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Furniture Clinic: Quick DIY Glides for Sofa, Chair or Table

Smooth things over between your furniture and floor with easy glides cut from leather scraps

Shelly Leer
Shelly LeerJune 9, 2013
Houzz Contributor. I've been upholstering furniture for over twenty years. I've been a DIY contributor to ApartmentTherapy Chicago, Huff Post Home, Curbly.com, as well as having penned a DIY column for The Indianapolis Star for five years. I'm excited to share my DIY expertise here on HOUZZ.com.
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When I was doing custom upholstery for clients and designers, I used to add a little complimentary service. Instead of leaving the furniture with its original harsh metal glides, plastic glides or those drippy, sticky felt pads, I'd replace them with slick leather furniture glides.

We've all experienced that terrible feeling when you see that first big scratch on a new wood, slate or tile floor after you barely move a new chair. These leather glides hold up much better than the ones that usually come with furniture. There's a leather shop in my city that sells wonderful, chunky scraps, but you can also find small pieces of leather online or in craft stores.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
Protecting wood, slate, tile or bamboo from wooden furniture legs can be a never-ending battle.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
Metal glides like these — which come standard on most furniture — can chew a wood floor to pieces. If you have the materials and 15 minutes to spare, you can protect your floor from your furniture.

Find floor-friendly furniture
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
Materials and tools:
  • Scrap leather
  • Contact cement
  • Scissors
  • Pen
  • Flat-head screwdriver (for removing metal or plastic glides)

Home improvement tools to get the job done
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
1. Use the screwdriver to pry off any metal or plastic glides from the bottoms of your furniture legs. Gooey felt ones should peel right off.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
2. Cut out a piece of leather to use for your glide. Make sure you cut it larger than the size of the leg bottom.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
3. Put your cut piece of leather under the leg and trace the leg's outline on it.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
4. Put a dab of contact cement on the bottom of the furniture leg.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
5. Put a dab of contact cement on the rough side of the leather (there should be a smooth side and a rough side). Press the leather onto the leg and hold it in place until it's stuck.
Upholstery Club's Shelly Leer
6. With a pair of sharp scissors, come in close and snip off all the excess leather. Repeat on all the furniture legs.

Can’t DIY? Hire a furniture repair professional

More: 29 Home Projects to Make You a DIY Superstar
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