Upholstery

A Crafter’s Guide to Buying Upholstery

Nylon, velvet, suede, polyfill, microfiber, canvas, and leather are only some of the many different kinds of upholstery that are available for your arts and crafts project. Determining which fabric option is the most appropriate for your needs is often the result of your own personal preferences. However, the time you take to weigh other factors into your decision may help you to make the smartest choice when the time comes to select your material. Here is some basic information you may find helpful as you prepare to go shopping for all of your project supplies.

A Brief History of Upholstery

The use of fabrics in various projects has been in practice for thousands of years. Some historical records even suggest that the discovery of using upholstered items was dated back 36,000 years ago. As technology continues to expand and new discoveries are made each day, the production of fabrics has been reinvented entirely. Rather than processing flax and carefully dying it with natural means such as animal derivatives and plant dyes, you can now shop for thousands of varieties of upholstery.

Using Fabric for Arts and Crafts

There is an incredible amount of arts and crafts projects which you may consider using upholstery for. Whether you are creating holiday decorations, fashioning baby hair accessories, or putting together a family chore chart, fabric can be used in any one of these projects. Various materials have become increasingly popular due to their versatility and durability. Designing different projects is a lot of fun when you can choose amongst different kinds of fabrics to find the most fitting style for your craft.

Tips for Purchasing Upholstery

If you have never bought fabric before for arts and crafts, it is in your best interest to consider some basic elements beforehand. Your efforts to identify the most fitting upholstery option may be much easier after you have carefully thought about what you want your project to look like and what it will be used for.

1. Look – The style of your project will be one of the key determining factors which will help you to identify which materials would be the most appropriate for your arts and crafts project. Clearly it is important to choose something which you find attractive and appropriate for what you are making. If you are creating something that will be placed within an existing room in your home, you may wish to coordinate patterns and materials to create a cohesive look that is complementary to the existing design. If you are making something for a friend, you might benefit from finding out the kinds of looks that she is a fan of so you can create something that is personal and beautiful to that individual.

2. Function – Fortunately, fabric is incredibly versatile which means you should be able to find something that will be durable enough or comfortable enough for the intended purpose for which you are making your project. By researching the different uses, thread counts, and durability of the options you are considering, you may be able to better identify which one would be an effective choice for what you are making.

Identifying Quality Options

As you prepare to begin selecting the materials of your choice, you may benefit from a refresher on how to identify the highest quality options. Critical things you may choose to observe include: the style and colour of the fabric, resistance to staining (also known as synthetics), and the fabric weave or count. You may also want to find out what the abrasion rating is which will help you to determine whether or not certain materials are capable of withstanding wear and tear.

Don’t be discouraged if you are still becoming familiar with what it takes to shop for materials for your arts and crafts projects. As you prepare to embark on your shopping trip, remember to consider the look and function of the project you are making to help you choose the very best option. When selecting fabrics, be sure to look at the style, colour, stain resistance, fabric weave, and abrasion rating.