Missing JoAnn Fabrics? The 13 Best Places To Buy Upholstery Fabric Now

Crafters across the country mourned as JoAnn Fabrics stores closed their doors forever. Sure, other craft stores are still thriving, but none of them come close to the fabric selection from JoAnn. From the casual crafter making tie fleece blankets to serious seamstresses sewing clothing from scratch, the fabric store was a gem where you could see and feel the fabrics in person before making a decision. That included upholstery fabric for those DIYers who love to give furniture a new look — even the staff was helpful, like a living guide to choosing upholstery. What's a crafter to do now? Fortunately, there are still plenty of brick-and-mortar and online options for buying upholstery fabric.

Hobby Lobby, Walmart, Michaels, IKEA, and locally owned fabric stores offer in-person shopping options throughout the country, but the selection can be limited, which could make it difficult to choose the best upholstery for your sofa or chairs. You'll often have more choices from online shops — popular options include Spoonflower, Etsy, and OnlineFabricStore. Then, there are some options that are primarily online shops but have a few brick-and-mortar locations. Those include Tonic Living, Mood Fabric, and Stonemountain and Daughter. If you prefer vintage options, try thrift stores, garage sales, or estate sales. Either way, you're looking for a selection of highly durable fabrics, often including cotton blends, leather, linen, nylon blends, polyester blends, and vinyl. And if the information is available, pay attention to the rub count, which gives you an idea of how well the fabric holds up to wear and tear.

While there are things you should never buy at Hobby Lobby, upholstery fabric isn't on that list. In fact, Hobby Lobby could have one of the largest in-store fabric selections available in most areas, now that JoAnn Fabrics is gone. The chain consists of more than 1,000 stores in 48 states, which means most crafters will have a location within a reasonable driving distance. If not, the massive craft retailer also offers a large selection of home decor and upholstery fabrics online, so you can order from Hobby Lobby, even if you don't have a brick-and-mortar store near you.

The home decor fabric section of Hobby Lobby includes both indoor and outdoor fabrics, which means you might be able to find the perfect upholstery to refinish your patio chairs, too. It's typically sold by the yard, both in stores and online, allowing you to choose large enough pieces for bigger furniture upholstery projects. And you'll find many options priced at less than $20 per yard. Fabric types offered by Hobby Lobby include faux leather, suede, velvet, and buckskin. When you're shopping online, the description of each fabric typically lists the durability, including the rub count, to help you determine how it might hold up over time. For example, this Crypton Robusta fabric is listed as an extra heavyweight, heavy-duty fabric with an 80,000 rub count. Some lighter-weight options will include a note that they're not intended for upholstery, which helps you identify the fabrics to avoid at all costs for your DIY upholstery projects.

What can't you find at Walmart? Often in rural areas, it's one of the main options for buying everything from food and over-the-counter medications to craft supplies and clothing. At many of the more than 4,600 U.S. Walmart locations, shoppers have access to craft supplies in a dedicated section of the store, which includes various types of fabrics. However, not all locations carry upholstery fabric, and even the ones that do could have vastly different selections from store to store. The retailer also offers a huge selection of fabrics online, which allows you to shop Walmart for upholstery fabric, even if your local store doesn't have a craft section.

Upholstery fabric options found at Walmart typically include polyester, chenille, faux leather, and cotton blends. Walmart fabric is a more cost-effective option than other retailers, although heavier-duty upholstery fabric tends to run a little higher than lighter-weight fabrics. Still, you can often find options for under $20 per yard. Like many fabric stores, Walmart sells most of its fabric by the yard. In Walmart stores, you may also find various chunks of fabric remnants that could fit your upholstery project and save you money. And if you pay attention to the Walmart hacks that will change how you DIY, you might even find upholstery fabric that's on clearance or cheaper online for in-store pickup.

This suggestion might surprise you. If you've been a long-time Michaels shopper, you know the stores don't typically offer fabric by the yard, even though it's one of the DIY craft stores that gets the most foot traffic. A typical Michaels store has departments offering silk flowers, seasonal items, yarn, craft supplies, art supplies, and framing materials. However, that changed in June 2025 when JoAnn Fabrics went out of business, and Michaels bought the intellectual property of its competitor. That business decision made Michaels a contender as a fabric option now that JoAnn is closed for good.

The goal is to eventually bring a Knit and Sew Shop into all of the Michaels store locations — some already have them, so check your local store to see if you can find upholstery fabric in person. Or, head to the Michaels website to find several fabrics online from the JoAnn Fabrics takeover. The online upholstery fabric section includes over 10,000 results, including solids and prints in polyester, linen blends, chenille, cotton canvas, and velvet. There are plenty of upholstery fabric options available for under $20 per yard, and even the more highly-rated options are still quite affordable.

