How to upholster a chair seat
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Knowing how to upholster a chair seat is always very useful. You may need to do it for a chair that has a broken or ruined seat, one that you don't feel like throwing away because it can be useful eventually, a new chair that you don't like so much. Or even a very old chair that has the potential to become a beautiful and modern chair. Changing the seat can make a chair look completely different, like brand new. Making a seat probably sounds like a very difficult thing to do, but believe me, it's not. This is the first upholstery project I have ever done. That's how simple it is. |
Materials and Tools:
- a chair (of course)
- fabric, any kind you like
- staple gun
- thin upholstery foam - I used one that was 2cm thick (0.78 inches), you can find a similar one here.
- upholstery webbing
- upholstery batting
- scissors
Step 1The kind of chair I used has a removable seat.
If you are using that same kind, remove the seat from the chair and everything that covers it until all that's left is the wood structure. If your seat can't be removed from the chair, you will have to work directly on the chair, so remove everything from there too. Don't worry about breaking the old fabric, foam or whatever is inside because you are going to throw that away and make everything new. |
Step 2
Take your upholstery webbing, fold the beginning a little and staple it on the wood structure. You must consider that you'll attach 2 stripes of webbing on each side of the structure so staple it below the middle of a side. Pull it all the way through the seat until you reach the other side. Pull as tight as you can. Staple again and cut the strip not too close to the staples. Fold up that exceeding webbing and staple on it to secure.
Now, depending where you attached that strip, staple another one above or below that one. You must do the exact same thing. Look at the photos: the webbing must be well balanced on the whole structure.
Two sides have been done, so you need to do the same on the other sides too. The webbing will have to cross the other 2 strips this time so "weave" passing it above the first strip and then below the second one. Do the opposite weaving for the fourth strip, always pulling very tight.
Now, depending where you attached that strip, staple another one above or below that one. You must do the exact same thing. Look at the photos: the webbing must be well balanced on the whole structure.
Two sides have been done, so you need to do the same on the other sides too. The webbing will have to cross the other 2 strips this time so "weave" passing it above the first strip and then below the second one. Do the opposite weaving for the fourth strip, always pulling very tight.
Step 3Cut a piece of fabric. it must be a little bigger than the wood structure, about 2cm bigger (0.78 inches).
Staple it all around the wood frame and fold up the exceeding fabric, securing it with staples. It doesn't matter what fabric you use for this step because this will be the inside of the seat and nobody will be able to see it. Put some upholstery batting on it, making sure to put a little bit more in the middle of the seat, where there is no wood. |
Step 4Cut a square out of upholstery foam. Make it about 2cm (0.78 inches) bigger than the seat.
Place it on the wood structure and put a staple in the middle of each side to secure. Now that your foam is steady enough on the wood, staple all around the edges to attach each side of the foam to the structure. You'll end up having the angles left with free foam so cut that exceeding foam out. |
Step 5Cut a piece of fabric that is bigger than the seat, the sides must be able to be folded on the back. Use the fabric that you want cover your seat with this time.
Lay it on a table with the front side facing the table and place your seat on it with the foam facing the fabric. Fold each side of the fabric on the wood structure and secure it with staples. You can start with one staple on each side and then add more all around the frame leaving the angles free. |
Step 6Pull the fabric from the angles as tight as you can and staple it on the wood to secure.
When you have done that for all angles and there are enough staples all around the frame, cut out the exceeding fabric. |