Do you want to know how easy it is to upholster the seat of your chair with your own hands without much effort?
Then this article is for you! The photo shows dining room chairs, but you can upholster any chairs this way.
What you will need for homemade:
Construction stapler
Special glue (in this case foam glue was used)
Screwdriver
Step 1. First, remove the seat from the chair with your own hands using a screwdriver. (Don't forget where you leave the screws so you can easily find them later)
Step 2. Using a chair, create a template out of cardboard, slightly larger than the chair itself.
Step 3. Using a cardboard template, carefully cut out the batting for the seat using scissors.
Step 4: Apply a generous layer of foam adhesive to the top of the chair
Step 5. Then turn the chair over with the glue side down and place it on the cut out batting.
Step 6. Next, you need to determine the size of the fabric for upholstering the chair. To do this, you need to measure the chair, including the batting on all sides, taking into account both the length and width.
Step 7. Cut the fabric + 4 cm to the resulting size.
Step 8: Take a staple gun, place the fabric on a clean, flat surface and place the seat on top, batting side down.
Pull the fabric a little so that there are no unsightly folds left, but you should not pull too much, this can also spoil the appearance and shorten the shelf life of the upholstery. Staple one side of the chair.
Step 9. Secure the opposite side of the chair
Step 10: Secure the Third Side
Step 11. Secure the fourth side of the chair
Step 12. The result should be a picture like this.
Step 13. Using scissors, trim off the excess fabric, leaving about 2 cm of fabric in the corners in order to “fold” a nice corner, as shown in the next step.
Step 14. Fold the corner, playing with the folds of the fabric until you end up with a nice and neat corner. Then place 2-3 staples in this place, secure well and do this with each corner.
Step 15. This is what all 4 fixed corners look like.
Step 16. Turn the finished seat over and voila! You have a beautiful and comfortable soft seat.
Step 17. Attach the seat to the chair using screws and a screwdriver, and that's it - your homemade product is ready!
Almost every family has old furniture that was inherited, but not always this furniture has an acceptable appearance. The upholstery is quite easy to replace. Then grandma’s favorite chairs and armchairs will get a second life and sparkle with new colors.
Instead of buying new chairs, you can reupholster old ones: replace worn seats with new ones, saving money.
Covering a chair with a soft seat
For this you will need:
- thick tape;
- lining fabric;
- upholstery fabric;
- filler (batting, padding polyester, coconut fiber);
- furniture foam rubber;
- construction stapler;
- hammer and nails.
Upholstering chairs yourself is not so difficult if you follow the technology and know the assembly sequence. It happens when not only the casing, but also the internal contents require replacement. The first step is to remove the seat, remove the old nails using a nail puller, and remove the upholstery and filling. All you should have left is the wooden frame from the seat.
For upholstering a chair, the main tool is a furniture stapler.
Now you need to attach a thick tape along the bottom (in the form of a lattice), which is used for upholstering furniture. Nail one end of the tape with 3 nails, wrap the other end around wooden block and pull. On the opposite side, secure the tape with nails, then cut it off, bend the end and secure with a stapler. The distance between the strips should be about 5 cm. Usually 2-3 strips are nailed on each side on the chair seat, intertwining them together in the form of a lattice. Instead of nails, you can use a stapler - in this case, the staples are arranged in 2 rows, at a short distance from each other. For this purpose, it is better to take 8 mm staples.
After this, take the lining fabric and secure it with a stapler around the entire perimeter wooden frame. Next, lay a layer of filler. It can be batting, coconut fiber or padding polyester. Then a piece of foam rubber is cut so that it is 2-3 cm larger than the seat. First, it is secured with staples in the center of each side, then the sides are shot. The corners are finished last, with the ends gathered into small folds. During work, you need to make sure that the foam rubber does not warp, otherwise the upholstery will turn out uneven and take on an untidy appearance.
To reupholster a chair, you must first strengthen the frame and then remove the jet upholstery fabric.
