Yes you can use any fabric, decorators fabric or upholstery fabric would work well. I found the throw pillow cover to be a great inexpensive option that just happened to be the right size. Pro tip: I opted to place the throw pillow cover over the existing fabric essentially adding second layer of fabric. If you want to remove the fabric you may need needle nose pliers to remove staples or tack remover tool if the fabric is fastened by upholstery tacks. If you don't have access to a staple gun you could adhere the fabric with a bit of hot glue or fabric glue, then attach it to the base.