Cardboard sheet 1000mmx800mmx 1.2mm (25 sheets)

Upholstery Cardboard Sheets for Furniture Backs, Arms & Templates

Upholstery Cardboard Sheets provide a lightweight and panel material for furniture manufacturing, reupholstery, restoration, pattern making and general workroom use.

Each sheet measures approximately 1000mm x 800mm x 1.2mm and is supplied in a pack of 25 sheets.

At 1.2mm thick, the cardboard is relatively easy to cut and shape while retaining enough body to create a smooth foundation beneath upholstery materials. This makes it particularly useful on furniture backs, outside arms, shaped panels and other areas where a heavier rigid board may not be required.

Typical applications include:

• Outside sofa and chair backs
• Outside arms and arm panels
• Shaped and curved furniture panels
• Concealed furniture sections
• Lightweight backing panels
• Foundations beneath upholstery fabric
• Upholstery templates and patterns
• Foam-cutting templates
• Prototype and sample work
• Repeat furniture-production patterns

see the Cardboard & Fibreboard range for alternative sheet materials and upholstery cardboard strips.

Cardboard for Outside Backs & Arms

One of the most common uses for upholstery cardboard is forming a smooth panel across suitable outside backs and arms.

Once the internal upholstery and padding have been completed, the cardboard can be cut to the required furniture profile and positioned over suitable frame openings to create an even foundation for the final covering material.

Accurate fitting is important. The cardboard should follow the intended furniture line without projecting beyond the frame, buckling or creating sharp ridges that could become visible through the finished fabric.

Where a neat concealed fabric edge is required around an outside back or arm, use suitable Upholstery Tacking Strips alongside the panel construction.

Useful for Shaped & Curved Furniture Work

The relatively light 1.2mm construction makes upholstery cardboard particularly useful for furniture with gentle curves and shaped profiles.

It can be used to create or template curved outside backs, shaped chair backs, arm panels, headboards, facings and other bespoke upholstered sections.

For irregular work, it is often better to create the shape gradually rather than attempting to calculate every dimension mathematically.

An initial cardboard pattern can be cut slightly oversize, offered up to the furniture and progressively trimmed until the required profile is achieved.

Once correct, that pattern can then be retained as a reusable workshop template.

Measure & Mark Before Cutting

Accurate work starts with accurate measurements.

Use suitable Measuring & Marking Tools to establish the overall panel dimensions, curves, centre lines, fixing positions and reference points before cutting.

For straight measurements and long cutting lines, browse Rulers & Tape Measures.

A rigid rule is particularly useful when marking straight panel edges, while a flexible tape measure is better suited to curved furniture, rounded backs and irregular profiles.

Before making the first cut, check the furniture itself as well as any old panel or covering being used as a pattern. Older upholstery materials may have stretched, distorted or been fitted inaccurately during previous repairs.

Cutting Upholstery Cardboard

The 1.2mm cardboard can be cut using a suitable sharp workroom knife on an appropriate cutting surface.

The Retractable Blade Craft Knife is particularly useful for card, templates, light trimming and detailed workshop cutting.

For larger or heavier cutting work, see the Knives & Foam Cutters range.

Use a straight rule where appropriate to guide long cuts and make several controlled passes rather than trying to force a blunt blade through the board in one movement.

A clean, sharp blade produces a neater edge and gives better control around shaped profiles.

Replacement blades are also available within the Knives & Foam Cutters range.

Upholstery Cardboard for Template Making

Cardboard sheets are particularly useful for producing reusable upholstery templates.

This is valuable for one-off bespoke work, but it can be even more useful in repeat furniture production where the same arm, back, panel or cushion shape needs to be reproduced accurately.

Once a template has been checked against the actual furniture, it can be used to transfer the required shape onto foam, fibreboard, fabric or other suitable upholstery materials.

Clearly mark permanent templates with useful information such as the furniture model, component name, left- or right-hand orientation, centre lines and finished dimensions.

A good template saves repeatedly measuring the same complicated shape and can improve consistency between multiple furniture components.

Cardboard Templates for Foam Sheets

Cardboard templates are particularly useful when cutting shaped furniture foam.

Once the cardboard profile has been checked against the frame, it can be placed onto a suitable Foam Sheet and used to transfer the required outline.

This can be useful when producing foam for shaped backs, arm pads, furniture facings, headboards, seat sections and other irregular upholstered components.

