see how to reupholster a electric chair with these basic techniques that give your piece of furniture a reinvigorated look .

This guide on how to reupholster a chair will help you give your piece of furniture a new look — you’re able to update an erstwhile favourite or refresh aflea grocery find . As long as the article of furniture ’s bones are in skilful form , a bit of fabric and some staple can revive an outdated chair and take concern of ripped , varnished , or dated fabric .

Make Things Easy on Yourself

ensure you have everything you need before you get begin so you do n’t have to scat to the ironware stores in the midriff of your project . If you do n’t have all the dick for the job , you’re able to buy a DIY upholstery tool outfit , but you ’ll in all probability have many of the things you need on hired man ( such as glove to protect your hands from cutting off ) . Do n’t leave to wear shoes for firm footing and to protect your pes in case you shed tacks , staples , or tool .

Before You Begin

The first step in reupholstering a chair is important : Because you are using the old upholstery as a pathfinder for the new convention part , you might require to complete this , which involves take out all the old fabric , before you shop for supplying .

Measuring all the piece and cord lengths will aid make up one’s mind how much textile you postulate to reupholster a professorship . When in dubiousness , err on the side of too much fabric so you do n’t add up up short .

What You’ll Need

Equipment / Tools

Materials

Instructions

How to Reupholster a Chair

Remove Old Fabric

Disassemble the chair as want and off the upholstery firearm , engage tending not to deplume any of the onetime piece of fabric — you will need them as patterns .

shoot the chair before you strip the original covering , taking full - distance and elaborated picture for denotation .

commence by removing the bootleg cloth from the underside of the chairman , then relax the bit attached to the skeleton . Remove the objet d’art and mark each with its placement on the chair with a nock pen . For example , pronounce the slice as outside back , correct side back , pull up stakes side back , inside back , seat , and seat sides . Mark " T " for the top or " F " for the front to indicate the counsel of the piece on the chair .

Attaching side fabric to chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

Note on each opus the location of welting and where pieces are sewn together . Save pieces of welting and mainsheet strip to use as a beat for new pieces .

Replace Batting

If drawn or stained , take previous batting from chair back and seat . Check springs and webbing for impairment and repair if necessary . Sand , select , and paint the frameor legs if desired ; rent wry .

Cut a piece of 1/2 - inch - slurred batten to cover the electric chair back and invest , if needed . Cover the chairman back first , staple it down . Pull softly on the batten around each staple to forestall visible indentation from the staples so the staple is inside the batting . Next , cover the fundament with batting in the same path , folding neatly around the corner .

Make New Pattern

Lay the originalupholstery pieceswrong - side up on the faulty side of the new material , watching for the grain , placement , and direction of the pattern or motif . Pin in place and cut around the pattern , leaving 2 to 3 in of fabric beyond the stapled edge of the original piece of music . This will give you textile to hold on when stapling ; the original bit were trimmed after they were stapled .

Repeat this appendage to cut out each fabric section . Transfer the markings for focusing , welting , and seams onto the new piece with shabu .

If preferred , combine the chair reupholstery pieces into cover for the seat and back that can be applied all at once . Place the fabric department together inside out and sew them together , adapt for curves as needed .

Removing old fabric from chair

Credit: Marty Baldwin

Attach Base Fabric

locate the new inside back , correct - side back , and left - side back pieces on the hot seat in the appropriate locations , using the " T " marking and your photo as guides . Pin the small-arm together , make up any necessary adjustments to the fit ; you may need to snip extra fabric to make it fit snugly .

When you ’re pleased with the burst , pull the cloth taut and staple it in place on the proscenium of the electric chair seat . Use as many staples as necessary to secure the textile and keep it tranquil . Be certain you place staples on the back of the hot seat where the back panel will cover them . snip extra material .

If using a cover , hold the new covering to the seat bag and adjust as demand . rend the fabrictaut and staple to the frame where the honest-to-goodness cover was previously attach , start at the front sharpness and work toward the back . Tuck redundant fabric under at the corners .

Replacing batting on chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

Make Welting

Using the sure-enough pieces as your guide , define the length of the welting needed to go around the prat proscenium at the top and bottom . Cut enough2 - inch - widebias strips to match that length , allowing a few extra inches . bring together the strips with diagonal seam and trim the line allowance to 1/2 inch . Fold the bias strip around the cord and apply a zipper metrical unit to sew in topographic point . The welting will go around the bottom of the buns apron .

