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How to update furnishings using fabrics

Here are a few things that you can do to update furnishings, using some material bought from a fabric supplier you might just find that you can save a lot of money by taking care of things yourself! There is no better feeling than that of pride - when you have created something yourself; something that is no less than beautiful. Take a look below for some inspiration and interior design ideas to get you started with fabric face-lifts, once you have got the hang of it - there is no telling what you could be capable of in the future.

Stage one

Update a headboard with a modern and refreshing patchwork design, using fabric colours and/or fabric patterns of your choice. Choose three or four different fabrics that co-ordinate with each other - this might be using one block colour such as white and then a couple of patterned fabrics with white background and patterns in accent colours to compliment the rest of your room. You can start from scratch with a piece of plywood approximately ¼ inch deep. Then, cut out 8 inch squares (or the size of your choice) from florist's foam.

Take some batting, cutting it to the same size of your squares and place over the foam, gluing the layers together. Your fabric will cover each square, but will need to have an extra ½ inch on either side so that it can be stapled around the back side of your foam and batting. Make rows of squares by placing them face down and attaching with some heavy duty tape - be sure that the length of each row is the same and that it will fit to the size of your plywood headboard. Lay the plywood on top of your squares now, drilling wood screws in every 7-10 inches to make sure it is secure. Your new headboard can now be attached to the wall using ring hooks – done!

Stage two

Next, you are going to give a regular wooden chair an update using some fabric facelift techniques. This will work when you can take away the back and the seat part of the chair. Taking some ½ inch foam, place the seat part on top and draw a line around it, after which you can cut out the foam and attach it to the chair seat using a spray adhesive. Your chosen fabric will be cut to the shape of this part too - only give it an extra 3 inches all around.

Wrap it around the seat part and make sure it is tight, securing at the back with heavy duty carpet tape. The chair back can be traced around paper, adding an inch around. Cut out two pieces of fabric according to your template and apply one to the chair back using spray adhesive. The second piece is pressed with the 1 inch extra folded under. You can use fusible webbing to attach it to the back of the seat and then all parts can be re-attached!

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