How to make a sofa with your own hands: diagrams, photos, drawings, dimensions + design ideas

Sometimes a situation arises when you need to make a backrest for a sofa with your own hands. The sofa can be decorated with backs and headboards of various types. These are stationary structures that are attached to the frame of the sofa, or backrests that are fixed to the wall or attached.

When assembling the backrest for the sofa, you need to pay attention to the tension of the upholstery so that folds and distortions do not form.

The following tools will be needed for work:

• electric jigsaw and a set of hacksaw blades;
• furniture stapler;
• hammer;
• drill or screwdriver, screwdriver;
• a hammer drill may be required for walls;
• sewing machine or sewing kit for handmade work.

The headboard for the bed is made from the following materials:

1. Plywood with a thickness of 8-12 mm.
2. Foam rubber with a thickness of 50 mm (it all depends on the desired result); instead of foam rubber, you can use other materials for padding. But they should not be deformed, as the structure may lose its appearance.
3. Decorative fabric for the front side and durable technical fabric for the back. The cuts must be taken taking into account the total area of ​​the back and allowances for fasteners.
4. Colored threads, if there is a need to assemble folds, sew on rosettes, fabric flowers.
5. For decoration you can use large and beautiful buttons, beads and stones without sharp edges.
6. A set of hinges, screws, bolts for fastening the structure itself.

Benefits of homemade furniture

The obvious advantages of building home sofas include:

• Significantly lower financial investment. Most supplies can be found in your own pantry or garage.
• A large selection of ready-made plan projects and step-by-step instructions available for review. In addition, a huge collection of video tutorials on furniture making is freely available.

At each stage of independent work, the master has the opportunity to independently adjust the size, shape, external design and type of construction of the new sofa. In addition, there is a chance to check the reliability of fastenings, the quality of rotary fittings, the correctness of special processing and impregnation of surfaces.

Plastic

In the photo: Pop Duo sofa from Kartell.

3. Chipboard. Very heavy frame. The main (or even the only) advantage of chipboard is its low price. Alas, so does strength. The exception is laminated chipboard, that is, covered with a layer of hardened paper-resin films. This material is not inferior in strength to plywood and is still just as cheap. Another problem with using chipboard is environmental friendliness. The frame made from it must be covered with a special protective layer to prevent the release of formaldehydes harmful to health. For this reason, laminated chipboard is not suitable for sleeping places at all, at least only for linen drawers.

Selecting consumables

Before starting any independent work, you should decide on the shape and size, as well as choose consumables for making furniture. These can be a wide variety of devices:

1. Wooden pallets. Garden sofas made from wooden pallets are widely popular among avid summer residents and lovers of summer outdoor recreation. Such models are sufficiently durable, easy to assemble (according to a pre-prepared diagram), and do not require special practical care. And the convenient shape and mobility of the pallet parts allows you to make an excellent corner sofa.
2. Plywood sheets are another affordable material. It is durable and is a good basis for subsequent decorative processing.
3. PVC pipes left over after a major renovation can also be used to make a durable furniture frame. This sofa is quite compact, does not have significant weight, and therefore can be installed on the balcony.

Metal profiles, old wooden stools, old gas cylinders (for example, for garden sofas), and car tires can also be used as a frame base.

In practice, you can even find a homemade sofa made of cardboard. In most cases, all you need is the skill and skillful hands of the owner of the future sofa.

An equally important part of the work is the preparation of the soft part, and, accordingly, the choice of fabric base, filler, and cover. As a rule, there are two covers: an internal one for the filler, and an outer removable casing.

Fillers that hold the shape of the body are quite expensive, and therefore you can give preference to the most ordinary polyurethane foam, padding polyester, or holofiber.

For covers, it is better to use combined fabrics made from a mixture of natural and artificial fibers. They withstand frequent washing, are not afraid of detergents, and do not lose their appearance or color.

How to move furniture alone and not overstrain yourself?

Well, this problem arose - you urgently need to move the furniture, you couldn’t call anyone for help, how can you avoid harming your health and ruining the floor?
I know several ways to move furniture. But with any of them, it still needs to be raised a little. So:

I usually tie my lower back tightly, wet the floor (wipe it with a wet rag) along the path where I will move the furniture. It’s better, of course, not to lift, but to push. In some cases, standing with your back to the object and pushing with your butt and hands is easier than just using your hands forward. We also had to resort to cases where you lift one side of an object, slide a long rag or mat under it and pull the fabric itself.

