Food and fabric are not friends. If the thought of re-covering your less than perfect dining chair seats is overwhelming, fear not. Here is a step-by-step to get the most fabulous upholstered chair seats.
How Much Fabric Do I Need To Cover A Chair Seat?
The amount of fabric will vary depending on the pattern and size of chair. If there is a distinct fabric pattern, center the design in the middle of the seat and measure out to the sides of the seat with the addition of three inches on all sides. That will give the overall fabric size.
EXAMPLE: My chair is 24 inches wide at the largest section and 24 inches deep. When three additional inches per side are added, the total measurement is 30 inches squared. If my fabric is 60 inches wide and without any particular pattern, I can get two seats per width of fabric in one yard. When purchasing fabric with a pattern, sometimes you can get two seats per width of fabric. However, sometimes the pattern you love leaves you with one seat covered per yard.
TIP:Â Use left over fabric to back pillows or make pillow covers.
What Type Of Fabric Should I Use?
Do not use a standard cotton fabric that is used for quilts, shirts, or sheets. The fabric is too thin and will be worn through in no time. Also, stay away from fabrics that pill easily.
Fabrics that work amazingly well are:
- Home Decor fabric
- wipe-able fabric, like vinyl or leather
- outdoor fabric
- upholstery fabrics.
The type of fabric really will depend on where the chair is located, how often it is used and who is sitting on it. Keep it livable and reasonable. In other words, if you have a bunch of little children, you may not want an expensive home decor fabric but one that is wipe-able.
TIP: Use clear vinyl to cover the nicer fabric you love. This allows the color and style you desire but with the durability and wipe ability you need.
How much will it cost to recover a chair seat?
A professional will charge at least $50 a chair seat to recover. Lucky you, you probably own most of the items needed to re cover a dining chair. The main cost will be for fabric and a staple gun. I was able to do these two chairs for $15. The more chairs you cover, the less it will cost per chair.
Supply List
- Screw driver, flat
- Phillip’s head (check the bolts in your chair.)
- Pliers
- Tape measure or ruler
- Pencil
- Fabric shears
- Staple gun
- Staples
- Hammer
- Fabric
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Instructions
Step 1:
Remove seat base from chair frame. Usually there are four bolts with washers, but there may be screws.
TIP: Put bolts and washers in a baggie, or the like, to keep track of all pieces.
Step 2:
Once seat is removed from the chair frame, flip it upside down and remove all of the staples. Shove a flat head screwdriver between the staple and wood base. Wiggle the staple loose and then pull out with the pliers. Always work with the screwdriver facing away from you. I’ve stabbed my hand a few times over the years and learned the hard way. Wearing work gloves is another way to protect your hands.
Step 3:
Remove the old fabric. On the underside of the chair base, mark the center of the front edge and back edge of the chair with pencil. This line will help center the fabric with the mid-line of the chair.
Step 4:
Put fabric, wrong side up, on your work surface. Center the chair base over the fabric. Utilize the marks you made on the base to center. Have about 2.5-3 inches sticking out from the edge of the base. This extra fabric will be wrapped around and stapled on the underside of the chair base. You want enough fabric to work with while not pulling out from the staple.
Step 5:
Put one staple in the center of fabric on each edge of the chair base. Staple one side, then staple the opposite side, pulling the fabric taut. Continue stapling out from the center towards the corners. Staple three or four staples at a time, hammer any staples down that are not flush, and then do the opposite side of the chair. Work your way around the chair edges.
**SEE VIDEO AT THE END OF THE POST FOR LIVE ACTION INSTRUCTIONS**
Step 6:
Work on opposite sides and staple and hammer down staples. Don’t worry about excess fabric, it can be trimmed off later. Stop once you are a couple of inches from the corners. The corners will be a different technique.
Step 7:
Start gathering, pleating and stapling the fabric down around the corners. If something puckers up and you don’t like it, just rip that staple out and try again. No big deal.
Step 8:
Work your way around the corner. To avoid any weird fabric angles, work your way in from each corner to make the corners as smooth as possible. Use as many staples as you feel the area needs. Just be sure to keep the holes for the bolts uncovered. Hammer down any staples that stick up.
Step 9:
Follow the same process for each corner and trim off any excess fabric. Reattach the seat to the chair frame and you are all set. Painless, successful and looking good.
You did it! Doesn’t the chair look so much better? A new finish was applied to the chair frame while the seats were off. If I am going to change the look of the covered chair cushion, I might as well commit and change the look of the entire chair. I used french grain sack fabric that I purchased from an Etsy shop. Originally I found a black striped fabric but because of the location of the pattern I would have had to purchase two yards and it cost over $25 a yard. I went with the most affordable option.
Did you know it was so easy to recover a chair seat? Well, now you do and congratulations to saving money while updating the look of your chairs. What a great way to add value to your existing furniture pieces, garage sale finds or furniture hand me downs. Which ever way you came across your chairs, enjoy making your house a home! 💙
Enjoy this project? Check out more:
Color Questions Answered by a Professional Interior Designer
My chairs look so much better since I recovered them. I also decided to do them in a marine fabric so they are completely waterproof and easy to wipe down. This comes in very handy with children in the house.
I would add pictures but am not sure how to do it from my phone.
That’s a great idea! Very kid friendly fabric with great wipe ability. The process really isn’t too difficult but can greatly improve the look of chairs. It’s especially great to personalize your space and make it feel more like home.