3 Types of Upholstery Tack Strips & How to Use Them

Cardboard Tack Strip

Cardboard Tack Strip is used to create a clean and crisp edge in your fabric when you are blind tacking the fabric in place. In other words, this tack strip is used for places on your piece where you can attach this strip via staples underneath the decorative fabric. This type of tack strip is typically used under the outside arm and along the top back of chairs. Cardboard Tack Strip is also used alongside piping to keep the piping from drooping. You can see how we use Cardboard Tack Strip in our "How to Reupholster an Armchair" blog (#200668XHT).

1. Lay the fabric upside down and place the cardboard tack strip along the edge you want to make straight. Staple the tack strip into place.

2. Flip the fabric down over the tack strip.

3. Staple the opposite side of the fabric to the chair. (See that crisp line under the chair arm?)

To use cardboard tack strip with piping, push the tack strip up next to the piping cord and staple in place.

Upholstery Tack Strip

The Upholstery Tack Strip creates a clean, straight edge on upholstery projects and tacks the fabric in place. There is no stapling needed when using this tack strip. This is perfect for areas where you need to secure the fabric but you don’t want to have visible staples. In our "How to Reupholster an Armchair" blog (#200668XHT), you can see us use this tack strip along the sides of the chair back and on the chair sides.

1. Fold the fabric back along the edge of the chair and crease it. Place the tack strip next to the crease in the fabric. Poke the tacks through the fabric carefully.

2. Flip the fabric over, pulling the fabric taut. Using an upholstery hammer, hammer the tack strip into place.

Flexible Tack Strip

The Flexible Tack Strip is used primarily in curved areas where the other types of tack strips won’t work but where a finished edge is required, like on curved arms, outside wings and arched backs of chairs. This tack strip is stapled in place on your chair and then its teeth grip and hold the fabric in place. You can see this tack strip being installed in our "How to Reupholster a Channel Back Chair" blog tutorial (#200673XHT).

1. Staple the Flexible Tack Strip to the chair. Place one leg of a staple in every hole on the tack strip.

2. Tuck the fabric under so the teeth of the tack strip are gripping it.

3. Using a Rawhide Upholstery Mallet, start to hammer down the top of the tack strip. Then trim out any excess fabric. Making sure the fabric is properly taut, hammer the tack strip all the way down.

We hope these tips will help you get clean, crisp edges on your next reupholstery project!

You can find each of these tack strips as well as other upholstery tools, hardware and fabric right here at Sailrite.