How to Reupholster an Ottoman: Square Round and Tufted Styles

Round ottoman fabric wrap with incorrect tension causes visible rippling, the most common round ottoman complaint. The rippling happens because the fabric at the outside edge of a round ottoman has to travel a longer path than the fabric at the top, and if you pull evenly all the way around, the excess at the edge bunches into horizontal ripples. The fix is a specific technique for releasing that excess, and it's not the same as wrapping a square ottoman.

This guide covers square, round, and tufted ottomans with the correct technique for each.

TL;DR

  • Successful reupholstery starts with a thorough frame and spring assessment before any fabric is ordered.
  • Professional technique follows a consistent panel sequence: strip, repair frame, replace foam, then install fabric panels in the correct order.
  • Pattern fabric requires centering and repeat alignment decisions made before cutting; errors discovered after cutting are expensive to correct.
  • Professional labor time ranges from 12-20 hours depending on furniture style and fabric complexity.
  • Foam selection matters as much as fabric selection; the right density and ILD creates the correct seating profile and longevity.
  • Consistent tension on all panels and quality welt cording are the marks of professional finishing.

Square Ottoman Reupholstery

Square and rectangular ottomans are the most straightforward. The corners are the main focus.

Materials:

  • New top foam (2.5-5 inches thick, depending on ottoman height preference)
  • Dacron batting
  • New fabric
  • Staple gun
  • Tacking strips for leg corner finishing (if applicable)

Step-by-step:

  1. Remove the ottoman from any leg base if removable. Set the ottoman box upright on your worktable.
  1. Remove old fabric. Pull all staples and tacks. Save the old fabric as cutting templates.
  1. Assess existing foam and replace if needed. Bond new foam to the top surface with spray adhesive.
  1. Wrap Dacron batting over the foam and down the sides. Staple to the underside of the ottoman box.
  1. Cut top fabric: ottoman width + 6 inches x ottoman depth + 6 inches. This gives 3 inches of wrap on each side edge.
  1. Cut side fabric strips if the design uses contrasting top and side material (common on drum-style ottomans).
  1. If the ottoman design wraps the top fabric down all four sides:

- Center fabric on the top, weight it to hold position

- Staple center of front edge at the bottom of the front face, pulling taut

- Staple center of back edge opposite

- Staple centers of both sides

- Work outward from center on each edge alternately

  1. Square corner technique: At each corner, create a flat hospital-style fold. Pull one side fabric taut, staple to the corner. Take the adjacent side, fold it diagonally flat to create a neat miter, and staple. From the outside, the corner fold should be a single clean diagonal fold, not a wadded bulk of fabric.
  1. Attach the bottom cambric dust cover.
  1. Reattach legs.

Round Ottoman Reupholstery

Round ottomans require a different technique because fabric can't wrap around a circular form the same way it wraps a square form.

The key difference: On a square ottoman, you pull four sides in four directions and manage four corners. On a round ottoman, you have a continuous edge with no corners, and the entire bottom perimeter must manage the excess fabric that results from the top surface being smaller in circumference than the base.

Anti-ripple technique:

The key is to make radial relief cuts around the bottom edge of the fabric before stapling. These cuts allow the fabric to lie flat against the side of the ottoman by releasing the tension from the top circumference.

Step-by-step for round ottoman:

  1. Remove old fabric, foam, and padding as with square ottoman.
  1. Cut new top fabric as a circle: ottoman diameter + 6 inches in diameter. So a 24-inch diameter ottoman needs a 30-inch circle of fabric.
  1. Apply new foam (cut as a circle) to the ottoman top. Apply Dacron batting over the foam, cutting it as a circle slightly larger than the top, to wrap partway down the sides.
  1. Center the fabric circle on the top. Clip it lightly with fabric clips or straight pins at the edge.
  1. Begin stapling from one point at the bottom edge of the ottoman. Staple at 12 o'clock position, then 6 o'clock, then 3 o'clock, then 9 o'clock, working in opposite-quarter increments, not around the circle.
  1. Between each staple, make a 1/2-inch radial cut through the excess fabric margin at the bottom edge. These cuts every 1-1.5 inches around the full perimeter allow the fabric to flatten. Without them, the fabric folds into horizontal ripples between staples.
  1. Continue stapling all the way around, making relief cuts between each staple. The fabric should lie smoothly against the side without rippling.
  1. Trim excess and cover with dust cover.