All that remains is to cover the seat with fabric. Lay the material out on the table, place the seat on top (foam down), shoot 3 staples in the center of each side. Try to stretch the fabric evenly so that you do not have distortions, otherwise it will affect the appearance products. Make beautiful folds at the corners, shoot them with a stapler, cut off all excess. Fold the ends under and secure them in the same way, and then place the seat on the chair.
Upholstering chair seats with your own hands is more difficult if the upholstery contains springs. Many furniture craftsmen do not recommend replacing them with less durable foam rubber. The first step is to carefully disassemble the contents. As a rule, the springs are already connected to each other. Then all you have to do is check the strength of the bundle. If some threads become frayed over time, they need to be replaced. After you have nailed the ribbons and lining, install a bunch of springs on it, sewing each one from the bottom (with a few stitches on all sides). Secure a thick lining fabric over the structure and sew the springs to it in the same way. This is followed by a layer of batting or padding polyester, after which the seat is upholstered with fabric and installed on the chair.
Covering a chair with a hard seat
For this you will need:
- thick furniture foam;
- thick fabric;
- construction stapler;
- braid;
- glue gun
Chair upholstery diagram.
Upholstering a chair with a hard seat is quite simple: even a person who has nothing to do with furniture can easily handle it. First you need to cut the foam rubber, it must completely match the dimensions of the seat. There is no need to cut the fabric, since it is much easier to work with a cut that is 15-20 cm larger than required.
Foam rubber is placed on the chair seat and covered with a cloth. First, shoot (along the side) each side in the center, then on the sides. After this, the corners are decorated: the fabric is gathered into small folds and secured with staples. It is important to ensure that the staples are positioned clearly along the line. Next, the material is cut off, departing from the fastening by about 5-7 mm.
All that remains is to glue the tape that will hide the staples. The easiest way to do this is with glue gun- although the work is easy, it requires maximum attention and accuracy. The upholstery of a stool is done in exactly the same way, but in in this case upholstery fabric is not shot along the side, but from reverse side seats. Therefore, there is no need to decorate the seam with braid.
How to replace the upholstery on a chair?
To replace the upholstery you will need:
The chair is upholstered using construction stapler, upholstery fabric and a hammer with nails.
- upholstery fabric;
- construction stapler;
- hammer and nails.
It is possible to update the upholstery on an old chair on your own. The first step is to carefully remove the old upholstery.
It is important to remember exactly where and how the fabric was attached, and even better, photograph it all.
Use the old upholstery as a pattern; when cutting, add a margin of 1-2 cm on each side.
First, the armrests are retightened. In order for the fabric to stretch easily, a rigid braid is sewn along its edge (on the reverse side). If you don’t have one on your farm, you can use a strip of thick cardboard (it’s shot with a stapler). The upholstery is repeated in exactly the same way as it was done earlier.
After this, they begin a rather important process, covering the back. There should be no distortions or folds. In order for the fabric to lie flat, you need to build the following device: take fiberboard, cut a long strip 2-3 cm wide, drive wallpaper nails into it (at a distance of 1-2 cm), and then pin the bottom of the upholstery fabric onto them. By doing this, you can easily stretch the fabric evenly and secure it along the bottom of the chair. For this purpose, use deep staples 0.8 or 10 mm.
After the back and armrests are tightened, we begin sewing the seat cover. An old case is used as a basis. If the zipper is well preserved, then there is no need to replace it with a new one. The bottom of the chair is covered in the same way as the back.
Using the tips outlined above, you can easily update not only a chair or stool, but also an old chair. Go for it, and you will succeed!
Seeing a multi-colored cover on a chair, tightly tied with beautiful ribbons, you just want to lift it and see what condition the upholstery is in. Most often it turns out that it is deplorable. Are people really that scared of upholstering chairs with their own hands? This work is not as difficult as it seems, and the result will please you for a long time.
Anyone can reupholster chairs
Preparatory stage
Here is a list of tools and materials that we will need:
- Fabric (chenille, jacquard, tapestry, flock). Before going to the store, you should measure the seat of the chair, adding 15-20 centimeters on each side. This reserve is needed for hems and upholstery heights.
