How to Add DIY Fringe Trim to Sofas and Chairs
I finally did a little DIY project that I’ve been dying to do for a couple of years. Adding fringe to a sofa!
It’s most definitely not a look for everyone, but if you love grandmillennial style and “Grandma core” deep in your soul, this is a great simple project to try.
Adding fringe is a quick way to change the style of an old sofa. I got this gorgeous green velvet sofa for my office recently, but the bottom of it felt a little bit “modern farmhouse”. That style is beautiful by the way! It just wasn’t the style I wanted for my own home.
By attaching trim around the bottom, I completely transformed it in about 15 minutes flat.
Related: Pottery Barn Sofa Review: What You Should Know Before Buying
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Supplies You Will Need
This post barely requires a tutorial, but I’m giving it to ya anyway.
- sofa of your choice (of course)
- tape measure
- bullion fringe trim the length of your sofa legs
- fabric scissors
- straight pins or a staple gun
- fray check
Related: Trend Alert: Bullion Fringe Furniture for All Budgets
What is bullion fringe?
The fringe is known for its twisted yarn look. It was most popular during the Victorian era, which was a time period that featured over-the-top ornamental details. It had a resurgence in the Art Deco and Hollywood Regency movements in the early 20th century.
Think Judy Garland’s living room in Meet Me in St Louis or Leonardo DiCaprio’s furnishings in The Great Gatsby.
Basically, it’s a furniture detail that demands attention. It’s quite the drama queen.
Related: Top 10 Best Reclining Sofas With Modern Style
How to Add Fringe to Furniture
I attached fringe to my sofa using a temporary solution (if you’re afraid of committing to this type of look), but I’ll share an alternatively more permanent solution later.
Step 1 – Measure and Choose the Right Size Fringe
I measured my sofa legs first to make sure I bought the correct size fringe. The legs on my sofa were 9″ tall, so I ordered 9″ length bullion fringe trim.
You don’t want your fringe to be too short or else it will look like “high waters”. But you don’t want your fringe puddling on the floor either.
I chose this cream colored fringe, but there are all kinds of color options on the market that you can try to customize your look.
Measure the perimeter of your sofa so you know how much fringe you’ll need. My 84″ sofa required 5 yards of fringe.
Step 2 – Attach Fringe
Start attaching the fringe at one corner of the sofa using straight pins. Push the pins through the top of the fringe at an angle into the upholstery. (Pushing them in at an angle will keep them from falling out.)
You’ll need a lot of pins. I easily went through 100 of them.
If you ever decide the fringe isn’t for you anymore later in the future, the pins can be removed fairly easily.
Step 3 – Cut Fringe and Seal Frayed Edge
When you’ve finished pinning the fringe all around the base of the sofa, cut the trim with fabric scissors. Apply Fray Check to the edge to prevent fraying. Turn the rough edge under and pin it as well.
Alternative
If you want a more permanent solution, attach the fringe around the base of the sofa with an upholstery staple gun instead. You can also use upholstery glue, but I don’t recommend that as it can be a messy process.
So that’s it! Sofas with fringe easily sell for $5,000 to $10,000! If you don’t believe me, here is a fringe sofa from Serena & Lily for over $7,000. This fringe sofa by Bunny Williams sells for a whopping $11,000! What the what?!
You could score a sofa in great shape on Facebook Marketplace for less than $500 and add the fringe to create the same look.
Or if you don’t want to make it yourself, I found several bullion fringe furniture pieces for all budgets here.
So now my new home office layout has this elegant, dramatic sofa smack in the middle of it, and I can hardly contain myself. It’s so extremely comfortable too (for about 1/8th the cost of the designer versions).
What do you think? Are you into the bullion fringe trend resurgence? It’s okay if it’s not for you. Drama queens don’t fit in with everybody.
Time needed: 15 minutes
How to Add Fringe Trim to a Sofa
- Measure and Choose the Right Size Fringe
Measure your sofa legs first to find the correct size fringe you will need. Fringe length should nearly touch the floor from the base of your sofa. Measure the perimeter of your sofa so you know how much fringe you’ll need.
- Attach Fringe
Start attaching the fringe at one corner of the sofa using straight pins. Push the pins through the top of the fringe at an angle into the upholstery.
- Cut Fringe Trim and Seal Frayed Edge
When you’ve finished pinning the fringe all around the base of the sofa, cut the trim with fabric scissors. Apply Fray Check to the edge to prevent fraying. Turn the rough edge under and pin it as well.
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