And it’s difficult to remove, for example, a mezzanine or a wall cabinet from above on your own. I need to place something tall nearby, I put a stool on the table, take off the cabinet and first put it on the stool, then I remove it from the stool or table on which I am standing and while standing on the floor, I remove the cabinet from the chair.

It’s better not to strain yourself and not do this yourself. Take care of your health!

I had to move a lot of different furniture alone at home.

If it is a closet, secretary, chest of drawers, sideboard or something similar that contains things, then first you need to take these very things out of there. If there are shelves, you can sometimes pull out the shelf rather than pull things out of it. Without things, the furniture should be much lighter. And with sofas you can usually unscrew and remove the sides, but I only remove them if the sofa does not fit through the door.

Then use pushing and pulling movements to move it where needed. If it is possible to slightly raise the furniture, then place something under the parts in contact with the floor, for example, place a thick notebook. This is to avoid scratching the floor. For greater slip, you can lubricate the floor with either plain water, soapy water, or oil. When something doesn't move due to friction with the floor, I usually do this: I sit on the floor next to the furniture, rest my back against it, and use my feet to push off something, such as a wall. I have never been able to move furniture this way. It happens that the furniture does not move because it has dried or stuck to the floor, and when you push, pressing near the floor, there is a greater chance that it will move.

Source

Sofa shapes

Linear option. The most common type of sofa. It is ideal for arranging a garden recreation area, a summer terrace, or a spacious balcony. However, such a model is completely inappropriate for small apartments, occupying a huge area.

A corner sofa is the most practical option for any apartments, recreation areas, loggias and garden gazebos. In independent work, too, as a rule, no special difficulties arise. Ready-made projects and video tutorials on You Tube channels will greatly facilitate the process of assembling furniture.

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A compact round sofa is an original model, often equipped with built-in drawers for storing various small items, bed linen, toys, magazines, and newspapers. During the self-assembly process, special attention is paid not only to the frame, but also to the upholstery, filling, and external design.

Independent work on the construction of a sofa allows the master to show his creativity, making the most original shapes and models.

Method two. Simple

An easier way to make a sofa softer is to make a small mattress , which is fixed on top of the upholstery. However, there are certain nuances here too. If you plan to fold and unfold your bed, the mattress should not contain filler in the folds, and should also be additionally stitched in these areas. Otherwise, such an overlay will not be able to hold its shape when the furniture is folded.

There is an opinion that you can increase the softness of a sofa with removable covers by simply slipping some foam rubber inside these same covers. However, not everything is so simple : unsecured foam rubber will constantly slide, crumple and create all sorts of inconvenience for those who decide to use the “improved” piece of furniture.

What materials may be needed

When working on your own to build a simple sofa, the following set of tools may be useful:

• Drawings and diagrams.
• Construction pencil, tape measure, level.
• Grinder and welding for working with metal surfaces.
• Planer, jigsaw, sandpaper for working with wooden surfaces.

You will need sets of fasteners: metal corners, screws, bolts, nails. You should also not forget about special impregnation, which means you will need an antiseptic, an antipyretic, a moisture-resistant composition and an anti-corrosion coating for metal parts.

"Derivatives" of the tree

2. Plywood. Multilayer plywood is glued together from thin sheets of veneer (usually birch), pressed under pressure and at high temperature, dry and very durable. There is virtually no risk of deformation for such material. The thicker the plywood (this figure ranges from 12 to 25 mm), the more reliable and durable it is. At the same time, it is noticeably cheaper than wood. One drawback: the length of the plywood sheet is limited - usually it is no more than 150 cm, so it is not suitable for every part. For example, on long drawers (the side parts of the sofa that give the necessary rigidity to the structure), chipboard is used instead of jointed plywood. The plywood frame is lightweight, just like wood.

On the picture:

The frame made of multilayer plywood is lightweight and practically not subject to deformation. Furniture with such a frame is cheaper than wood.

Step-by-step assembly of a linear sofa

Photos of handmade sofas are a great help when working independently. Such photo reports allow you to evaluate each stage of assembly in more detail. Step-by-step instructions for the master:

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1. According to the plan prepared in advance, parts for the sofa are prepared: frame posts, bottom and back. If the model includes drawers, additional compartments, and side sides, these components are also cut out of wood (or wooden pallets are prepared).
2. Each part is carefully sanded with a plane and sandpaper, getting rid of gaps and sharp edges.
3. All surfaces are thoroughly impregnated with special compounds, and the next stages of work are started only after the impregnating coatings have completely dried.

