How To Upholster Your Old Chairs

May 19, 2012. Paul Hixon

Upholstering, which involves adding a soft, stuffed covering to your furniture, is a great way to bring some life back to your old furniture. Of course you can have your old chairs upholstered professionally–but why spend so much money when it is actually quite easy to do yourself? Just follow the simple steps outlined here, and you’ll have perfect upholstered furniture in no time!

First, let’s take a look at the basic things you’ll need for this venture. The must-haves are: at least one old chair; a staple gun; basic tools, including a screwdriver, needlenose pliers, and scissors; cotton, flannel, or some other soft material to use at batting (more on this later); and the fabric in which you want to upholster your chairs. To know what size you need, remove the seat from the chairs, and measure the widest parts. You’ll need material that fits over it with at least 3 inches extra on each side.

If there is any old upholstery, remove it. You can use the pliers to pull out any staples that may be holding it in place. The first thing that you will attach to the seat is your batting. This is to keep the upholstery fabric from wearing down due to contact with the wood. Staple the batting down on the underside of the seat, after making sure that it is smooth and even.

Next, lay the fabric face down on the floor, and place the seat upside down on top of it. The side that you will be sitting on should be facing down. Wrap your fabric around the edges, making sure that there are no bunches or wrinkles, and staple it securely onto the back of the seat. Be careful of the corners, and make sure that you fold the fabric neatly around them. Once the upholstery is firmly secured in place, cut away any excess fabric from underneath the seat, and reattach it to the chair‘s frame.

Upholstering your old furniture really is that easy! And you’ll find that it can give your chairs a totally different look to them, without the need to spend money on new furniture. Doing it yourself is the best way to get cheap upholstered dining chairs. Whether you want a new look, or need something to match your trendy and modern dining room table glass top, upholstery gives you the perfect, easy option to create exactly the look that you want. Once you’ve mastered this technique, you’ll find that your old furniture never has to get thrown out again!

Updated May 19, 2012. Published May 11, 2011. Paul Hixon