DIY Chair Upholstery

If you are like me and LOVE shopping for antique/used chairs, this post will be very helpful to you.  I scored 6 of these beauties from an antique store, they are super sturdy and the frames are in great condition but the fabric was horribly stained. 

So...to work I went.

First things first, measure the seats.  You will measure the widest part and the deepest part.  Add 6-8 inches to your measurements to allow enough fabric to work with.

First you need to remove the seat.

There should be 4 screws, one in each corner, remove those and your seat will pop right out.

Then you need to remove the old fabric.

 Turn over the seat to see the staples.

 The right way to do things would be to remove ALL of the staples and pull the fabric free, but I just always cut it off.  DO NOT follow my lead there!

 Underneath will be batting and padding.  My seats were still in great condition, so I did not mess with this.  You can purchase what you would need at Hobby Lobby or a Home Improvement store if you wish to replace your padding/batting.

Next, lay your fabric out on top of the seat in the direction you wish.  Pick a side and put one/two staples in the middle, do this on all four sides, pulling taught as you go.

 After all four sides are done, work your way out from the middle to the corner on each side, pulling taught as you go.

Then work on your corners, be sure to pull any looseness out here!  Once everything is stapled, trim away the excess fabric and WAH-LA!  NOTE: Do NOT trim your fabric until you are done.