How To Cover A Leather Sofa With Fabric: 2 Steps

If you want to know how to cover a leather sofa with fabric, you only need to do two steps. First, we will discuss the proper upholstery removal and then how you can install the new fabric cover. This article also touches on some common FAQS about leather sofas and potential tricks to restore them with covers. 

But before we start, we encourage that you check your current leather upholstery. Perhaps getting it covered is unnecessary. If you’re only dealing with minor damages, try this guide on how to repair a tear in a leather sofa.

How To Cover A Leather Sofa With Fabric

 

How To Cover A Leather Sofa With Fabric The Easiest Way

 

Step 1. Remove the current leather upholstery

  • Remove all the accessories and other items on the leather sofa
  • Assess your leather sofa to know how its upholstery is installed
  • Prepare the tools you’ll need for the previous upholstery removal, such as staple pullers or tack pullers
  • Remove the bottom cover and start removing the staples that hold the leather carefully  
  • Take your time removing the current leather material since some sofas can use several layers
  • Use the removal as an opportunity to know where the leather attaches onto the couch as the placements can guide you later
  • As much as possible, don’t tear the leather material because you can use it as your stencil for the new fabric sofa cover

Step 2. Prepare and install the new fabric cover

  • Cut the new fabric according to the dimensions and shape of the leather you removed
  • Staple the new fabric onto the sofa using the clues you remembered for its placement when removing the leather upholstery
  • Pull the fabric snugly as you install it to ensure that the finish won’t look wrinkly
  •  Reattach the dust cover underneath the sofa after you finish stapling the new fabric cover

Can You Recover A Leather Sofa With Fabric?

It’s possible to recover a leather sofa with fabric if you want to restore worn down furniture. Those who don’t want to use a leather repair kit can use vinyl, canvas, and denim fabrics when patching a leather sofa. However, it’s better to replace the upholstery altogether if the damages are too big since fabric patches will become too noticeable. 

Another way to use fabric pieces to recover a leather sofa is by not replacing the upholstery. Instead, cover the couch with its leather still intact. The key is using suitable materials and accessories to keep the slipcover from slipping on the leather. 

 

What Can I Use To Cover My Leather Couch?

 

Cotton

Cotton is an excellent choice for covering a leather couch. Unlike other materials, cotton will take a long time before wrinkling, pilling, or fading. Still, you have to check the quality of the weave to ensure durability against wear.

 

Vinyl

A more common fabric replacement for leather sofas is vinyl fabric. Those who always have guests over or have kids and pets can consider vinyl for their sofa. Vinyl is easy to maintain, but quality still depends on the type you’ll get.

 

Blended wool

You might be surprised, but wool also makes a good cover for a leather sofa. Fabric manufacturers offer wool blends, which resist soiling, pilling, and felting. You can even spot clean some wool fabrics for easy maintenance. 

 

Blended polyester

A more affordable fabric alternative is blended polyester. Some microfiber materials resist wear and stains. You can also choose microfiber if you want to have a velvety feel on your couch. 

 

Olefin

Perhaps the most durable material that you can use to cover furniture is olefin. If you’ll have the sofa outside, olefin also resists damage from UV well. This material does not even form mildew and stains as quickly. 

 

Can You Cover A Leather Couch?

Contrary to the common assumption, you can still cover a leather couch as you would with a fabric counterpart. To ensure the best fit, make the sofa cover yourself according to the dimensions of your sofa. You can also add grip strips or ties on the cover itself to keep it from slipping off the leather. 

What about ready-made universal couch covers? These covers should still work on the sofa. However, the best one for leather is a cover with anti-slip backing or adjustable straps to secure it in place. 

 

How Can I Make My Leather Couch Look New?

If you want to revive your leather couch, there are different hacks you can do. A quick way to help your leather sofa be in the trends is with the help of accessories. Learn how to mix and match pillows on the couch to add some variety to the area. 

But if accessories like pillows won’t do the trick, perhaps your leather sofa needs reconditioning. Use the proper leather-formulated cleaner and conditioner to restore the luster of the material. And if maintenance still falls short, you can opt to reupholster the leather sofa

 

Conclusion

Do you want to change the look of your leather couch? We have discussed how to cover a leather sofa with fabric in two steps. It’s a relatively easy project because you’re only undoing the current leather upholstery and using it to cut the new material to staple.

But if you only want to cover the leather sofa, slipcovers will also work. Just remember to use grips or straps to secure them in place.