- Filling (sheet foam rubber 40 mm thick, batting, latex, padding polyester). When deciding how to reupholster a chair, we choose the appropriate padding. Polyurethane balls, buckwheat husks and others are definitely not suitable bulk materials. Still, the seat of the chair is not as airtight as a pillow, and it experiences considerable stress. After some time, the fine filler will slowly begin to crumble. If foam rubber is chosen for the seat, its density should be 30-50 kg/m3, otherwise during operation it will sag all the way to the plywood.
- Cardboard for the pattern.
- PVA glue.
- Furniture stapler and staples (or hammer and furniture nails).
- Pliers.
- Screwdrivers.
- Scissors, tailor's centimeter.
- Pencil, chalk for marking material, ruler.
Removing old upholstery
Preparing fabric and foam
Re-upholstering requires a precise approach. You can't do without a template here. We place a piece of cardboard on a plywood seat and trace it with a pencil. We remove the plywood and add 2-4 cm to the drawing for allowances. Now the template can be cut out using scissors or stationery knife.
Using a ready-made stencil, we cut out the foam rubber for the new upholstery using a sharp knife.
You can make a cardboard template, or copy the plywood seat directly onto the foam rubber
If the old fabric covering was not used to cut a new one, as was said earlier (well, you never know what happened, maybe oil was spilled on it), then we cut the material according to the same pattern. We trace it with chalk on the fabric and add 10 centimeters to the hem on all sides. Cut out the resulting outline.
If the fabric has a pattern, then upholstering chairs with your own hands becomes a little more complicated. In this case, we purchase the material with a reserve so that the picture lies in the center, without displacement, otherwise the chair will have an unpresentable appearance. We first apply the fabric to the seat, achieving the ideal arrangement of lines and patterns. We immediately record the result obtained with clear markings so as not to do the same work twice.
The seat of the chair in some models may not be a solid piece of plywood, but a frame intertwined inside with mesh or rubber. In this case, we check the condition of the wicker base. If the material has become unusable, we replace it with wide and dense rubber bands.
Note the replaced woven base
Chair seat reupholstery
Glue the foam to the top side of the plywood seat. After the glue has dried, we lay the upholstery fabric wrong side up, with the seat on it, the foam facing the fabric. We fold the fabric reserve on all sides onto the plywood. Now upholstering a chair with your own hands is no longer a sealed secret for us.
We successively target the edges of the upholstery to the plywood seat with a furniture stapler
Pulling the material tightly, we sequentially adjust the edges of the upholstery to the plywood seat, in increments of 1-2 cm. There should be no weak spots or large folds between the fasteners. We knock out unreliable staples with a hammer. Trim off excess fabric. If the chair seat square shape, at the corners we lay folds directed towards the center of the seat, bend the material and shoot it to the plywood.
Trim excess fabric
Chair reupholstery completed successfully
We install the reupholstered seat on the chair, attach the plates and screw all the screws into place. Now we can praise ourselves for what we have given new life old chair, saving family budget and once again confirming his reputation as a jack of all trades.
Sooner or later even quality furniture and even with careful handling it becomes unusable. This is especially true for chairs, armchairs, and sofas. The upholstery wears and tears, and stains appear.
What to do if your comfortable chairs have lost their former presentable appearance? Do not rush to send them to the dacha or the trash. If the design of the chairs is still strong, then they have the right to a second life in a new look.
Upholstering chairs with your own hands or with the hands of specialists will help you with this. Get inspired and stock up fresh ideas Photos of chairs before and after restoration will help you.
Why do you need a constriction?
First of all, this will save you money. New furniture good quality It's not very cheap. And the furniture of the last century, if you work with it well, will easily outlast the inexpensive modern furniture. This is also an opportunity to choose the color and texture of the upholstery material that best suits your interior.
