be made of any wood material. The frame of a soft object, for example, a sofa or bed, cannot do without installing lamellas - horizontal panels that create additional comfort. There are a number positive points use of lamellas:
- Ensure uniform load distribution on the product;
- Give furniture ergonomic properties;
- Guaranteed natural ventilation mattress.
Curved wooden or bamboo panels are used as slats. The slats need to be secured across or along the bottom of the furniture frame using special holders and fasteners, the production of which can be made of plastic, metal or rubber. For reliable fixation, you can use self-tapping screws. The slats can be installed in holes prepared in advance in the side parts of the base frame. When fixing the lamellas to the frame of the product, you need to pay attention to their location relative to each other: the norm is 7 panels per meter of base.
The frame of the product with slats can be fixed to support legs for maximum stability and to prevent mechanical damage to the floor. There are several types of supports depending on the quality of the material used and design:
- Plastic supports;
- Wheel supports;
- Decorative supports;
- Hidden supports.
Slats and supports are additional elements in the design of upholstered furniture, ensuring reliability and practicality during use.
We fix the holders
We fix the slats with the holders
Upholstery
The choice of material and covering with upholstery fabric is an important step in creating upholstered furniture. Upholstery can vary in material composition, quality, and color. It is necessary to follow a certain algorithm of actions so that the result meets expectations:
- Choice of upholstery material, cape, filler;
- Calculation of the quantity of materials;
- Tightness.
The material of upholstery fabric depends on the quality, degree of softness, wear resistance and maintenance principles. The filler differs in degree of hardness and density. Cotton fabric will be required as the material between the upholstery and the filling. The quantity is selected in accordance with the drawing, but it is better to increase the footage in reserve.
There is a sequence of actions in the tightening process.
- First, the cotton and upholstery fabric must be cut to the size of the parts of the product in accordance with the joining parts, and sewn;
- It is necessary to fix the filler around the entire perimeter of the product using a construction stapler, and the upholstery fabric using connecting parts at the bottom. The fabric must be secured in a taut state.
Upholstery fabric is a labor-intensive process that requires attention to detail. The size of the material must exactly match the dimensions of the component elements of the body, back and side parts.
Choosing fabric
We attach the filler
We fasten the upholstery with a stapler
Decoration
Decorating is a creative process that requires a sense of taste and style. You can decorate both the external parts of the product frame and the upholstery fabric. There are several interesting materials on how to update and decorate upholstered furniture:
- Glizal;
- Acrylic paints;
- Decor of upholstery fabric.
Glizal is a type of transparent varnish or paint of any shade, characterized by its absence of odor and easy application. Before application, the surface of the product must be cleaned and degreased. On a flat part of the product, previously primed, apply glisal, proportionally diluted with water. Some time after applying the glitz, images and drawings are applied using a wet sponge or hard brush.
By using acrylic paints You can decorate the side or supporting parts of upholstered furniture. Before applying paint, the surface must be cleaned and degreased. Varied color schemes will allow you to create a real masterpiece. Photos of furniture alterations are impressive. The color and design of the upholstery should look harmonious with the interior of the room. Upholstery fabric on final stage can be supplemented with embroidered appliqués from any material or subjected to reupholstery to form a carriage texture.
Decorating is an individual process of creating a unique style in the design of upholstered furniture. External design is the calling card of the product.
Making upholstered furniture at home is a labor-intensive process. Required Tools and materials for manufacturing, following the algorithm of actions, the right technology production is the key to a positive result. Don't be afraid to make your dreams come true!
Upholstery fabric decor
Painting the armrests
Today, the upholstered furniture market is abundantly filled with various offers. But sometimes you really want something special, made with your own hands. By choosing this path, you can make furniture of the size and design you need, and save money.
Sofa size chart.
So how to make a soft sofa with your own hands? Let's figure it out, because a DIY sofa is a task that almost everyone can do.
The first stage is preparatory
How to make a sofa with your own hands? This question interests many. The design of a sofa is quite complex for beginners in creating furniture, so before you start making it, you need to carefully study all the nuances and features relating to the production of such furniture.
First you need to make a drawing of the future sofa on paper. All its components must be drawn on paper indicating the exact dimensions and other characteristics. High quality and detailed project the future sofa is the key to simple and quick work on its manufacture. Standard option sofa means its length is 1.9 m, but the height of the back, counting from the floor, is about 0.8 m. Please note that the height of the seat itself (excluding the size sofa cushions) should correspond to a value of approximately 0.3 m.
Before answering the question: how to make a sofa, you need to figure it out constituent elements. What does a regular sofa consist of? This:
Scheme of the side of the sofa.
- Frame construction.
- Armrests or railings.
- Sofa legs.
- The back of the sofa.
- And the seat itself.
Everyone understands that the basis of any type of furniture is a frame structure. The service life of your furniture, in our case a soft sofa, will depend on how it is made. That is why experts advise choosing for frame installation only those materials that have high quality. And also, pay attention to the dimensions of the frame structure, since during operation, if even minor errors are made, problems may arise regarding the deformation and deflection of the sofa you made.