Fasteners are installed along two lines: metal corners are laid along the inner edge, and self-tapping screws are laid along the outer surface. This approach ensures a better connection of parts and increases the service life of the furniture.

The assembly of the sofa is completed by organizing the fabric part and sewing removable covers, but this stage is not strictly necessary and may not be used at the discretion of the craftsman.

Types of designs

Many people are interested in how to make a sofa with their own hands, since original models in furniture stores are expensive. Experts say that the job can be done by anyone who knows how to hold a carpentry tool in their hands and is patient . Furniture production does not begin until the type of product is determined . They are:

• corner;
• a book;
• dolphin;
• equipped with folding mechanisms;
• sofa beds.

The corner view is made in the shape of the letters G or P. The design of the product depends on the size of the room. The “book” model is equipped with a transformation mechanism. The “dolphin” sofa is made in a corner shape. If the structure is expanded, additional sleeping places are created. The most compact type is considered to be an “accordion” sofa, consisting of three folding and unfolding parts.

Today, beds have given way to different types of sofa beds. The fact is not surprising, since the design is much more compact and easily fits into the home.

Modern models are made from high quality materials, making the furniture distinguished by convenience and comfort.

Photo tips on how to make a sofa

Transformation mechanism

1. Book - you need to slightly raise the seat until it clicks, then carefully release the back of the sofa.
2. Eurobook - roll the seat forward and carefully tilt the backrest so that it assumes a horizontal position.

1. Ottoman – you need to open the armrests to the side and place them horizontally on the floor.
2. Sesame - the top pillow rises, the base extends towards itself, the pillow is installed on the armor.
3. Venice - the roll-out part pulls out towards itself, the strap is pulled up and the mattress rises.
4. Saber - the backrest is pushed away, the laundry box and seat are pulled forward, the armrests and backrest are tilted.
5. Accordion - the seat rises slightly and gently slides towards itself until it is fully opened.
6. Click-clack - the seat rises until it clicks and is released, the armrests fold out to the side.

There are many other transformation mechanisms. They are less popular on the market: sofa, puma, ribalto, dolphin, sedaflex, etc.

Memorable cases from work practice

I would like to add that the best time was the winter of 2017. At that time, I opened my own website and received a good number of applications, but as summer approached, they became less and less, and I decided to close the site.

Fire spares nothing

However, despite the fact that the business still exists, there was a moment when I found myself in a very difficult situation. This happened in January 2021. The warehouse where I collected sofas was divided into 4 buildings. Each of these buildings had enterprises.

So, one late night the watchman called me and said that my building was on fire. Hearing this, I immediately got dressed and went to the place, but, to my regret, everything was on fire. Having put out the fire, I sat down on a bench near the entrance and began to cry, because everything I had done was destroyed. That day I lost 7 warehouse sofas, equipment and remained in debt to the warehouse owner.

At that moment I didn't know what to do. I lost any motivation. All I wanted at that moment was to find out why the fire happened. To my surprise, the watchman kindly agreed to show me the CCTV footage. When I watched the recording, my shock knew no bounds.

That day I lost 7 warehouse sofas, equipment and remained in debt to the warehouse owner.

That night, a man in a dark jacket stood near my warehouse. Most likely, he was not a worker, because I had not seen him before, and we all know each other. This man was smoking a cigarette and talking on the phone at the same time. Having finished the conversation, he threw the cigarette right under the door of my building.

The fact is that I have wooden bookmarks under my doors to prevent air from leaking. It was these bookmarks that caught fire and started the process.

I never found out who this person was, because none of my neighbors in the warehouse knew him. But still, I assume that this person was a client of one of my neighbors.

Read: How we decided to make money by growing and selling broilers, but went broke. Real story.

After the incident, I was depressed for about a month, but the support of my family and friends forced me to return to work. I paid off the debt and started looking for the same premises. Having found the premises, I resumed work.

Lawsuit with dissatisfied client

I would also like to talk about how I was involved in lawsuits over a sofa. One day I sold another sofa.

A few days after the sale, a woman called me and said that her son was almost injured while jumping on the sofa, and asked for compensation because a spring came out of the sofa. At that moment I felt funny, because she said in plain text that her son was jumping on the sofa, which is completely contraindicated.

Refusing to pay, I hung up, but a couple of days later I again saw an incoming call from that woman. As the conversation progressed, she stated that she intended to go to court. 2 weeks later I received a notification in the mail that I was being summoned to court. Then I started to get nervous because I didn’t expect this woman to actually go to court. However, I did not despair and decided to hire a lawyer. This is where the fun begins.

