12″ Valance/Skirt Stiffener

12" Upholstery Skirt & Valance Stiffener

12" Skirt and Valance Stiffener is designed to add body and support to deep furniture skirts, valances, decorative pelmets and other suitable upholstery and soft-furnishing applications.

The 12" width is the widest option within the Status Fabrics range and is particularly useful where a supported drop is required.

Available:

• Per metre
• 50 metre roll

Typical applications include:

• Deep sofa skirts
• Armchair valances
• Bed and divan valances
• Box pleats
• Kick pleats
• Tailored furniture skirts
• Decorative pelmets
• Long furniture facings
• Removable valance sections
• Furniture-manufacturing applications

Browse the full Skirt & Valance Stiffener range for 4", 5", 6 1/2" and 12" widths.

Why Use Valance Stiffener?

A furniture skirt or valance can look untidy if the fabric does not have enough body to maintain the intended shape.

Valance stiffener is positioned within or behind the covering fabric to provide additional support and help the finished section hang in a straighter, more controlled way.

It can be particularly useful for:

• Maintaining straight skirt panels
• Supporting deep fabric drops
• Helping box pleats retain their shape
• Reducing excessive floppiness
• Creating a more tailored furniture finish
• Supporting decorative pelmet sections
• Improving consistency across repeat furniture production

The stiffener supports the fabric but does not determine the entire finished result.

Fabric weight, seam construction, pleat design, hem depth and attachment method will all affect how the valance hangs.

Measure the Finished Valance Before Choosing the Width

Do not select the stiffener width solely from the visible finished skirt depth.

The complete construction may also require allowances for:

• Top seams
• Lower hems
• Turnings
• Pleats
• Fabric returns
• Attachment sections
• Decorative folds

For example, a skirt with a visible finished drop of approximately 10" may still require a 12" stiffener once the complete construction has been considered.

Use suitable Rulers & Tape Measures to establish the actual dimensions before cutting the stiffener or upholstery fabric.

For repeat furniture manufacture, record the finished dimensions once the first successful valance has been produced.

Cutting 12" Valance Stiffener

The wide format can be cut either across its length or, where required, trimmed down to a narrower depth.

Use sharp Upholstery Shears & Snips to produce clean, square edges.

Professional side-bent shears such as the Wilkinson 3119CP Side-Bent Scissors are useful when cutting long lengths of material and surrounding upholstery fabric on a workbench.

Before cutting:

1. Measure the required finished depth.
2. Add the appropriate seam and hem allowances.
3. Mark the stiffener accurately.
4. Keep the material flat and untwisted.
5. Cut cleanly along the marked line.
6. Test the first section before preparing the full quantity.

Where the 12" material is being reduced to a custom width, maintaining a consistent cut is important because any variation may affect the finished lower edge of the valance.

Cutting the Upholstery Fabric

The covering fabric must also be cut accurately.

Browse Vinyl & Fabric for suitable furniture-covering materials and Upholstery Shears & Snips for professional cutting tools.

Allow for:

• Finished drop
• Top seam
• Bottom hem
• Pleat construction
• Pattern matching
• Side returns
• Corner treatments

Patterned and striped fabrics require particular care.

The pattern should be planned across the full valance before individual sections are cut so that the finished skirt does not appear uneven around the furniture.

Sewing Valance Stiffener into the Construction

Depending on the furniture design, the stiffener may be enclosed between layers of fabric or sewn into the valance construction.

Use suitable Upholstery Sewing Threads & Barbobs for professional machine sewing.

Somabond 40's Bonded Nylon Sewing Thread is widely used for upholstery, bedding and furniture manufacturing and is available in a large choice of colours.

When sewing, consider:

• Fabric thickness
• Stiffener thickness
• Needle size
• Thread
• Stitch length
• Seam allowance
• Number of material layers

Make a short sample before production where the fabric and stiffener combination has not previously been used.

Box Pleats & Tailored Furniture Skirts

Valance stiffener is particularly useful in structured pleated furniture skirts.

A box pleat may include more material than the visible finished face suggests.

Allow for:

• Visible front section
• Side returns
• Inner fold
• Seam allowance
• Stiffener positioning

Measure and construct one complete pleat before calculating the material required for the entire sofa or chair.

The stiffener should remain correctly aligned inside the pleat rather than twisting or overlapping unnecessarily.

Excessive overlap can create a visible raised section beneath the covering fabric.

Straight Furniture Skirts

For simple straight skirts, the stiffener helps the fabric retain a cleaner vertical drop.

This can be useful around:

• Sofas
• Armchairs
• Footstools
• Beds
• Divans
• Upholstered benches

Keep the upper fixing line level and maintain a consistent distance between the lower edge of the skirt and the floor.

A furniture skirt should not drag along the floor, particularly where the furniture has castors or is likely to be moved regularly.

Fixed Furniture Valances

Some valances are permanently attached to the furniture frame.

Where the construction calls for mechanical fixing, browse Upholstery Staple Guns & Tackers and compatible Upholstery Staples.

