How to Restuff Couch Cushions (Step By Step)

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Is your couch looking sad with its saggy cushions? Well, saggy cushions can be pretty uncomfortable, especially when you feel the springs of the couch beneath you.

This usually happens when the stuffing of your cushions breaks down. Luckily, you don’t need to spend a fortune on a new couch.

You can restuff your couch for much less, and it’ll feel cozy and comfy once again. So, you’re probably wondering, how to restuff couch cushions?

In today’s article, we have a detailed guide for you to restuff your cushions.

Don’t fret! The process is simple, and it doesn’t require any previous experience. That said, let’s jump into the details.

How to Restuff Couch Cushions

The following steps will guide you through the process of restuffing your couch cushions:

Step 1: Prepare the Workspace

Before we begin, you need to prepare a workspace area. Find a place where you can have enough room to work freely.

I find that a clean floor is more than enough if you don’t have a large table. You can also use a clean sheet to cover the floor while working because nobody wants dust or dirt in their cushions.

More importantly, you need to lock your pets somewhere. It can get messy with a dog or a cat playing around with the foam and the filling.

Step 2: Gather the Materials

Here’s a list of materials you’ll need to restuff your cushions:

• A bag of Polyfil
• Quilt batting roll
• Foam adhesive
• Measuring tape

Step 3: Prepare Your Back Cushions

We’ll start by restuffing the back cushions, as it’s much easier.

Most cushions have a zipper that allows you to access the stuffing.

Run your fingers around the outside of the cushions, until you locate the zipper. You can sometimes find them tucked or hidden.

Once you open the zipper, you can get rid of the existing stuffing if it’s too old, or you can add new stuffing to the existing one.

Step 4: Restuff Your Back Cushions

Grab the Polyfil and shove handfuls of it inside your cushion. Yes! It’s just like stuffing a turkey.

Make sure to get the Polyfil into every corner, especially if your cushion has a tricky figure. After your cushion is full, apply small pressure on the stuffing to add more Polyfil.

Don’t worry, you won’t overstuff your cushion by doing that. In fact, after a few weeks of regular use, the stuffing will settle down a little.

Therefore, we want the cushion to be a little overstuffed at first so that when it settles down, it’ll be just about right.

Step 5: Prepare Your Seat Cushions

Stuffing the seat cushions is a little different from stuffing the back cushions. We want the seat cushions to be a little flatter.

Typically, seat cushion stuffing consists of a big foam piece.

Grab your seat cushions and remove the cover. You can use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of deteriorating foam parts inside the cover.

Step 6: Add Quilt Battling to the Foam

Grab the measuring tape and get the measurements of the foam piece. Then, get the quilt batting roll and unfold it.

We want to cut a piece of the quilt batting that can make three layers around the foam piece. You can add more layers if the foam is worn out or extremely saggy.

Place the quilt batting on the work surface and put the foam piece on it. Next, start wrapping the quilt batting around the foam piece.

Finally, use the foam adhesive to secure the batting in place.

Step 7: Restuff Your Seat Cushions

Grab the covers of the seat cushions and open the zipper as wide as possible. It’s normal that you feel like the new foam isn’t going to fit.

Try to squeeze the new foam from one end first, then the other end. It might need some pressure, so it’s a good idea to ask someone to help you out with this step.

How to Restuff Couch Cushions Without Zippers

Unfortunately, not all cushions come with a zipper. Some cushions are completely sewn with no easy access to restuff them.

However, there’s a way around this! You can create an opening in the cushion to restuff without ruining the upholstery.

While this method is a little tricky and might take some effort, it’ll still save you a ton of money. More importantly, if you have some sewing skills, this should be fairly easy.

In any case, you’ll end up with cozy cushions that feel as comfortable as new ones.

Step 1: Prepare the Work Space

Make sure to pick a clean location where you’ll have enough space to work. Also, you’ll need proper lighting to sew the cushions.

Step 2: Gather the Materials You’ll Need

Here are the materials you’ll need to restuff the sewn cushions:

• Seam ripper clipper or small scissors
• Sewing pins
• Polyester thread of the same color as the cushions
• A 6-inch upholstery needle
• A bag of Polyfil
• A long thin stick or a ruler

Step 3: Create an Opening in the Cushion

After gathering all the materials, grab the cushion and stretch the sewn part so that the stitches become visible.

Then, insert the seam ripper clipper or the scissors between the stitches and cut them. You need the opening to be around 10 inches.

Step 4: Restuff the Cushions

Grab the Polyfil bag and shove handfuls of it inside the opening. You use the ruler or the long stick to push the Polyfil into spots that are hard to reach.

Continue stuffing the Polyfil until you can’t shove anymore in the cushion.

Step 5: Close the Opening

After filling up your cushion, fold the ripped edges to the inside, and use the sewing pins to keep the seam closed.

Then, grab the upholstery needle and the polyester thread. You’ll need to tie a knot at the end of the thread.

Start sewing by pushing the needle through the fabric a little before the ripped opening.

Pull the needle until the knot meets the fabric. Then, make small stitches along the opening to close it.

After you reach the end of the ripped opening, tie off the thread in a double knot.

What Materials Can I Use to Restuff Couch Cushions?

You can use many types of materials as cushion stuffing. Let’s talk about the most popular ones:

Feathers

Some people prefer natural materials for cushion restuffing. Feathers are the most popular natural stuffing.

Others prefer a mixture of 40% to 60% feathers and other materials like Polyfil, as stuffing too many feathers can make the cushions feel a little uncomfortable.

Foam

You can find many types of high-quality foam. They come in all standard couch cushion sizes.

You can also get a customizable foam and cut it into the exact shape and size that fits with your cushions.

Polyester Fiber

Polyester fibers, like Polyfil, have a smooth consistency and can make any cushion comfy and fluffy.

More importantly, they’re resilient to breaking down. Also, they’re easy to wash.

How Often Should You Restuff Your Couch Cushions?

It’s hard to say when exactly your cushions will need restuffing. That depends on the often you use the cushions and the materials inside them.

We recommend restuffing your coach cushions at least once every two years or when it becomes uncomfortable or soggy.

The breakdown of the stuffing usually occurs very slowly over time. So, some people don’t notice that their cushions are becoming uncomfortable.

However, once they restuff the cushions, it’s an entirely different experience.

Final Thoughts

So, how to restuff couch cushions?

First, you’ll need to locate the zipper and open it. Then, grab as much Polyfil as you can and stuff it inside the cushion.

We want the cushion to be slightly overstuffed, as it’ll settle down a little in the following weeks.

If your cushions don’t have a zipper, you’ll need to cut an opening through the stitches to add the Polyfil. Then, you can sew back the opening.

While the process can take time and effort, it can actually save you a ton of money.

Good luck restuffing your couch cushions!

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