My new sofa has a small, dime sized, burn hole in the fabric on the arm. It's low on the arm, close to the cushion but I know my kids will play with the hole and make it larger. The fabric is a rough weave. Can I mend it so the hole is closed/covered?

rondee, July 2006

You can use a two sided iron on bonding fabric. The reason you need two-sided is because in order to create a patch for the small hole, you need two pieces of material (preferably material that will blend into the color of your sofa. Cut the two pieces of fabric and one piece of bonding fabric the exact same size but a little larger than the hole. work the fabric into the hole and the bonding fabric with the fabric on the outside (last) against the hole. Use a steam iron as hot as the material will allow and bond it onto the sofa. Be careful not to let the hot steam burn you. You might want to check to make sure it will not melt fibers of the sofa if there is any nylon in the fabric of the sofa this is not the answer. You can also buy a bonding glue for fabric which will accomplish the same thing without heat. Just make sure you put a small piece of material behind the hole as well as in front of it. Good Luck!

Betty, October 2009