If you want to do upholstery, but are overwhelmed with what tools you REALLY need, this information is for you. In this blog post, I’ll show you the five basic upholstery tools you need. These tools will get you started without a big investment. I use these in my workshop every day. I’ve created a list of My First Upholstery Tools in The Whimsical Chair Amazon Storefront. I wanted to make it easy for you to find these, and all my favorite upholstery tools, gadgets, and supplies.
You need to have the right tools for teardown. The C.S. Osborne 120 1/2 is my favorite staple lifter. I like using a mini plier tool to pull the staples out of the frame once you have them lifted. I dull the edge so it doesn’t cut through the staples when you pull them out. I have a set of these smaller pliers. I find they fit nicely in my hand. You will be pulling hundreds of staples so it’s important to find tools that are the most comfortable and efficient for getting the job done.
Sharp scissors and a soft tape measure are a must. You will be doing lots of measuring and cutting with the new upholstery fabric. The soft tape measure allows you to get all the measurements you’ll need for your new pieces of fabric. You need to have a good pair of scissors that will give you a good clean cut. The Wiss 8 1/2″ scissors are great for getting started. Only use your fabric scissors to cut your fabric. If you need to cut anything besides fabric it’s good to have an extra pair of old scissors.
It’s important to invest in the right tools.
A pneumatic staple gun is the first upholstery tool I purchased. You’ll need to have a box of staples to go with your gun for stapling the new fabric to the frame. There is a wide variety of upholstery staple guns. This Fasco long nose is a great gun to get you started. It’s a more affordable gun and the long nose helps you get into tight spaces. All pneumatic guns will need to be attached to an air compressor to run.
Upholstering your own furniture can be very rewarding. It’s important to invest in the right tools. It will save you time and frustration so you can enjoy the process.
