Upholstery 101: How to easily transform your chairs

Want to update the look of your chairs without having to buy new ones? Reupholstering the seat is the way to do it. Follow the steps below and such project will no longer have any secrets for you!

Video – Reupholstering a Chair (french only)

In this video, we will guide you through the steps to make this project a reality, and provide you with our best tricks.

Matériel requis

- Ruler - Fabric scissors - All-purpose scissors - Felt tip pen - Serrated or X-Acto knife - Hammer - Pliers - Flat screwdriver - Stapler - Foam - Batting (Kodel) - Dust cover - Upholstery fabric of your choice

Choosing the Right Fabric

We recommend using upholstering fabric or leatherette. Fabrics don’t all have the same abrasion resistance. If you don’t use the right type, you may end up with fabric that is pilling or tearing after only a few weeks of use. However, a lighter fabric could be used for decorative chairs. It’s important to take into consideration the location and use of the chair prior to choosing the fabric. For example, if exposed to sunlight, a fabric that is fade-resistant (e.g., Sunbrella fabrics) is preferable. Furthermore, people with allergies should avoid fuzzy fabrics which easily collect dust. 

Trick – Prior to Starting

Before disassembling your chairs, make sure to identify each seat and chair with numbers. The holes are not necessarily at the exact same place on each one, so it will make reassembling easier.

Steps

Download the steps in PDF

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Download the steps in PDF

Leave us your email address to obtain the upholstery steps in PDF.

STEP 1 - UN-STAPLING: Removing staples one by one is time and effort consuming. With several chairs to work on, it can become discouraging. To ease the task, we suggest inserting the screwdriver between the fabric and the staples and do a lever movement. Then, use pliers to remove the staples left in the wood. If the chair is really old, this step can be more difficult as the fabric might tear. In such cases, the staples must be removed one by one. 

Tip – Removing the Existing Fabric

We recommend removing the fabric to see the condition of the foam. Also, removing a layer will make the new fabric installation easier and provide a smoother finish. Too many layers will make the corners harder to work with.

STEP 2 - CHECKING THE CONDITION OF THE FOAM: To verify if the foam is still good or needs to be changed, check for stains and rings left from liquids, dryness, does it come apart or is it caved in and lost its shape. The batting, on the other side, must always be changed. 

Choosing the Best Foam for your Needs

To making an informed decision on the right foam to use on your chairs and choose the right density, resistance and thickness, read our article Everything to Know About Foam. If you plan on using your chair at a desk or a dining table, make sure to measure the required height of the seat. You must think of the leg room needed and the ergonomics when resting the elbows on the table. There is no single standard, it all depends on your table or desk, and the level of comfort you need.

STEP 3 - CUT THE FOAM: Using a felt tip pen, use the chair base to trace the shape on your foam, and repeat with the dust cover. On the foam, cut outside the marks, approx. ½ in additional all around the seat base. Use scissors or a knife, depending on the thickness to cut the foam. 

Trick – Serrated Knife

When using a serrated knife, hold it horizontally on the foam, and pull lightly. Don’t do back and forth movements as it could make notches.

STEP 4 - MARK THE CENTER OF THE CHAIR AND FABRIC: Make a large cross, at the centre underneath the seat, going from one side to the other. This will serve as a guide to centre the design or make a striped fabric as straight as possible. It will also help evenly distribute the tension in the fabric.

STEP 5 - PREPARE THE FABRIC: First, check the direction of the fabric (especially when using velvet or any fabric with a similar texture), to make sure all the chairs are made the same way. Once the direction is chosen, make a small mark identifying the front of your fabric. This way, you’ll be sure not to make a mistake if you have more than one chair to reupholster. To calculate and cut the fabric, measure the width of the foam, add two times the measurements of the total thickness (foam and bottom) and another 2 in x 2 to have enough fabric under the chair to have enough grip when stretching and stapling the fabric. The batting must have the same measurements as the fabric. 

Why Use Batting (Kodel)?

The batting gives a smoother finish and is also necessary to smoothen the corners and sides of the foam. It protects the foam from rubbing on the fabric, and its expanding fibres will also fill the potential gap that could be created once the fabric has fully stretched. 

STEP 6 - ASSEMBLE AND PUTTING TOGETHER: Put the fabric’s right side on the ground, and the Kodel on the fabric. Then, add the foam right at the centre. Put the bottom part of the seating area at the centre, the side marked with a cross up. Align the centre of the cross with the mark on the fabric.

Then, put the first staples front centre, then back centre, and the centres on either side. It’s important to follow this step for a balanced tension. For a good start, the staples at the front and the back have to hold all the tension. They will be keeping the fabric in place throughout the next steps. They will be removed at the very end to adjust the tension. If the chair has a trapezoid shape, meaning the sides are at an angle, markings on the centre of both sides will not perfectly align when comes time to staple. 

STEP 7 - STAPLING THE NEW FABRIC: To staple the fabric under the chair, always start right of the centre staples.

It is important to stretch the fabric at a 45-degree angle and avoid pulling on it perpendicularly to prevent any creases. When all 4 sides are done, do the left side of all centre staple on all sides.

STEP 8 - STAPLING CORNERS: Take the corner of the fabric and align with the corner of the chair by pulling as much as possible.

Staple as close to the corner as possible. 

If a previously inserted staple is in the way, simply remove it. Cut the excess Kodel if needed. 

Cut the corner of the fabric in a square shape.

Fold the fabric and pull at a 45-degree angle to avoid visible creases on the sides of the seat. Creases underneath are less important. Then, staple through all the thicknesses. Staple along the 3 in left untouched. 

Repeat the previous steps for all corners. Cut the extra fabric. 

STEP 9 - FINISHING - INSTALLING DUST COVER: To avoid visible threads dangling underneath the chair, install a dust cover. It’s not essential, but it certainly gives a nice finish. The dust cover must be slightly smaller than the bottom of the chair so as not to be visible from the sides. You can readjust its shape prior to installing. Before fixing it underneath the seat, mark the screw holes. Only a few staples are required to install the dust cover.

STEP 10 - FINISHING - INSTALLING DUST COVER: PTo avoid visible threads dangling underneath the chair, install a dust cover. It’s not essential, but it certainly gives a nice finish. The dust cover must be slightly smaller than the bottom of the chair so as not to be visible from the sides. You can readjust its shape prior to installing. Before fixing it underneath the seat, mark the screw holes. Only a few staples are required to install the dust cover. 

Final Tips

To protect your work, apply anti-stain directly on the fabric. Note that the product can be reapplied over the years so your chairs can last as long as possible. Another interesting trick: Keep enough extra fabric for one or two additional chairs. If one gets stained or broken, you can then use it without having to work on all your chairs! There you have it, a revamped chair!