Tufted Ottoman

Tufted ottoman construction combines the shape management of the base ottoman style (square or round) with button tufting across the top surface.

Tufting sequence for ottomans:

  1. Complete frame and foam preparation as for the base shape.
  1. Before cutting fabric, plan your button grid. Tufted ottomans typically use a simple square grid (not diamond) with buttons placed on a 4-5 inch grid.
  1. Mark button positions on the foam face.
  1. Cut fabric larger than the standard non-tufted version: add 1 inch per button row in each direction. For a 5-button grid (5 rows x 5 columns), add 5 inches to each dimension compared to the flat equivalent.
  1. Begin tufting at center and work outward. Place center button first, then the row in each cardinal direction from center, then fill in diagonals.
  1. As you set each button, fold the fabric between buttons into consistent directional pleats.
  1. When all buttons are placed, complete the stapling and perimeter work as for the base shape.

Round tufted ottomans: Combine the radial relief cut technique for the bottom with the center-outward tufting sequence for the top. Mark button positions before any fabric goes on, because the button positions guide the tufting fold direction.

For ottoman fabric yardage, use the ottoman fabric yardage calculator. The ottoman reupholstery guide covers additional ottoman styles including storage ottomans and cocktail ottomans.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I reupholster a round ottoman?

The key technique is radial relief cuts at the bottom perimeter of the fabric. Cut fabric as a circle with 3 inches of wrap all around. Staple in four-point sequence first (12/6/3/9 o'clock), then between each staple, make a 1/2-inch radial cut through the excess fabric at the bottom edge. These cuts, spaced every 1-1.5 inches around the perimeter, allow the fabric to lie flat without horizontal rippling. Work all the way around, alternating staples and relief cuts.

How do I do a tight corner on a square ottoman?

Pull one side fabric taut and staple to the corner. For the adjacent side, fold the fabric at a 45-degree angle to create a flat diagonal miter at the corner. Staple the fold flat. From the outside, the corner should show a single clean diagonal fold, not a bunched wad. Pre-scoring the fold line with your thumb before stapling creates a crisper fold. Practice on scrap fabric first to get the fold angle consistent.

How do I add tufting to an ottoman?

Map out your button grid on graph paper and mark positions on the foam. Cut fabric 1 inch larger per tufting row than you'd use for flat upholstery. Begin with the center button and work outward in all four directions. Between buttons, fold fabric into consistent pleats pointing toward each button. Never start tufting from a corner or edge, uneven tension accumulation creates misaligned button positions. Complete all tufting before stapling the perimeter.

What tools are required for professional reupholstery?

Professional reupholstery requires a heavy-duty staple gun (pneumatic or electric), a staple remover and tack puller, quality scissors and a rotary cutter, a sewing machine capable of sewing upholstery-weight fabric, foam cutting tools, and regulator pins for manipulating stuffing. For tufted work, a curved needle and tufting twine are also required. The quality of your tools directly affects the quality of the finished work, particularly at seams and edges.

How do I handle pattern matching across multiple panels?

Establish the dominant panel first (usually the inside back) and center the pattern motif there. Then cut each subsequent panel so the pattern aligns with the adjacent panel at the seam. Mark the pattern alignment point on each piece before cutting. For complex pieces, some upholsterers make a cutting plan on paper showing where each panel falls in the pattern before cutting any fabric. This investment in planning prevents the most common and costly pattern-matching errors.

Sources

  • National Upholstery Association
  • Association of Master Upholsterers and Soft Furnishers (AMUSF)
  • Upholstered Furniture Action Council (UFAC)
  • Furniture Today (trade publication)

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