Upholstering an ottoman is an easy project that can be accomplished in a weekend.

It is the back-tacking that creates a clean, crisp edge around this ottoman frame. Timber frames are readily available to purchase and also easy to make. A traditional tartan fabric refects the classic style and polished cabriole legs of this ottoman.

You'll need
Elastic webbing (firm grade): 3.5m
18 ounce hessian: 0.5m
10 mm plastic edging roll: 1.8m
Foam: 50 mm thick, grade #29-200 (470 x 420mm)
Foam: grade #15-60 (600 x 450mm)
Fabric: 1.5 m
Jute piping cord
Four cardboard strips
200g polyester padding: 0.5 m
Calico: 0.5 m
Timber frame: 460 x 410 x 100 mm
4 x polished wooden cabriole legs: 150 mm in height
8 x 50 mm chipboard screws (optional)
(Quantities given are for this particular new ottoman.)

Preparation
Step 1
If reupholstering, strip off the old covers and foundations and repair the frame if necessary. Or, you may choose to purchase a new ottoman frame like the one used here.

Step 2
Attach new elastic webbing, hessian foundation and edging roll if needed.

Step 3
Place the 50mm thick foam on the frame and make sure there is an even overhang on each side. Bevel the top and bottom edges using a snap-blade knife or long, serrated knife. Glue the foam on the hessian using a contact adhesive spray can. Then strain the softer, 25 mm thick foam over the first piece of foam, creating a neat dome shape. Staple the softer foam on the frame just below the edging roll.

Covering the ottoman
Step 4
Measure and cut the fabric. Sew up the border (the sides) and try it on the frame (don't include an allowance for the polyester padding). Then sew the piping and attach the piping to the top edge of the border.

Step 5
Strain the top panel over the foam and staple below any edging roll.

Step 6
Fit the border piece back on the frame over the top panel and position it so that the piping is 5 mm below the unexposed plastic roll. Pull the border over the top of the stool temporarily and place four or five staples into the piping welt on each side of the frame to hold the border in place.

Back-tacking
Step 7
Place a cardboard strip over the welt with the top of the cardboard about 1 mm over the stitching line. Make sure the border is evenly placed by measuring from the top of the cardboard to the bottom of the frame, and maintaining that distance. Attach with long staples.

Step 8
Pull the border back down and check that the border and piping are level. Undo some stapling if you need to fix any unevenness.

Finishing
Step 9
Staple the polyester padding under the border over the cardboard strips with normal-sized staples (6-8 mm) spaced about 25 mm apart. Then attach the bottom of the padding with a few staples on each side. To join the padding to go around the entire ottoman, butt the ends together--avoid any overlapping.

Step 10
Trim the bottom of the padding level with the bottom of the frame. Pull the border down over the sides and check the fit once more. Put a temporary staple in each corner to hold the stitch lines in place.

Step 11
Ease the cover around the bottom of the frame and staple it to the underside with normal-sized staples, starting from the centre of each side and working towards the corners. Stop about 30mm from each corner, pull out the tmeporary staple and then finish off the corner.

Step 12
Strain calico on the underside of the frame.

Step 13
Drill pilot holes into the cabriole legs, and screw the legs to the corners of the ottoman frame.

Elastic webbing and hessian foundations
This technique for replacing or repairing elastic webbing and hessian can be used on all types of furniture with this foundation. You should only replace the elastic webbing if it is hard and no longer stretches, if it sags, or if there isn't enough of it. Elastic webbing is fairly tightly woven, so it is not necessary to turn the edges back to avoid fraying. '

1 Strip off the old webbing and note the amount so you can duplicate it. Add more webbing if necessary. If the gap between each web is more than 75mm, the elastic webbing will not be durable.

2 Attach one side of the new webbing with a row of four long (10-15 mm) staples and a second row of three long staples. You can also use 16mm tacks instead. Pull the webbing firmly across the frame and attach the other side. Use your snap-blade knife to cut the webbing about 5mm from the staples. Attach all vertical webs.

3 Attach the horizontal webs in the same way, but they should be interlaced with the vertical ones.

4 Attach the hessian with staples over the elastic webbing but leave it loose enough to compensate for sagging when the seat is used. Trim the hessian with scissors about 30mm from the staples. Turn over the edges of the hessian and place more staples on top to prevent the edges from fraying.

Source:Upholstery Basics & Repairs (Murdoch Books)