And again, any work with your own hands is a creative process that brings pleasure. This is an opportunity to create something unique, to put warmth and love into your home environment.
Another plus is that you don’t have to go shopping to find the right chairs that will match the rest of the furniture in your home. This is especially true for kitchen and dining sets, where chairs and a table come from one set.
Preparatory work
First of all, you need to get rid of the old upholstery and filling. The tools you will need are an anti-staple gun or a flat-head screwdriver or pliers.
We unscrew the seat, if there is a backrest, then that too. We take out staples, nails, screws. We clean the surface of the chair from everything unnecessary, from glue residues, from old foam rubber.
If there is a need for minor repairs to the chair frame or springs, these need to be done. Cracks should be filled with glue or sealant and puttied.
If you wish, you can update the color of your chair. First go over its surface sandpaper. Next, the surface needs to be degreased, and after painting, varnished.
It is very important to be careful when dismantling so as not to damage individual parts of the chair. Old upholstery can be used as a pattern. Or take new measurements using a measuring tape.
You will also need a furniture stapler and staples, or a hammer and nails, tailor's scissors, a utility knife, a long ruler, a chalk or something similar.
Selection of materials
It is important to take into account the density of the fabric; it should hold its shape well. And easy to clean. The most commonly used are tapestry, flock, chenille, and jacquard. They are quite strong compared to other fabrics. The list of materials also includes leather and leatherette.
It is important to do before purchasing correct measurements. Don't forget to take into account the width of the hem and the height of the filler, this is approximately plus 15-20 cm to the original length of the fabric.
The color of the upholstery plays a big role. It should fit harmoniously into the interior. Dark colors are considered more practical; light-colored upholstery is more demanding to maintain. Can be combined different materials in terms of color and texture.
What to choose as a filler?
Most often this is sheet foam rubber. It comes in different thicknesses, the optimal thickness being 4-5 cm. You can use padding polyester as a lining between the fabric and foam rubber.
This method will simplify further stretching of the fabric and eliminate unnecessary folds.
Let's start re-upholstering
For convenience, you can make a stencil from thick cardboard and cut it using a stationery knife. the right size foam for the seat. Afterwards we glue the filling to the plane of the seat.
You can use PVA glue or other glue suitable for furniture work. Give the glue time to dry. Using the same template, we cut out the blank from the upholstery material. Don't forget to leave a hem allowance of 7-10 cm around the entire perimeter.
Now let's move on to the actual upholstery. Lay the material face down on a flat surface. Then a layer of padding polyester, if you decide to use it, and then the seat itself with foam down.
We carefully bend the material, do not stretch it too much, and nail it with staples or nails. Try to make a more or less even line. It is better to start fastening from the center and spread evenly to the sides.
Having finished on one side, go to the opposite, do the necessary stretch, smooth out wrinkles if they suddenly appear. The distance between staples is 1.5-2 cm. But if shaped waves form on the side surface, then in this case you can hammer in staples or nails more often.
Please pay attention Special attention corners to make them as neat as possible. If necessary, tap the staples with a hammer. The back is tightened in the same way.
You can use thinner foam for it than for the seat.
Then we attach the resulting parts to the chair frame. Your updated chair is ready. As you have seen, reupholstering a chair at home is quite feasible.
Photo of the process of reupholstering chairs
Modern houses It's hard to imagine without furniture. Perhaps its most common element is the chair. It can be found in the dining room, living room, bedroom, office, nursery - stores today offer a wide variety of options. Over time, chairs, like any other furniture, wear out. No matter how careful you are, there comes a time when you need to buy new ones. There is another option - reupholstering chairs.
Types of structures
There are quite a lot of types of chairs of various designs made of various materials. When renovating an apartment, many people also want to update the furniture. Most often this concerns kitchen chairs.
For kitchen
There are quite a lot of options here: from ordinary kitchen wooden ones to soft ones with a back, covered with leatherette. The kitchen can be renovated in a style that will fit perfectly bar stool or original round version. The kitchen is not the only place where you need chairs. They are necessary both in the living room and in other rooms.