For thicker foam, use a cutting tool made for flexible upholstery foam rather than attempting to cut deep material with a short craft-knife blade.

Browse Knives & Foam Cutters for manual and electric foam-cutting equipment.

For customers who do not want to cut their own foam, Status Fabrics also provides a professional Foam Cut to Size service for bespoke sizes and shapes.

Use with Upholstery Profiles & Edge Rolls

Cardboard panels are frequently used as part of the same furniture build-up as Upholstery Profiles & Edge Rolls.

The cardboard may form the main panel surface while an edge roll, foam profile or other shaping material helps create the required contour around the frame.

This is particularly relevant on sofa and chair arms, outside backs, seat fronts, facings, borders and other furniture sections where a defined upholstered edge is required.

The complete build-up may include the timber frame, cardboard or fibreboard panel, edge profile, upholstery foam, polyester wadding and finally the covering fabric or vinyl.

The materials should be planned together. A profile that is too large, foam that is too thick or a panel cut beyond the required line can all alter the finished furniture dimensions.

Browse Profiles & Edge Rolls for paper edge rolls, foam and recon profiles and other furniture-edge shaping products.

Blending Cardboard, Foam & Edge Profiles

Where cardboard meets an edge profile or foam section, the transition beneath the upholstery covering should feel smooth.

A hard step or ridge beneath the fabric can remain visible after the furniture has been completed.

Suitable Foam Sheets can be cut or tapered where required to blend the panel into adjoining profiles and padded areas.

Check the completed shape by both sight and touch before adding the final soft padding and covering.

If a ridge can already be clearly felt before the upholstery fabric is fitted, adding fabric alone is unlikely to make it disappear.

Adding Polyester Wadding for a Softer Finish

Polyester Wadding can be used over suitable foam and furniture padding to soften transitions and produce a smoother finished surface beneath the upholstery fabric.

It is particularly useful around backs, arms, panels, headboards and shaped furniture sections where a softer outer layer is required.

Polyester wadding can help blend foam into adjoining profiles, soften harder edges and reduce minor surface irregularities before the final covering is fitted.

Where polyester wadding is applied over foam, bond it using Status Fabrics Heavy Duty Spray Adhesive.

The adhesive helps keep the wrap securely positioned, prevents it shifting or bunching while the cover is being fitted and helps achieve a smooth, consistent finished upholstery surface.

Use wadding to finish a correctly prepared panel rather than trying to disguise badly fitted cardboard, large gaps or poorly positioned edge profiles.

Cardboard or Fibreboard?

The correct panel material depends on the rigidity, shape and construction required.

The 1.2mm upholstery cardboard is the lighter and more flexible option, making it particularly useful for shaped panels, gentle curves, template making and suitable outside backs and arms.

Where greater rigidity is required, consider the alternative products within Cardboard & Fibreboard.

The 1.5mm Fibreboard Sheet provides a firmer panel option, while the 3mm Fibreboard Sheet offers greater thickness and rigidity for suitable applications.

Cardboard and fibreboard are intended primarily for panel forming, backing, shaping and finishing. They are not structural replacements for plywood, MDF, chipboard or damaged furniture-frame timber.

Creating a Professional Upholstery Panel

For the best result, complete the internal furniture work before permanently fitting an outside cardboard panel.

Check that the frame is sound, remove loose staples or tacks and make sure any mechanism, fixing or component that may need future access has not accidentally been covered.

Measure and mark the required profile using suitable Measuring & Marking Tools, cut the cardboard with a sharp Retractable Blade Craft Knife and test-fit the panel before final attachment.

Make small trimming adjustments progressively until the panel follows the furniture shape correctly.

Where foam, edge profiles or other padding materials are being incorporated, check the complete build-up before fitting the upholstery cover.

The finished panel should provide a smooth, consistent foundation without obvious ridges, hollows or projections.

1.2mm upholstery cardboard sheets for forming smooth panels on furniture backs, outside arms and other suitable upholstered sections.

The relatively thin cardboard can be cut and shaped to follow gentle curves and furniture profiles, making it particularly useful for outside backs, arm panels, concealed sections and upholstery template making.

Each sheet measures approximately 1000 x 800 x 1.2mm and is supplied in a pack of 25 sheets.

For firmer panel applications, see the 1.5mm Fibreboard Sheets and 3mm Fibreboard Sheets.

see the Cardboard & Fibreboard range.