Sew Welting

Pin the side jury to the bottom material , gain any necessary adjustment to the fit or convention placement . Mark the place for the bottom welting .

Remove the side fabric from the president and sew the welting to the correct side of the panel , at the top , and where marked near the bottom , begin and ending at the back . For a finished edge , fold the conclusion of the piping under before bind .

Attach Sides

check the right-hand side of the panel up against the seat , staple the top welting in position around the seat . contribute a sheet flight strip around the panel top against the welting and staple fibre in place .

Fold the side control panel down over the tack strip , pull tight , and staple in place to the bottom of the chairwoman , with the bottom welting equip snugly along the edge . dress notches in the fabric underneath the seat as you smooth around corners . Tuck any excess fabric underneath using aflathead screwdriver .

Attach Back

grade back panel in position and fold up the ripe side over the top of the chairperson back . use a tack slip to the top of the back back and basic in place . Fold the panel back over the strip and pull fast toward the bottom of the chair back . close bottom edge under and staple to the bottom of the chair back .

If using a cover version for the back , mistake it over the professorship back . pull out the cloth fast and staple to the frame where previously attach . Tuck under raw edge where seeable .

Reassemble the hot seat if call for . lop any spare string or fabric .

Cutting new pattern for chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

Use fabric glue or decorative upholstery tacks to secure excess material to the back of the reupholstered electric chair .

Attach Underside to Finish Chair Reupholstery

Cut a composition of bootleg breathable material for the bottom of the chairwoman using the old piece as your guide . Flip the president upside down , and staple fabric to the undersurface to conceal any fountain or webbing and act as a rubble cover . verify the fabric is cockeyed against the welting and that it cover up all raw edges of the upholstery textile . Turn proper - side up , and savour your newly reupholstered chairwoman .

More DIY Decor Projects

Now that you know how to reupholster a chair , try your hand at other decor update . You canrepaint furniturefor a colorful refresh orwallpaper the back of a cabinetor bookshelf with a bold pattern . Stencil a tile floorthat take care raddled for an inexpensive update , oruse stencilsto add design to wall without vest in wallpaper .

talk of wallpaper , Robert Peel - and - stickis a nifty room to experiment with paries coverings without commit to it tenacious - terminus — just transfer it if you arise tired of it . You canupdate backsplash tileswith peel - and - stick merchandise , too . DIY decor is a originative and budget - well-disposed way of life to impregnate your home with your personality .

Frequently Asked Questions

The cost of having a chair professionally reupholstered varies , but you could expect to pay off approximately $ 150-$600 to reupholster a dining room chair and $ 300-$1,200 to reupholster an armchair or wingback hot seat . Conversely , a DIY reupholstery undertaking will only cost you fabric ( 2 to 8 yards at approximately $ 20-$70 per yard ) and other materials .

you may carry through lots of money by reupholstering yourself , but if the electric chair ’s structure needs repair ( or new give or webbing ) , it may be more dearly-won than it ’s deserving embark on a chair makeover .

Stick with fabric that are resistant to mould and fading ( like wool , poly blends , and leather ) , and avoid finespun fabrics ( like silk ) if you have pet or nipper . correspond the fabric details for the Wyzenbeek rating ( a maker - administered rub count which tracks the fabric ’s resistivity to abrasion ) . For living way death chair , front for medium to expectant - duty fabric ( 10,000 - 30,000 + snag ) .

Attaching base fabric

Credit: Jay Wilde

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission ’s Union flammability measure apply only to furniture that you sell or give away . The regulation do not use if you reupholster your own piece of furniture or hire someone to do so .

One trend is the purpose of digital knitwork , a summons that combines technology and knitting . The result is a single piece of three-D - pucker upholstery that is design to fit your president or other furniture .

" Upholstery Fire Standards . " National Upholstery Association .

Making welting for chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

" Fits Like A baseball glove : The Perfect Pairing of Textile and Furniture . " Business + Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association .

Sewing welting for chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

Cutting excess fabric off of chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

Attaching back fabric to chair

Credit: Jay Wilde

Stapling fabric to underside of chair

Credit: Cameron Sadeghpour