You only need a staple gun and new fabric to customize the cushions with any pattern you like.
Replacing the fabric on cushionsfor dining chairs can be completed in an hour or two.
Larger chairs, like fully upholstered accent chairs or recliners, require much more time.
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Below, learn how to reupholster a chair seat to give your furniture abrand-new look.
When selecting fabric, choose astrong fabricintended for upholstery for a durable, long-lasting piece of furniture.
One yard of fabric can typically reupholster two standard dining chairs.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Make any necessary repairs to the wood part of thechairpainting, refinishing, or tightening joints.
Ensure everything is dry and not sticky.
Remove the strip by prying the seat off with a flathead screwdriver.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Remove the Old Fabric
Turn the seat over.
Use a staple remover to remove the old staples and fabric.
If the staples are difficult to remove, pull them out with needle-nose pliers.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Save the old seat fabric to use it as a pattern.
It’s called upholstery batting or Dacron and is sold in most fabric and hobby stores.
Instead of ruining your chair, consider hiring a professional.
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From here, you’ll need to hire a reupholsterer.
Pressing around the perimeter of the seat, center your pattern, then mark the corners with straight pins.
Note:it’s possible for you to skip this step if your fabric doesn’t have a pattern.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Note the locations of your pins.
Adjust them if needed, feeling underneath to find them.
Line up the corner creases of the old seat cover with your straight pins.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
To prevent fraying, use yoursewing machineto zigzag or serge around the edges of your fabric.
If you don’t want to sew, fold tape along the edges.
Press down your fabric if it’s wrinkled or creased.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Attach the Fabric to the Seat
Turn the new seat cover right-side down.
Place the seat cushion, also right-side down, on top of it.
Starting with the top edge, staple once in the center.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
Repeat with the bottom edge, pulling the fabric tight before you staple.
Repeat with each side, and keep pulling the fabric tight before you staple.
Working one side at a time, staple from the center outward until the side is completely stapled.
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Keep pulling the fabric tight as you work and smooth the material underneath from the center.
Leave the corners unstapled.
Repeat on all sides until everything is stapled but the corners.
The Spruce / Meg MacDonald
verify you don’t staple over the screw holes.
Repeat for the three remaining corners.
Add Welt Cord
For a professional, finished look, add a welt cord.
you might buy decorative cording in fabric or upholstery shops or make your own.
Only the rounded edge with the cord inside should show when you turn the chair over.
Get the screws started so the seat doesn’t fall off once you turn the chair upside down.
Turn the chair over and tighten the screws until the seat is firmly attached.
Be careful not to tighten the screws too much to avoid stripping them.
Reupholstering over old fabricmakes the process much easier.
One yard of upholstery fabric is equivalent to 3 feet long, but different fabrics can vary in width.
Determine the width of your new fabric first.
