Padding a leather recliner is an easy way to keep your favorite furniture looking new for years to come. Whether you are re-stuffing the chair’s cushions, or just adding some extra foam for added comfort, this how-to guide will show you how. Using these 10 tips and tricks, I’ll walk you through how to pad a leather recliner with ease.
Steps on How to Pad a Leather Recliner
Step 1. First, remove the cushions. This will make it easier to work with and ensure that you are stuffing the seat evenly.
Step 2. Once removed, measure how much material you’ll need for each cushion or pad (or how many layers).
Step 3. Check how deep your chair is by trying to feel how far down your hand can go before reaching the chair’s bottom.
Step 4. Cut your foam accordingly if necessary and then place it on top of the cushion or pad, making sure to cover how much you need for padding – that is, how deep your chair is. This will also make it easier to sew everything together since you’ll only have one side to measure against instead of two.
Step 5. Remove the backing of your fabric (on top) and place it on top of the foam, making sure to cover how much you need for padding – that is, how deep your chair is.
Step 6. Sew everything together by hand or machine depending on how you are most comfortable with doing so. Make sure not to overstretch the fabric.
Step 7. Place your cushion or pad on top of the chair’s seat, making sure to cover how much you need for padding – that is, how deep your chair is and how wide it needs to be to fit around the entire edge of the seat.
Step 8. Add a border by folding over any extra fabric and sewing the two sides together using a straight stitch.
Step 9. Add ties to keep your cushion in place by placing them at the top and bottom of how you want it to be secured on the chair.
Step 10. Place an old towel or dishcloth between the underside of your new pad and leather recliner seat, as well as any other surfaces that may be in contact with the pad. Use a sewing machine or hand-sewn stitches to sew your new cushion onto how you how it will look when finished; make sure not to overstretch the fabric.
Step 11. Take care of any loose threads by trimming them off and making sure that no one sees the underside if possible.
Step 12. Place your new pad how you how it to be and trim any excess fabric that is hanging over the edge. Use a straight stitch or zigzag stitch, sewing around how the edges of how you want them to look. Pay close attention not to sew through too many layers at once; if this happens pull out your needle and re-thread it before continuing.
Step 13. Sew how you how the corners to be sewn, with a small space left in between so that they have room for how they need to stretch when finished.
Step 14. If you are seeing how a large area such as how an entire cushion or couch seat, use pins and start from one side and sew how you how along the edge.
Step 15. Once your corners are sewn, remove how many pins as possible; leave some in place so that they act as guides, and use these to continue sewing how you how to the other side of how what you are working on. Remove each pin by pulling it out from one end and then how you how to sew how it was removed from the other.
Step 16. To remove the corners, turn your work over and pull out how what is being sewn to expose how the corners are attached; cut this off with scissors or a rotary cutter.
Why Should I Pad my Recliner?
It’s to make your recliner much more comfortable.
It will keep the leather supple, preventing unnecessary wear and tear.
Padding also provides a barrier between you and what is under the cover, so it won’t get as dirty.
It will make your recliner look more presentable and less worn, which could increase its resale value if you ever decide that’s a desirable option.
Padded furniture is meant to be soft and cozy, but adding foam or another dense material will make your recliner feel stiffer than when it was unpadded.
Why You Shouldn’t Pad Your Recliner
It is more expensive than buying it already padded because the cost of materials and labor will be higher.
How Much Time Does Padding Take
It takes an hour or two, depending on how many pieces your recliner has; it will vary according to how difficult the shape is.
It’s recommended you have two people working on it, one person pinning and measuring while the other cuts and attaches Velcro strips or buttons for closing.
You might need a few different types of padding: batting for the front end, foam down the middle, and vacuum-packed polyester fiberfill on the back.
However, as you use it over time, the foam will soften up and the weight of your body can help break it in.