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Quick Fix: Reupholster a Chair Seat
Take a chair from drab to fab, no sewing or special skills required, in just a few simple steps
Houzz Contributor. Meg is a budget-minded DIY lifestyle blogger at Revamp Homegoods (http://www.revamphomegoods.com). Her design philosophy is based on the concept that combining thrifty finds with a little blood, sweat and (sometimes) tears a stylish home can be achieved without breaking the bank
Houzz Contributor. Meg is a budget-minded DIY lifestyle blogger at Revamp... More »
My design style is traditional, blending contemporary and vintage pieces plus a few quirky accessories thrown in. This eclectic combination of design elements can create a stylish home with a fun, sophisticated vibe. While I'm always on the hunt for accessories, furniture and textiles to bump up my home's style quotient, more often I look for gems at thrift stores rather than big-box chains.
Thrifting allows me to find beautifully crafted items at a fraction of the cost. Take this midcentury modern chair, for example. It, along with three of its friends, was a recent thrift shop score; I purchased four chairs for $20. Yes, $20 total. Their clean lines and sleek frame plus their solid wood construction made them a perfect addition to our home. One special chair, originally intended for our breakfast nook, now adorns our bedroom.
Thrifting allows me to find beautifully crafted items at a fraction of the cost. Take this midcentury modern chair, for example. It, along with three of its friends, was a recent thrift shop score; I purchased four chairs for $20. Yes, $20 total. Their clean lines and sleek frame plus their solid wood construction made them a perfect addition to our home. One special chair, originally intended for our breakfast nook, now adorns our bedroom.
by Meg Padgett
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Not only was the frame in great condition, but the chair's seat was nearly perfect: not a nick, scratch or tear to speak of. As close to perfection as it was, I felt a quick update with a bold black and white graphic print would take this chair from simple to stunning.
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by Meg Padgett
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| To reupholster a chair cushion, you'll need:
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by Meg Padgett
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Remove the seat from the chair's frame by flipping the chair upside down and removing the screws from the base.
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by Meg Padgett
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| Take off the original cover by using the pry bar to remove the staples. Pliers come in handy for pulling those hard-to-remove staples. |
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by Meg Padgett
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| With the original cover removed, check that the seat's foam padding is in good condition. If replacement is needed, remove the original foam. Then choose an appropriate loft of foam for the seat, cut it to size using the seat as a template and glue the foam into place with spray adhesive. Place the seat, with foam padding attached, on the wrong side of your upholstery fabric. Trim the fabric, creating a large enough square that leaves ample room to fold the fabric over the edge. Tip: Remember to check out the remnant fabric section at your local craft or thrift store. I picked up a yard of this Waverly Modern Essentials fabric with Fun Floret pattern, in Licorice, for 99 cents. |
by Meg Padgett
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Fold the fabric over the edge of the seat and pull the fabric taut. Staple it to the perimeter of the seat's base with the staple gun.
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by Meg Padgett
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| For clean corners, pull the fabric tight towards the opposite side of the seat and fold the remaining fabric diagonally over the top. Staple into place and continue along the perimeter. With the fabric firmly attached around the seat, trim off the extra fabric toward the inside of the seat's center, leaving about 1/2 inch. Then reattach the seat to the chair's frame. If you'd like to finish the underside, staple a panel of cambric liner to the bottom of the chair pad. See how here |
by Meg Padgett
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This chair with its vintage frame and modern seat adds to the eclectic yet sophisticated vibe of the room.
Comments
olldbobbi This has to be one of the easiest DIY projects ever! I've done my chairs about 100 million times. And I love them every time.
9 months ago · Like
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Lanie Brown I just claimed my family's dining room chairs with plans to have them reupholstered with a contemporary fabric. Now I'm thinking I can try to do that project myself and love the chairs even more because I did it.
9 months ago · Like
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linenlatte It helps to straight-pin the fabric onto the seat, so that patterns lay exactly where you want, and the fabric does not slip or stretch in the wrong direction when you pull it taut in back...
9 months ago · Like
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Vintage Renewal I would recommend an air gun for upholstery projects like this if you have an air compressor. The stapler above isn't meant for upholstery jobs, but your finished project looks great! DIY is all about using what you have, but I just wanted to point out that these aren't tools used by professionals. As long as that is clear, than using other tools is a great way to do it on a budget. Keep up the good work!
9 months ago · Like
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tourere Thanks for that. Don't consider myself a DIY person but we are moving into my father-in-law's house and there are many chairs that I was going to just throw out. This has given me some inspiration as perhaps I could do some up as colourful additions to bedrooms. Good fun!
9 months ago · Like
Meg Padgett @Vintage Renewal - That is a GREAT point that I failed to share. These are definitely NOT professional tools, but they are what I had on hand and worked fantastic for the job and I didn't have to go out and buy a whole set of tools to reupholster one chair. Thanks so much for pointing that out!
9 months ago · Like
dbomom You can get an electric stapler for around $25 that will do a great job upholstering chair seats. (Arrow makes a good one, and Sears has one, too.) I found it easier to center the upside down chair seat on the fabric, use one staple to attach the center back of the seat, then kneel on the chair seat facing the front edge. That way you can simply smooth the fabric over the center front of the seat and staple the fabric to the seat from the center out to about 3 inches from the sides. Turn around facing the back of the seat, kneel on it again and staple the fabric to the back in the same manner. (You may need to remove the original staple to get the fabric uniformly smooth.) Then use one staple to attach each side to the back so it won't get pulled off center, kneel facing one side and attach. Turn and do the other side. Finish each corner. Your finished seat cover will be taught enough not to wrinkle or get saggy when used, and you won't have those annoying "puffs" around the edge between staples. By the way, whoever put in 3,000 staples on the seat you recovered should be spanked. No one should have to remove that many staples from one seat! Kudos for your perseverance.
9 months ago · Like
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sunsoakeddreamer Oh my goodness, I just inherited these exact chairs along with the matching table. I've been wondering whether I want to paint them, or recover the seats, and seeing this tutorial I think you just made my mind up. Thanks for a great guide and just the inspiration I needed.
5 months ago · Like
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Lanie Brown This is perfect timing, sunsoakedreamer! I was going to send my chairs to my designer's work room but then decided to cover them myself. My Mom was going to help me, but time ran short during her Christmas visit. Thanks for getting this idea book back to the top of my feed. I bookmarked it so I have the instructions and comments when I'm ready to try DIY..
5 months ago · Like
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Connie Spears_Berg This is a very simple project and the results are amazing. I've done my dining room chairs and I went over with my tools and did chairs for my niece. I've gained enough confidence to re-upholster my loveseat. This is the kind of work that I love to do.
4 months ago · Like
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shawnaleeah What if the seats are curved?
6 weeks ago · Like
Ideabook published on Aug. 22, 2012.
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