I found a lawyer who helped me win my case.

The lawyer promised me that the trial would be won, because the case was really funny. But it turned out that the person took the money, but disappeared from the network 3 days before the start of the process. This action upset me, because he took the advance payment and disappeared. Then I had to find a new lawyer, but the difficulty was that he agreed to pay after the case, because I had no money. Then I found a lawyer who helped me win the case, and, of course, I didn’t pay any money.

A random idea brought good profits

There were also successful cases when I managed to sell a large batch of sofas. I would like to tell you about one of these. Let's start with the fact that I often visit the capital of Tatarstan - Kazan. One day I was passing through Kazan, because I was going to Vysokaya Gora to buy some machinery. Having picked up the mechanisms from Vysokaya Gora, I decided to visit the “HOFF” store, located in Kazan.

When I arrived at the place, I was shocked because I saw that they were selling second-hand sofas at a very high price. For example, the simplest “Accordion” with yellow spots cost about 32,000 rubles. At that moment it dawned on me that I could make identical sofas that were cheaper at cost and sell them at the same price, but in good condition.

I took out my phone and started taking pictures of sofas that I could build myself. The consultant didn’t like what I was doing, and he decided to ask me for what purpose I was photographing the product. I told him that I wanted to take a couple of photos and send them to my brother who wants to buy a sofa. The consultant left me. Of course, I had to lie, because if I told the truth, I would have caused discontent. So, after taking photos, I headed home. Arriving in Almetyevsk, I didn’t immediately get to work, because everything faded into the background and was forgotten for 2 months, until I came across these photos on my phone.

Today, many people are already making these sofas, but I’m glad that I managed to bite off a piece of this pie.

Charged with motivation, I set to work, but everything turned out to be not so simple. Sofas that I thought were easy to assemble turned out to be something unknown to me. I spent 3 days studying the mechanisms and a week for further assembly. Having assembled my first sofa, which was called “Medeo” in “HOFF”, I was in no hurry to call wholesalers and send them photos, saying that I had assembled a cool sofa that costs 32,000 in “HOFF”, and will give it to you for 20,000.

Also read: Telegram of the Sofa Businessman.

I decided to collect another one in order (if one of the wholesalers agreed) to get more money. Having assembled an identical sofa, I called Orenburg. The man immediately agreed, because the sofa was very complex in terms of technical execution, and the price was simply fabulous.

A week later, a gazelle from Orenburg came to me. Having taken the sofa and confirming this, the person transferred me 44,000 rubles for both sofas. But today many people are already making these sofas, but I’m glad that I managed to bite off a piece of this pie.

Additional items

• Linen box. This is a convenient addition to upholstered furniture, with which you can compactly and safely store children's toys, bed linen, and demi-season items. The most spacious linen drawers are found in sofas with a Eurobook mechanism.
• Niches and shelves. You can place books, magazines, and TV remotes in them. In addition to the practical function, they also perform an aesthetic one. Candles, unusual figurines, collections of children's toys, photographs, and flower arrangements can be conveniently placed in shelves or niches.
• A coffee table is also built into the furniture. This design allows you to simplify the process of drinking tea and make it easier to work on your laptop.
• Some sofas are equipped with spot or LED lighting. It creates a unique atmosphere in a dark room. Manufacturers also build compact minibars into their furniture. They are used for short-term storage of alcoholic beverages.

Possible fillers

The filler must be of high quality and wear-resistant. He must provide a comfortable lying and sitting position so that the spine does not experience heavy loads. Main types of fillers:

1. Spring blocks. There are dependent and independent types. They give the sofa orthopedic properties and make it more elastic. Dependent spring blocks are cheaper because they are prone to stretching and loss of elasticity. The springs of independent blocks are sewn into a separate cover (made of fabric). They do not sag or creak over time.
2. Foam rubber. This material is softer and more comfortable. Prone to sagging and deformation. Therefore, sofas with such filling are not used for everyday sleep.
3. Sintepon. Also a soft material that loses its shape after a certain time. Sleeping on a sofa with such a seat is extremely uncomfortable. There will always be a certain stiffness felt. Back pain is guaranteed in the morning.
4. Polyurethane foam. Can be cast or block. Environmentally friendly filler. Does not cause allergic reactions in humans. It has excellent breathability and a perfect balance of hardness/softness.

Holofiber, silicone and combined materials are also used as filler.