You know you can find affordable upholstered furniture at IKEA, after all, the Swedish-based retailer has a cult-like following with fans who adore the unique (and often quirky) designs that are also surprisingly cost-effective. But you might be shocked to learn that you can also buy upholstery fabric there for your DIY projects. Not all states have an IKEA location, despite there being 77 showrooms in North America. But upholstery fabric is also available on the IKEA website if you don't have a nearby store.

In the past, IKEA offered a variety of fabrics by the yard, until they took away fabric completely. Then, it came back but in a different variation. Now, the Swedish retailer offers precut fabric, typically measuring 59 inches by 118 inches, with most options priced under $20. Many of the fabric options come in bright colors with bold patterns, and the selection is relatively limited, so IKEA might not work for all crafters' needs. If the actual fabric options don't fit your needs, buying curtains is another budget-friendly IKEA way to buy upholstery fabric.

JoAnn Fabrics offered such an easily accessible, wide selection of fabrics that you might not have considered the local, smaller fabric store options in your area. Of course, this source for fabric will vary widely depending on where you live. Larger metropolitan areas might have multiple fabric stores available — Philadelphia is famous for its Fabric Row, the historic section where many fabric vendors are available to shoppers looking for all types of textiles, including upholstery materials. But even smaller towns and cities support at least one fabric or sewing shop where you can meander the aisles and touch the fabrics before buying. 

The size and selection available will vary widely. Some independently owned fabric stores focus on quilting, so you might not be able to find the more durable fabric types that are required for lasting upholstery. However, some quilt shops might offer materials that will work. If your local stores have websites, visit them online first to get a sense of the inventory options. Then, visit the store in person to get a better sense of the fabric's weight, true color, and texture. Many independent fabric stores offer swatches, so you can see a piece of the fabric in your home before buying a large amount. Fabric store owners are also typically passionate about sewing and knowledgeable about fabrics, so getting to know them can give you a good source of information. Plus, you're supporting a local business, which can feel good.

Individual sellers flock to Etsy to market their creative, vintage, and handcrafted products — it gives those smaller creators a well-known platform for selling their products while making it easier for shoppers like you to find a wide range of options. And among all of those hand-painted, customized signs and jewelry pieces, there are also upholstery fabric options available on Etsy. It's a completely online shopping option, which means you won't be able to see the fabrics in person, but the vast number of sellers also increases the variety of textile options available.

Because the online marketplace consists of independent retailers, it offers fabrics of almost every style, color, and pattern you can think of, from basic solids to bold floral, animal, geometric, and abstract patterns. Of course, there are mistakes everyone makes when shopping on Etsy, including not reading the store policies and failing to read the description fully. When you're dealing with individual sellers, you need to understand what they're offering and ask questions before buying. Many Etsy sellers offer vintage fabrics, so it's important to ask about the condition of those older textiles. 

If you're a thrifter, you know the excitement of stumbling across a treasure. That's the thing about thrift stores — you never quite know what you'll find. If you're lucky, you'll hit the jackpot with a stockpile of upholstery fabric from someone else's DIY that never came to fruition. Most thrift stores have at least a small section of craft supplies and materials that you can scour to look for fabrics that are durable enough to work as upholstery.  

The problem with a thrift store is that you never really know what you'll find, so if you're looking for a very specific type, color, or pattern on your upholstery fabric, this might not be the best option. But, if you're flexible and prefer something that's completely unique, you just may have luck at the thrift store — especially if you have the patience to look over multiple trips. You won't find the bolts of fabric that you're used to seeing at craft stores, but you might find cut pieces of fabric that are big enough for your upholstery project. It's not just the craft section of the thrift store that could hold options — some curtains, bedding, and other materials can be repurposed into upholstery fabric if it's heavy-duty and tightly woven.

Estate and garage sales offer a similar secondhand market for upholstery fabric and other crafting supplies. Like thrift stores, these types of sales aren't a guaranteed source of textiles. However, you might get lucky and find someone who's clearing out their craft room and liquidating their personal fabric stash, which could include durable fabrics that are suitable for upholstering furniture. Since these sales are in-person, you'll get the chance to inspect the fabric and evaluate its condition before you buy it. 

