How To Remove the Skirt from a Sofa

Remember back in early June when I guest hosted  Thrift Score Thursday  and I shared my red sofa? Well, one of the reasons I was drawn to t...

Remember back in early June when I guest hosted Thrift Score Thursday and I shared my red sofa? Well, one of the reasons I was drawn to this couch, besides the fact that it was free, was because I could see the many different possibilities of styles that I can mix and match with this sofa. One of the main things I knew I wanted to do this sofa was to take the skirt off of the sofa to modernize it a little bit more. The red cranberry color is very beautiful but I felt that the skirt was aging the sofa in a way that it clashed with the look I wanted to achieve.  Back when I had my Chinoiserie couch, I removed the skirt and it made a world of a difference, so I knew...I would love the results. 


The only tool you need to accomplish this task is an upholstery remover. If you do not have this tool you can try a flat head screwdriver, but I do not how much success you will have with that. The cool thing about this tool is that it removes tacks and staples in a couple of seconds. My red couch measures approximately 7' and it took me about 20 minutes to remove most to all the tacks. 

When it comes to steps---basically, you just have to pry the nail off like how you would with a hammer. That is it, it is pretty basic. I would not recommend using the backside of a hammer to remove tacks or staple, because it will not work and it may damage your upholstery. I tried taking pictures of me prying the tacks off, but guys....I am a righty BIGGGGGG TIME and trying to take a picture and prying a tack off with tool was a no go! Please forgive me. Ha! 

--Upholstery tack remover--

The ease of the upholstery tool is absolutely amazing. The tacks in this couch were in there deep and I was able to remove them with very minimal damage to the actual sofa. What you see below is what the aftermath of the removal of the tacks.




You can see a couple of the tacks that I could NOT get off for the life of me...I was afraid of damaging the sofa. When I started this project I did not think that the residue of the tacks would be visible. When I did this to my "Chino" couch, the staple removing damage was not noticeable, because there was a print on the couch. Since this couch is solid, I plan to hide the tack-damage...BUT you will have to wait till August to see what I come up with! 

I held on to the skirt and I plan to keep a small amount of scratch fabric just in case I need material for extra buttons....one word, KIDS!


Now the sofa screams mad-menish, don't ya think? Very modern.....BUT stay tune to see how I makeover the couch so the tack holes are not visible. 

Sidenote: little boys + tufting = NO NO


*There are affiliate links in post

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80 comments

  1. What a huge difference the removal of the skirt made. This looks so good...great find!

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  2. Wow, I never thought of just removing the skirt to change the look of the sofa. What a fantastic idea!

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    1. You should really try it! Trust me, It would make a world of a difference.

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  3. Wow remind me to hire you next time I need some handiwork done it looks great!http://www.fadedspring.co.uk/

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  4. That looks so much better - well done. :)

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  5. Oh wow! That changed the entire look of your couch! Nice!

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  6. I'm OBSESSED with this couch! Amazing find! I love the look of it so much more without the skirt!

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  7. Very nice! Are you planning to use nail heads to cover the holes? Can't wait to see the next phase.

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    1. I was thinking about something else but nailheads would have better resale value if I plan on selling it in the future.

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  8. This is awesome! I have a thrifted, vintage couch that has a skirt and I might give this a try when I get some new legs for it. =)

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    1. Tell me about it. My couch needs new legs but I cannot make my mind up! Ha!

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  9. OMG, sofa skirts are usually ALWAYS hideous! Thanks for this DIY post :)

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  10. I can't even get over the difference! SO AWESOME! Pinned! Love this girl! xox Christine http://www.amidsthechaos.ca

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  11. It really does make a huge difference! I like it much better without the skirt as well, looks much more sleek. :) Well done Jess!

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  12. What a difference! I had no idea this was even possible!

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  13. That was so clever and really looks like a new couch. WE just got rid of a couch like that... wish I knew

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    1. Thanks! That sucks, but hey you will be prepped with a plan next time you see a couch with a similar style.

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  14. I didn't even know you could do that! Looks awesome!
    xo, Caitlin
    And Possibly Dinosaurs

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  15. I love how classic and timeless it looks now!

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  16. Oh my goodness. I'm SO jealous of that gorgeous couch and I'm even more jealous that it was FREE!!!

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    1. Ha! Jaclyn, I do what I got to do! Thanks, love!

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  17. I've never known about that tool--very cool! We have an Ikea sofa (KIDS! like you said ;) ) that I revamped almost as soon as we bought it. I switched out the legs (they look a lot like the ones on your couch already), added buttons to the back cushions and I cut off the top 1/3 of each seat cushion to make the arm rests at a more comfortable level. So awesome that you got that sweet sofa for free! Even more amazing is how much the whole look of it changed by just removing that skirt! Well done :) It look super stylish and high end.

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    1. That sounds awesome....you should share your skills! Thanks Brooke for sharing your sofa makeover and for your kind words.

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  18. That looks so much better! Great job!

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  19. Such a great job. I like it a lot better after you took the skirt off.

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  20. Wow - removing the skirt made a huge difference! psst - you have a typo in your title: Form should be From. This is a typo that I make all of the time! I do not know why but my fingers always types the o then the r when I want from. But again - great job with the couch. I can't wait to see what else you do with it!

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    1. Thanks for informing me about the title, I would have never noticed. Thanks for always stopping by!

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  21. Hmmm, awesome idea for a sofa make over! Thanks babe! Great post, i will def try it soon!

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  22. WOW! What a difference that one step made! I can't wait to see the finished project.

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  23. This is honestly something that has never crossed my mind to do, but it's genius! It really does take it from "grandma's couch" to "New York loft." Brilliant!

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  24. That already look 10 times more amazing! If you can share how to reupholster my sofa I'd be even happier lol!

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  25. What a great way to update a sofa or change the look of a room. Great tutorial. Cathy

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  26. Looking forward to that reveal. Great color for a couch BTW. BB2U

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  27. I love it! I can't believe what a huge difference just removing the skirt made. Awesome. You have great vision.

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  28. I like it SO much without the skirt! Amazing that a little work made it so much more modern!

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  29. What a good thrift store find! Sheesh! And what a crazy transformation without the skirt! Looks so mid-century and wonderful! Add a couple throw pillows and BAM! ;)

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  30. I think it looks so great now! Can't wait to see how it looks finished

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  31. Wow looks so good without the skirt! I totally get you when you say you need the extra material because of the kids :) I keep all the extras now just in case!

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    1. Yes, I say....kids! You can't have nice things w/o the kids touching it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  32. What a fabulous idea! I would never have considered removing a skirt from a couch, but it looks really cool. Can't wait to see the finished product.

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  33. Omg! Who knew doing something so simple as removing the skirt from a sofa could totally transform a couch?!?! Love it!

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    1. I know, right? Who knew? Thanks girl for stopping by.

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  34. Wow. It looks so nice with out the skirt. Great tips to remove the skirt.

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    1. Thanks, I love the NEW look on a not so new couch.

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  35. Amazing how much of a difference one small change can make. Can't wait to see what you do next with this project!

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    1. Yes, small changes, big impact. Stay tune for the changes.

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  36. Wow! What a difference taking that skirt off made. Thanks for the great tutorial!!

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  37. What a difference, gives the sofa a totally different look. You made it look very easy

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  38. wow what a difference one piece of fabric can make...went from to dated to chic!

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  39. Wow! That sure transformed the couch and made it look so much more modern! Great work.

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  40. This is awesome!! I've been looking for how to do this! Thanks :)

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    1. You should try it! This is one of those small changes that can change the whole look of a piece or even a room. As of now, I am loving the direction my living room is going in.

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