Monogram Wall Decor - Kid's 1

Many of us have scrap plywood, or know someone with
scrap plywood just sitting around.

This is a fun and creative way to put those scraps to
use.

Don’t be mislead by the scale of this project, it;s not as
easy as it looks! This project is an invaluable
introduction to upholstery.

In fact, if you can cover this project, you can upholster
any chair!

Download or print this project in English.
See the project details
DIY OnlineMag.com
Creating Your Template

On a sheet of paper, either newsprint or kraft paper (from a roll) draw the outline of your pattern.
Cut out your template and place it on your plywood. If necessary use tape to secure it in place, then
trace the outline of your design. To cut the plywood use one of the tools listed in the checklist then
sand all of your cut edges with 80 grit sandpaper. Once your plywood pattern has been cut, place
your plywood on top of your 1 inch foam and trace along the edge of your plywood with a sharpie
marker.
On such a small working surface such as this I do not recommend using foam any thicker than 1
inch.

Because this template has many diametric points, upholstering thicker foam would prove to be
troublesome for most woven fabrics. Once the outer edge has been traced add half an inch (1/2”)
allowance with a clear grid ruler. Using a clear grid ruler is the easiest way to add allowance along
any perimeter. This inexpensive tool (5 $US) is a must have for frequent pattern making, allowing for
quick parallel seam adjustments. The standard imperial size for this ruler is 18” x 2” and it is also
available in metric.
Looking closely along the curves of my foam template you can see that I have recreated the exact
parallel outline with a series of straight lines using this ruler. You can now cut the perimeter of your
foam.


Working With The Foam

To create a soft, rounded upholstered top, the edge on the underside of your foam template will
need to be trimmed. This edge can be trimmed the width of the allowance (1/2”) or wider or deeper
depending upon your desired effect. If you decide to trim a wider path, then the top surface of your
finished piece will slope off from the center more dramatically. For foam thicknesses of 1” the
trimming can be done with scissors. If your foam is any thicker this trimming operation should be
done with an electric bread knife. *See Chair 1 project for more on trimming foam.

Once the underside of your foam template has been trimmed, glue the foam onto the plywood base.
A couple of quick sprays with foam glue will suffice. Because we are not covering furniture, or joining
foam seams you can use any type of glue, even a glue stick, if it keeps the foam in place during the
upholstery process. Once the foam is glued and set to the plywood, place your project face down
onto a piece of batting.

Work with both of your hands, one to smooth the foam flat along the plywood side (along the
thickness) and the other to hold the batting taught, staple the batting into the plywood back.
Because we have trimmed the underside of the foam, the foam will now compress along the side of
the plywood to create a smooth, flat outline.

Note that even the batting needs a relief cut. When the batting has been stapled into position, trim
all of the protruding fibres.  

The batting, fabric nor foam should contribute any excess bulk on the backside of your plywood.
After your foam has been pulled taught under tension it should not wrap around onto the back side
of your plywood. If that happens, for this project or any other, your foam has been cut too large and
needs to be trimmed further.


Upholstery

Stapling the poly batting into place is the simplest method of preparing this project for the upholstery
process. The small surface area, foam height and diametric shape contribute to making this
upholstery project a unique challenge.
Other factors which will influence the ease or difficulty of this project include:
•        the total height, which includes both the foam and the plywood thickness
•        the size of the project
•        the nature and properties of your fabric
•        the amount and the degree of the curves or angles

While upholstering, if you experience difficulty negotiating the necessary relief cuts and fabric
tension, you may have to opt for a fabric that possesses an adequate degree of give on the bias.
Consideration may also be given to a fabric woven with Lycra.

Textiles are not perfect and flaws should be expected. In fact the industry standard allots for a rough
imperfect rate of 10%. It is good practice to always check your fabric for flaws before cutting. This
gives you the opportunity to strategically place your pattern keeping down unnecessary waste.
*My letter has been positioned so that the flaw wraps under and is hidden from view.

Begin the upholstery process by wrapping your fabric towards the back, mark this target area with
chalk and slowly begin your relief cut. (Refer to arrow in photo)
When working your fabric into position, use the easy to remove staple technique. Simply hold your
stapler down on an angle so that only one side of the staple embeds into the plywood. These
staples can be removed quickly with one hand and you do not have to lay your piece down flat to
remove them.

There are no hard rules in upholstery to work your fabric around corners or curves. Most the
reasons mentioned above influence how easy or difficult it will be to work with a fabric. Negotiating
the folds and gathers are all about achieving a smooth, taught top surface. You may have to try
many combinations until you are pleased!

This series of photos illustrate both the amount and depth of the relief cuts necessary in order to
achieve a smooth upholstered top surface. The double sided arrow illustrates the amount of tension
that the fabric is under in this inner curve area. The two strips at the end of the double arrow were
once side by side on the cloth. The depth of the relief cuts will vary, once again according to the
factors already mentioned. It is fair to say that the amount of tension in this piece is not native to
furniture. With seating, you are usually working tension from front to back and from side to side.
The only exception would be with curved chairs, such as tub or club chairs, which do require a good
amount of finesse to upholster.

The top view; the corner relief cuts will need to be strategically covered. To camouflage this area,
begin by stapling a piece into the corner, then fold the fabric over towards the back of the plywood.
(You will pull the fabric over onto itself to cover the staples) If your fabric frays excessively during
upholstery you may want to use a product such as Fray Stop (Fray Check) to control the fray and
any possible tearing.

The arrows shown indicate the necessary relief cuts to shape the back cover.

I used an iron on trim which contains a heat activated adhesive on the back side. Always start with a
dry heat iron (no water, no steam) to adhere iron on items. With some products steam or water can
add moisture to the glue altering its composition and adhesive properties. Verify the adhesive
properties of your product by testing a small piece.
Decide where you would like your trim seam to be positioned. When setting the trim into position,
leave an extra inch at your starting point so that the pattern can be trimmed to run continuously.


Project Checklist
stapler
1" foam
foam glue
poly batting
staple removal tool
fray stop
scissors
80 grit sandpaper

jigsaw or bandsaw or scroll saw or coping saw*
* a hand tool that can cut along curves  

plywood - 1/2" or 3/4"

1/2 yard fabric
your choice of trim

hot glue gun if you are using a trim without adhesive
an electric iron (for iron on trims)


www.diyonlinemag.com is
written and produced by Sophia Sevo

Copyright 2009 - 2012. All rights reserved. Material throughout this website may not
be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Subscribe!