Rug Hooked Footstool – Finishing the Upholstery

Update 8/30/16: Unless you have a VERY powerful air stapler, take your sewn up footstool to the upholsterer to finish this step. It took my guy 8 minutes from start to finish.

Stapling the backing into place

Pull the hooked cover into place for the final time. It should be snug. Check the fit. The four corners usually need a little extra padding. I use a 2 foot dowel rod to push the stuffing into the corners. You can use whatever you have on hand or buy polyfill. This will take some time, be patient.

Turn the footstool over and pull the backing tight. One way is to have someone lean heavily on the footstool to press the foam down. Starting at the center on one side staple the backing in place. Place the staples a few inches apart until you have the entire backing stapled down. Neatly fold the backing at the corner. Think about wrapping a gift. Once it is in place, add additional staples to securely hold the backing. Trim the excess backing if necessary.

Cover the bottom

If you are going to attach a label – and I recommend that you do – sew it to the lining fabric now. This is the step I always forget in my rush to get the footstool done. You can use the sewing machine if you do it now. There are instructions on my website about how to print your own labels.

Cut your chosen fabric for the bottom about an inch bigger than the bottom of the footstool. Be sure to measure this. Be sure this fabric is something very thin. The dimensions will have changed now that the hooking is in place.

Fold under the center on each side and staple into place. Work your way from the center to the corners. The staples will show until we cover them. Keep them in a straight line so your gimp will cover them completely.

Once the stapling is complete, glue the gimp over the staples.

Attach the feet

Cut the lining with an “X” using a razor blade where the feet will be attached. You can feel through the fabric to locate the predrilled holes. These holes are necessary so that the cover will not get caught and twisted when the feet are screwed in place.

Screw on all four feet. Attach a rubber screw on tip if desired to the bottom of the footstool to protect your floor to prevent slipping or a plastic for felt pad tip to protect your floors. Which one you use will depend on your needs.
Attach feet.

Now go put your feet up and relax.

Make your own rug hooked footstool

1. Footstool Construction Material List
2. Footstool Feet - Where to Get Them
3. Footstool Feet - Staining
4. Build the Box
5. Adding the foam
6. Preparing the Backing
7. Sewing up the Sides
8. Upholstery and Finishing Touches

Missing something? Please let me know so I can make these instructions as complete as possible.