Fine-wire upholstery staples are commonly used to attach suitable covering materials to timber furniture frames.

Select the staple according to:

• Staple-gun model
• Staple series
• Fabric thickness
• Number of layers
• Timber depth
• Required penetration

Do not crush or tear the stiffener when attaching the finished valance.

Where the fixing will remain concealed, make sure the upper edge stays level while working around the furniture.

Removable Valances with Hook & Loop Tape

Some furniture designs use removable skirts or valance sections.

For these applications, Hook & Loop Tape can provide a reusable fastening system.

Sew-on hook and loop is particularly relevant where one half of the fastening needs to be stitched to the valance fabric.

This can allow the valance to be:

• Removed for access
• Repositioned
• Replaced
• Detached from the furniture for appropriate cleaning where the complete construction allows it

Position the fastening accurately so the finished valance remains level when attached.

The hook-and-loop tape should support the intended fastening method rather than being used to compensate for an incorrectly measured or poorly constructed valance.

Furniture Skirts Around Feet & Castors

Furniture skirts are often used to partially conceal feet, legs or castors.

Before deciding the finished drop, check:

• Floor clearance
• Castor height
• Furniture movement
• Carpet depth
• Floor level
• Leg position

Leave enough clearance so that the fabric does not become trapped beneath castors or drag excessively on the floor.

Where replacement furniture feet or castors are also required, browse Feet & Castors.

Bed & Divan Valances

The 12" width is particularly useful for deeper bed and divan valances.

Measure the finished bed height carefully and decide how much clearance is required above the floor.

Consider:

• Mattress position
• Divan depth
• Bed legs
• Castors
• Floor covering
• Corner construction
• Whether the valance is fixed or removable

For long runs, calculate the complete perimeter before ordering and allow for joins, pleats and cutting waste.

The 50 metre roll is particularly useful for professional bed manufacturers and workrooms producing repeated valance designs.

Decorative Pelmets

The 12" stiffener can also be used in suitable fabric pelmets where additional body is required.

The wide format is particularly useful for deeper decorative pelmet sections.

Measure:

• Finished depth
• Overall width
• Side returns
• Corner construction
• Fabric pattern repeat
• Hem allowance
• Mounting method

The stiffener shapes and supports the fabric section but is not a substitute for a suitable structural pelmet board or mounting system.

Joining Lengths

Where a skirt, valance or pelmet requires more than one length of stiffener, plan the join carefully.

Where possible:

• Keep the ends square
• Position the join in a less visible area
• Avoid excessive overlap
• Keep both sections at the same height
• Enclose the join within the finished fabric construction

A large overlap can create an unwanted ridge.

A large gap can create a softer unsupported section.

On pleated furniture skirts, joins can sometimes be positioned within the pleat construction so that the transition is less noticeable.

Per Metre or 50 Metre Roll?

Choose per metre where:

• Only a small quantity is required
• A single furniture item is being repaired
• A test piece is needed
• The exact required quantity is known

Choose the 50 metre roll where:

• Valances are produced regularly
• Multiple sofas or chairs are being manufactured
• Bed or divan production is involved
• The material is used routinely within a workroom
• Repeat production requires consistent stock availability

Buying by the metre is convenient for individual projects, while a full roll is better suited to regular professional use.

Choosing Another Width

The Status Fabrics range also includes narrower skirt and valance stiffeners.

Consider 6 1/2" Valance / Skirt Stiffener for deeper furniture skirts where the full 12" width is unnecessary.

The 5" Valance / Skirt Stiffener suits medium-depth skirts and valances.

The 4" Valance / Skirt Stiffener is the narrowest option for shallower furniture skirts and decorative fabric sections.

Choose the width according to the complete construction rather than the furniture size alone.

Complete Skirt & Valance Workroom Setup

A typical furniture-skirt or valance project may also require:

• Upholstery Fabric for the finished covering
• Sewing Threads & Barbobs for machine sewing
• Upholstery Shears & Snips for cutting fabric and stiffener
• Rulers & Tape Measures for accurate sizing
• Pins & Skewers for suitable workroom positioning
• Hook & Loop Tape for removable valance sections
• Upholstery Staple Guns & Tackers for suitable fixed valances
• Upholstery Staples for compatible furniture fastening

see the Skirt & Valance Stiffener range or return to Workroom Supplies for upholstery and furniture-manufacturing sundries.

Width: 12". Available per metre or in a 50 metre roll.

12" upholstery skirt and valance stiffener for adding body and support to deep furniture skirts, bed valances, box pleats, decorative pelmets and other suitable soft-furnishing applications.

The wide 12" format is particularly useful for deeper drops and can also be trimmed down where an intermediate width is required.

Available per metre or in a 50 metre roll.

Use alongside Upholstery Sewing Threads, Upholstery Shears & Snips and Measuring & Marking Tools when preparing skirts and valances.

For removable valance sections, see Hook & Loop Tape.

see the Skirt & Valance Stiffener range.