In the house and garden
There are universal chairs. They can be placed in gazebos or directly in the garden, as well as in the dining room and kitchen. As a rule, they are made from special wood that is resistant to moisture even without special impregnation. They also have versatility plastic chairs. They can also be used in the country or at home. Variations of frames include solid and collapsible structures. If the entire metal frame is tightly welded, then collapsible design fastened with screws. In the first case, the chair is stronger, and in the second, it is more convenient, since you can disassemble it and clean the same back or seat.
So-called stackable chairs are compact and good for storage., installed one on top of the other. These chairs are used as needed. They can be stored in the pantry until guests arrive, taking up very little space. Another alternative is folding models. Some are designed like scissors, others like theater seats. At home, many people prefer to use chairs with a soft or semi-soft seat rather than a hard one. They are the most comfortable. The same applies to models with armrests, which are divided into hard, semi-soft and soft.
Wooden chairs You can do it yourself using carpentry tools. It is enough to show a little patience and diligence. Bent chairs require special equipment. When using multiple materials and technological processes combined chairs are created. Consumers often prefer wooden-metal structures, but they have not proven themselves to be 100% reliable. In order for furniture to serve for a long time, it must be made of quality wood. Plastic and metal combine best with each other; they are mainly used in the manufacture of garden furniture.
Office, children's, bar
In addition, there are office chairs. As a rule, they are covered soft material, equipped lifting mechanism and wheels. More common simple options- on metal legs with soft back and seat. Another variety is bar stools. Their design differs in that there is a crossbar for the legs at the bottom. They usually have a large height for comfortable sitting at the bar counter. Chairs for children and students require: special requirements: They should have a comfortable back and four stable legs.
Restoration methods
If your favorite chair begins to look less attractive, and the upholstery is worn out, do not rush to give up the old one and spend money on a new one. You can easily give it a second life by repairing it yourself. Choose a method that you can handle. Upholstering a chair, in fact, is a simple process, it can even captivate you.
The chair must be restored in a way that is acceptable in each individual case:
- If the chair just wobbles, then you need to connect its parts. To do this, some elements may have to be replaced by first disassembling the chair completely.
- There is such a thing as a carriage tie. It is used on seats and must be durable and intact. The screed fabric is cut out with a margin, applied to the foam rubber, then the fabric is pierced from the back side with a long needle. Mark the place where the button will be located.
- If the upholstery looks faded or is torn in some places, reupholstering will save the situation. Before this, you need to prepare the tools, and also decide what fabric the seat will be covered with, what material to use for the filler.
- If you need to change the armrests, you will have to disassemble the entire structure. Wooden parts must be examined for cracks and chips, defects must be removed with putty and wood glue. If some parts are badly damaged, you will have to make new ones according to the previous samples.
Process Features
Before you begin the task, you need to decide how global the repair will be: a light update of the furniture, a complete re-upholstery of the seat, or replacement of parts. First of all, study the frame. If there is any damage, repair it using wood putty and varnish. If you have already decided what color the upholstery will be, you can paint the frame to match it. Such bright chairs will look great in any corner of the house. Before you reupholster a chair with your own hands, you need to select the fabric and all the necessary accessories.
Step by step process presented below:
- First you need to remove the seat. It's easy to deal with this on your own. Old fabric and soft filling must be removed. To do this, you need to carefully remove the seat and try not to damage it. wooden structure, tools will help with this. The fabric is also separated carefully, because it is from this that the pattern will then be made to alter the seat.
- Springs usually last a very long time, but if you see that they are worn out, remove them too.
- Do the same with the back of the chair.
- Proceed with the restoration itself.
Preparing tools
To avoid distractions later, prepare everything you need for work.
During dismantling you may need:
- nail puller;
- hammer;
- scissors.
For the reupholstering process itself, you need to prepare:
- furniture stapler;
- staples or furniture nails;
- pliers;
- screwdrivers different types;
- bit;
- cleaver;
- mallet;
- PVA glue.
