Reupholstering a Chair Made Easy

Blue Chair in Field – Unsplash-CCO License

Eventually, your current crop of chairs will reach the end of their lives. And when they do, you’ll be faced with a tough decision.

You will either have to throw the chairs in the bin and buy some new ones – at great cost and expense. Or you’ll have to take action and reupholster them yourself.

In this post, we explain how you can transform your old chairs using simple art supplies from your local store.

Check it out below. It’s easy.

Step One: Remove The Old Fabric

The first step is to remove the old fabric. This is usually the first part of the chair to fail, and the bit you need to replace first. More often than not, the wood – and even the foam – is still in good condition.

To remove the existing fabric, carefully cut around the seams and tear it off the main body.

Mark the areas of the chain where the fabric came together so you can repeat the coverage with the new fabric.

Step Two: Replace The Batting

The next step is to remove the old batting if it is stained or worn and replace it with new. 

If you replace the batting, be sure to add a new layer that is at least ½ inch thick. Use a staple gun to attach it to the body of the chair. Gently pull on it so that the batting becomes enmeshed in the fabric. 

Step Three: Attach Your Base Fabric

Attaching the base fabric is actually easier than many people imagine. You don’t have to cut it to the exact shape and size immediately. In fact, it usually helps if you leave this part of the process until afterwards.

Start by pulling the fabric taut over the batting or any foam on the seat and then applying a staple. Keep pulling and stapling the fabric until it is smooth and taut. Then once you’re happy, cut off the excess material.

Step 4: Attach The Back

The next phase is to attach the back panel in position over the rear of the chair.

How this actually works depends very much on the chair design. A lot of modern armchairs don’t have solid backs at all. Instead, you just stretch fabric over the span to cover the gap.

Since this is at the back of the chair, it tends to be much easier. You just apply a tack strip strategically at the back, and then pull the fabric all the way over the back to the bottom of the chair and staple it in place.

Step Five: Cover The Bottom

The last step is to re-cover the bottom of the chair. In many cases, you can use the existing fabric to do this. Just be sure that you cover all the excess material converging at the bottom of the chair.

Turn the chair upside down and then start stapling your bottom fabric into place. Make sure that you cover all the raw edges of the fabric. It doesn’t have to be particularly neat because it is not on show.