Unfortunately, not every sale will offer fabric (or any crafting supplies for that matter). Before you head out, look through the listings for local estate and garage sales to look for options that list fabric specifically. Or, you might take a chance on options with draperies and other household items that could be made of heavy-duty fabric, so you can repurpose them into furniture covers. You might find truly unique, vintage options this way. Inspect the fabrics for wear, and smell them to make sure they don't have bad odors in them. 

You might recognize Spoonflower as an Instagram-worthy wallpaper brand, but the site also offers custom-printed fabrics in a range of patterns. The retailer originated in 2008 to solve the co-founder's wife's dilemma of finding the perfect curtains, and the brand now operates under Shutterfly. Independent artists create unique designs in a broad range of styles (your purchase supports those artists since they get royalties on sales). The vendor uses a print-on-demand model that makes it easier to customize your upholstery fabric to match your vision. Fabric, wallpaper, and home decor are the options available for any of the patterns on Spoonflower.

When you're choosing upholstery fabric from Spoonflower, you'll likely start by choosing the print you want. The artist-created designs are truly unique, which allows you to create a standout upholstered piece for your home. Once you find the perfect pattern, you can change the material type to match your upholstery project. Recommended choices include recycled canvas, performance linen, performance velvet, and Celosia velvet. In a lower-traffic area, Belgian linen, Dogwood denim, cypress cotton canvas, and linen cotton canvas are also options. The pricing varies significantly based on the fabric option you choose.

Stonemountain and Daughter Fabrics offers an in-store shopping area if you're close to Berkeley, CA. The brick-and-mortar store has multiple rooms and two stories' worth of fabrics to explore and feel with your own hands. But even if you don't live near Berkeley, you can support this family-owned fabric shop by purchasing fabrics online — the store ships to all states and territories. Since it is a small business, you can contact them to ask questions about the fabric before purchasing online to help you feel more comfortable with your selection. 

While the online shopping options don't include a specific upholstery section, you can choose a midweight and denim category containing medium and heavyweight fabrics that could work as upholstery fabric. Or, select a particular type of fabric, like velvet or polyester, and then filter it by specific fabric weight ranges to find heavier varieties. While there are some fabric options in the $50 to $60 per yard range, there are also many more moderately priced options under $30 per yard.

Mood Fabrics is known as a destination for fashion fabrics, but it also has a large selection of home fabrics, including textiles that are perfectly durable enough to work as upholstery. There are four brick-and-mortar locations, including the flagship New York City shop, along with Los Angeles, Miami, and Houston. However, if you're nowhere near the stores, you can still shop the extensive selection of fabric online and have it shipped to any state.

To select your ideal options, navigate to the upholstery section of the home fabrics from Mood. There, you'll find over 4,000 options in solids and patterns. Watch the prices carefully as you're browsing the options — Mood offers modestly priced upholstery fabrics for under $20 a yard, but there are also options that cost over $200 per yard. Mood also sells real leather by the hide (rather than by the yard), which is about 50 to 60 square feet of material. Shopping online for fabric can be stressful — you don't get to feel it yourself or see the colors in person. But thankfully, Mood offers $5 swatches of most of its fabric options, so you can test them out in your home before buying. 

Toronto-based Tonic Living offers online shopping in addition to its 15,000-square-foot showroom. In addition to pillows, ottomans, and other home products, the retailer also has a plethora of home decor fabrics, including options for upholstery. Despite being located in Canada, Tonic Living ships to the U.S. — you'll see the import fees and duties on the checkout screen before you place your order.

When shopping with Tonic Living for your upholstery project, pay particular attention to the high-performance fabric collection, which is made from durable, stain-resistant fibers. You'll find many neutrals, including shades of brown, cream, and tan, in this collection — many in solid colors or subtle, classic patterns, like stripes and plaids. The upholstery options start around $20 CAD per yard and go up to over $100 CAD per yard. The online store gives you options to buy swatches or half-yard increments if you want to test out a sample of a fabric first.

A final online fabric option is aptly named OnlineFabricStore. Based in New England, this online fabric vendor is known for its massive inventory of all types of fabrics from many different brands. The online store also offers several guides for fabric-related projects, so even though you can't visit in person, you can get lots of tips and tricks from experts. OnlineFabricStore also sells various sewing supplies and tools, which could help you complete your upholstery project.

When you select the upholstery fabric category on OnlineFabricStore, you get over 28,000 results — we weren't kidding when we said it has a massive selection. Many of the options are solid colors, but there are also thousands of patterned fabrics available. You'll find a mix of neutral and colorful designs to match your specific upholstery project. A large number of the fabrics sold by OnlineFabricStore have the option of samples, which cost $2.50 each and are about 4 inches by 4 inches.