When you start making a pattern, you will, among other things, need:
- tape measure;
- pencil;
- ruler;
- cardboard.
Material selection
Choose an upholstery fabric that you like, that we think is beautiful, practical and durable. Keep in mind that you need a material that retains its shape and is strong. It is also extremely important that you can easily clean the soft surface with a regular brush and soap to remove dirt, or simply wipe the surface with a damp cloth. So, you can cover the chair with dermantine, eco-leather, genuine leather, or leatherette.
- Leatherette refers to inexpensive and short-lived coatings. Its service life does not exceed two years. Over time, cracks and scratches may appear on it. This is especially true if there are animals in the house. At the same time, there is high-quality artificial leather, which cannot be distinguished from natural leather, but the price for these types is extremely high.
- It's a completely different matter - Genuine Leather, which refers to high-quality, prestigious and expensive materials. There is one nuance here: if you have never dealt with furniture restoration before, there is a risk of ruining the expensive coating.
- The most common upholstery is done made of textile, and here there is a large choice: chenille, flock, jacquard, microfiber, tapestry. After studying all the properties of fabrics, choose the one that suits you best in terms of quality and price.
- There is also an option like self-adhesive alcantura– artificial suede with an adhesive layer. Some people prefer it because of its long service life (up to 7 years), and working with this material when restoring a chair is easy even for a beginner in this field.
Another one important detail– choice of filler. Synthetic padding polyester, latex, batting are suitable, but the best option– sheet foam rubber. It lasts a long time and keeps its shape.
The so-called bulk materials - polyurethane balls or buckwheat husks - are definitely not suitable.
Calculations
To reupholster a chair efficiently and then use it for a long time, you need to take all the measurements correctly, choose the right fabric, and decide how thick the filling layer should be. So, measure the back, seat and back cover. In order for the fabric to be well secured, at least 5 cm is left on each side. When choosing foam rubber for stuffing, you need to take into account that its density should be 30-50 kg/cubic. m. Only then will the seat not sag and be comfortable. When choosing leather as upholstery, keep in mind that for ease of use it must be elastic, so its thickness should not exceed 3 mm.
Padding
First, foam rubber is attached to the plywood with PVA glue. To do this, apply glue to wooden surface and onto the top part of the foam rubber and wait for it to dry completely. Afterwards, cut out the fabric of the required size, preferably with a margin; if the piece turns out to be smaller than needed, it will not be possible to correct the situation. The fabric is placed so that the front side is at the bottom, and the soft part of the chair is placed on it. As an additional filler, padding polyester is laid in the middle. The material is then pulled over the base and secured with a furniture stapler, which may result in excess fabric that can be easily trimmed. Then the seat is put in place and secured with screws.
When repairing the back of a chair, the frame is disassembled into parts. The old coating is removed and cracks are eliminated using glue and putty. Then you can varnish or paint the parts. The well-dried parts are connected. Change the filling and fabric on the back, the replacement process is similar to that described for the seat.
Assembly
This stage is final. All that remains is to install the structure on the base, attach it with plates and screw it in place. If you have updated the upholstery, you can replace other parts as well. Then you get a completely new design. Thus, with your own hands you made a completely new chair with beautiful upholstery, durable and comfortable, which will serve you for many years in the kitchen or living room, nursery or office. But that's not all. You can act as a designer and decorate your new furniture.
Finishing and decor
At home, it’s not at all difficult to beautifully decorate the seats and backs of chairs. To do this, it is enough to have fabric, paints, braid, ropes at home, as well as to have imagination and creative abilities. Remember: nothing limits your choice. The color scheme can be any: bright blue, soft pink, snow-white. Decoupage is considered a fashionable trend - a simple way of decorating furniture items, which is applicable for chairs made of wood and plywood that do not have soft upholstery. The surface must be prepared, treated with sandpaper and puttied. Then the chair is painted, it is best to use White color. Then they stick to the surface decorative elements. The finishing touches are re-painting and varnishing.