What else should you pay attention to when making furniture? These are her legs. They are the main support of a sofa, but sometimes the design features allow them to perform an exclusively decorative function. In this case, the entire load falls on the frame. The legs of the sofa are made from balusters. Usually oak is chosen. These legs look great in almost any design. In addition to its aesthetic appearance, this material has fairly high strength, which is also important.
How to make a sofa: preparing what you need for work
So, to make a sofa with your own hands, you will need:
Sofa reupholstery scheme.
- Chipboard and fibreboard;
- beam;
- plywood;
- foam rubber, synthetic winterizer, etc.;
- fabric for upholstery;
- furniture glue;
- nails, screws, etc.
This is about materials. They must be selected taking into account quality and safety for human health. The best option for purchase is a well-established construction market in your city. And now a few words about tools. All you need is:
- electric jigsaw;
- drill and screwdriver;
- sewing machine;
- scissors and knife;
- stapler for furniture;
- hammer.
Having prepared all of the above, you can safely begin manufacturing the frame structure. This is one of the stages that allows you to answer the question of how to make a sofa yourself?
Sectional diagram of a soft sofa.
Using previously prepared drawings, you first need to make the base of the sofa. It is cut out either from plywood or wooden shields, which remained from some old furniture. If you chose plywood, then you will need an electric jigsaw for the job. With its help, you can easily and quickly make a base of the shape and size you need.
Very often in furniture production complex shape its base is cut out of several parts, which are subsequently connected to each other.
Having finished making the base of the future sofa, you can proceed to assembling the frame structure. It will consist of racks and partitions. The racks will be vertical, the partitions will be horizontal. Don't forget that the height of your sofa should be calculated in advance. This indicator should be chosen based on the purpose of the furniture and the place in which it will be located. If this is a sofa for the kitchen, then its height will be slightly higher than usual, since dining while sitting on low furniture is very uncomfortable. But a sofa for a living room or bedroom implies a lower height, since its purpose is relaxation.
Sofa upholstery scheme.
At the next stage, the frame structure is covered with plywood. Its installation is carried out using adhesive composition, in addition, self-tapping screws are used. The space created inside is very suitable for storing bed linen.
So, the frame is assembled, now it’s time to start making the back of the sofa. If your sofa is ordinary and is not folding or other movable structure, then installation work for attaching the backrest are carried out using the same method described above. It is clear that the back should match the size of the base of the sofa. The block in the upper and lower parts of the back should correspond to a size of 9 cm. But the length of the vertical parts is usually about 45 cm, while the width of each part is about 6 cm. To properly fasten the back to the base, metal corners are used.
As for the angle of inclination, here you can choose the option that is convenient for you.
Making a sofa comfortable is very simple, you just need to choose a position that is comfortable for you.
Transition to covering the sofa structure
Now we have everything ready, all parts of the sofa are assembled, which means it’s time to make soft furniture parts. Don’t forget to pre-treat the frame with sandpaper, then paint it in the color you want or apply a layer of colorless varnish.
Using furniture fabric and foam rubber, you need to make two bases, the thickness of which will be approximately 20 cm. As for other dimensions, for example, the width and length of these parts, you need to proceed from the parameters of your frame. More precisely, you need to take the parameters of the back of the sofa and the base as a basis. In order for foam rubber to serve you for a long time, it needs to be wrapped in padding polyester, so it will be much less subject to wear. You can connect two soft parts together using a stapler or sewing a zipper between them (preferably a detachable one).
After this, you need to attach the prepared pillows to the base of the sofa. For these purposes, so-called Velcro tape is used. If you have excess fabric, foam rubber and other materials left, you can additionally sew beautiful sofa cushions. They look beautiful in the interior, creating coziness, and are very functional during relaxation.
Scheme of forming a sofa on a spring block.
When doing work on upholstering a sofa, you need to listen to some advice from professionals, then during the work you will not have any problems and will not have to start all over again. So:
- Before you start cutting, you must carefully measure all the details of the structure. Do not forget that you need to add a couple of centimeters to the obtained parameters to make seams.
- In order to determine the amount of fabric more accurately (to save money), you can first lay out the cutting details on paper. Don’t forget that you need to take into account both the pattern and the direction of the pile, if any. If these are seat parts, then the direction of the pile should be from the back, and vice versa on the back parts. If you choose a fabric with a large pattern, such as stripes, then most likely you will have to adjust the pattern, and this will take a significant amount of material. So be sure to purchase extra fabric.
- Do not cut all the parts at once, as some nuances may be revealed during the work. First cut and sew one of the parts, and after that, after evaluating the result and making the necessary adjustments, you can continue working. For example, some furniture fabrics tend to be pulled in one direction or in both, some, on the contrary, are absolutely not subject to this. All these points must be taken into account both when cutting and when directly upholstering the sofa.
Summing up the above
Now you know how to make a soft sofa with your own hands. Agree, despite the complex design, the work on its manufacture can be done independently. And the result of the work done will certainly please not only you and your family members, but also guests who will be able to appreciate your work after spending the evening in your home.
Don’t be afraid to do something wrong, because experience only brings benefits, and by gaining it, you become a truly professional master who can perform any, even the most complex, tasks.
