How to Recover a Dining Room Chair| 9 Easy Steps

You’ve had the same dining room chairs for a decade, and they’re in dire need of a facelift. Not only are the cushions worn out and discolored, but the fabric is outdated and no longer fits your style. You could replace them with new chairs, but you’d still have to invest a good amount of money and effort. Fortunately, recovering your dining room chairs doesn’t have to be an expensive or difficult process. With the right supplies and instructions, you can easily give your chairs a new look!

It’s understandable to feel overwhelmed when it comes to recovering a dining room chair. It can seem like an intimidating task, but with the right supplies and instructions, it’s not as difficult as you might think! In this article, we’ll provide step-by-step instructions on how to recover a dining room chair with relative ease.

A Step-by-Step Guide on How to Recover a Dining Room Chair

1. Gather the necessary supplies for reupholstering a dining room chair seat:

It’s important to gather all the necessary supplies for reupholstering a dining room chair before you begin the process. This includes fabric, foam, batting, and thread. Fabric is the most crucial element of the project as it will determine the look and feel of your newly recovered chair. You should also choose a fabric that compliments the rest of your home décor.

Choose the Right Fabric:

When selecting the right fabric for your chairs, you should consider their weight and durability. It’s best to pick a heavy-duty fabric that will hold up over time and is easy to clean. Consider fabrics like leather, faux leather, velvet, or upholstery vinyl since they are durable and highly stain resistant.

Choose high-density Foam padding:

Before covering your cushions and backrest, you’ll need to add cushioning. Soft foam padding is the best option for providing comfort and support on a chair. Measure out pieces of foam that will fit into each cushion and backrest area before cutting them out.

Choose the batting:

Batting is essential for providing a layer of insulation between fabric and foam. It helps to soften the look by allowing the fabric to drape over a cushion much easier. Choose a batting that is thin enough to fit easily beneath your new upholstery fabric without bulging.

2. Remove the old upholstery from the chair frame:

Removing the old upholstery from the chair frame is an essential step in recovering your dining room chairs. The old fabric must be completely removed in order to properly re upholster the chairs.

How to Remove old upholstery:

Start by carefully cutting away any staples or nails used to secure the old upholstery in place. Then, gently pull the fabric away from the wooden frame until it’s completely removed. Depending on how old or badly damaged the chair is, you may need to use pliers or a screwdriver to loosen any stubborn fasteners.

3. Measure out new fabric:

Measuring out new fabric is an essential step in reupholstering a dining room chair. The fabric must be large enough to cover the entire seat cushion and backrest on both sides. You should measure each piece of fabric individually, ensuring that it’s slightly larger than the original cushion or backrest. This will ensure that you have enough fabric to properly reupholster the chair.

4. Cut out pieces of foam padding:

Once you have the new fabric measured and cut, it’s time to cut out pieces of new foam padding for each cushion and backrest. Measure each foam piece individually, taking into account the size of the original cushion or backrest. Then, cut out the pieces with a sharp utility electric knife or scissors.

5. Attach the new fabric to the cushions:

Once all of the necessary supplies have been gathered and the old upholstery has been removed from the chair frame, it’s time to attach the new fabric to the cushions. This is an essential step in reupholstering a dining room chair and should be done carefully to ensure a properly covered cushion.

Attaching fabric with an Upholstery Staple Gun:

Using an upholstery staple gun is the quickest and most secure method of attaching fabric to a chair cushion. Begin by laying out your fabric on the ground with the wrong side facing up. Place the foam padding onto the fabric, making sure that it’s centered. Then, begin stapling the fabric onto the frame of the chair, starting from the center and working your way out. Make sure to staple all edges securely.

Attaching fabric with an Adhesive Spray Glue:

Adhesive spray glue is also a great option for attaching new fabric to a dining room chair cushion. Begin by laying out your fabric on the ground with the wrong side facing up. Place the foam padding onto the fabric, making sure that it’s centered. Then, spray a light layer of adhesive glue onto the frame of the chair and immediately place the fabric onto it. Smooth out any wrinkles or bubbles before allowing the fabric to dry in place.

6. Place batting over the top of the newly covered cushions:

Once the new fabric has been securely attached to the chair frame, it’s time to place batting over top of the newly covered cushions. Batting helps to soften the look of a chair cushion by allowing the fabric to drape over it more easily. It also provides an extra layer of insulation between the foam and fabric, adding to the comfort and longevity of the chair.

7. Sew together any loose ends of fabric:

Sewing together any loose ends of fabric is an important step in the reupholstery process. By doing so, you create a secure and durable bond between the fabric and cushion that will ensure your dining room chairs are comfortable and attractive for years to come. Begin by folding the edges of the fabric so that they are neat and even. Then, use a sewing machine or needle and thread to stitch all loose ends together. Make sure to pull the thread tight and secure each knot at the end.

8. Secure all pieces onto the frame:

The final step in reupholstering chairs is to securely attach all of the pieces onto the frame. This can be done with screws, nails, or a few staples.

Using Screws:

Start by drilling pilot holes in the frame, ensuring that they’re slightly smaller than the screws you plan to use. Place a screw through each hole and tighten it securely with a screwdriver or drill.

Using Staples:

Start by stapling each cushion and backrest onto the frame, making sure that all edges are secure. You may want to add an extra layer of batting between the fabric and frame for added support.

9. Enjoy your newly recovered dining chairs:

Congratulations! You’ve successfully reupholster dining room chairs. Now, you can enjoy the fruits of your labor and bask in the beauty of your creation. Whether it’s for yourself or a gift for someone else, a recovered chair is sure to bring joy to whoever sits in it.

Conclusion: Reupholster Dining Room Chairs

Recovering a dining room chair is an achievable task that can be completed with relative ease. With the right supplies and steps, such as gathering materials, removing old upholstery, measuring new fabric to cover each cushion and backrest, cutting out pieces of foam padding, attaching new fabric using either an upholstery manual staple gun or adhesive spray glue, placing batting over top of the newly covered cushions before attaching them back onto the frame, sewing together any loose ends of fabric and securing all pieces onto the frame – you’ll have your freshly recovered dining room chairs ready in no time.

FAQs: