Chairs are one of the most common pieces of furniture around. They come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. How to reupholster a kitchen chair. Chairs are not only functional but they look great too. There are many ways to decorate your home with chairs. If your chairs is looking a little worn, then it might be time for a reupholstery job!
If you’re thinking about buying new kitchen chairs but are unsure if you should shell out the money for new ones just yet, maybe it’s time to consider re-covering them. There are many steps to reupholstering a chair, so we’ve put together this handy guide on how to do it yourself!
Why You Should Reupholster Your Chair
A chair that has been reupholstered looks great. The old fabric can be removed and the frame may need to be sanded and primed. Then, new fabric is covered over the frame, reattached with staples, and then sewn in place.
In a lot of cases, you can do this on your own but it will take some time. And there are a few instances where you might want to hire someone else to help out. First, if you have chairs where the seat needs to be lifted off so it can be recovered, that would make it difficult for one person to do it on their own. Second, if the fabric needs to be cut precisely so there aren’t any wrinkles when it’s put back on it again, you might need someone else to help cut straight lines.
Is it time to Reupholster Your Chair?
If you’ve been looking at your chairs longingly, wondering if it’s time to reupholster it, then the answer might be yes. If you’re still not sure, here are some signs that indicate it might be time:
- The fabric is faded or stained.
- There are tears in the fabric.
- The chair has lost its shape (leaning forward).
- The chair has broken legs or arms.
Reupholstering a chair can be done on your own and save you money on buying new chairs! It’s often a more affordable option as well because furniture stores sell fabrics by the yard. Reupholstering will also give your old chairs new life and make them look brand new!
How to Get Started
The first step is to remove the old fabric from the chairs. You’ll want to start by removing the screws that are holding the seat in place so you can take it off. There will be a few other screws around the chair’s perimeter and under the arms, where they meet the back of the chairs. Once all of these are removed, you can begin pulling up on the fabrics. The easiest way to do this is by peeling up an edge and grabbing it with your hand and pulling it toward you until you get enough of an opening to put your hand through.
You’ll then need to flip over the cushion and find any more screws or nails holding it together underneath. Remove these pieces before proceeding with your next step!
Identify the Type of Chair
How to reupholster a kitchen chair. The first step to reupholster a chair is to identify which type of chairs you have. Is it an office chairs, dining room chairs, or kitchen stool? Figuring out the type of chairs you have will help determine the fabric and upholstery style.
Office chairs are typically made from leather or vinyl. Dining room chairs can be made from fabrics, vinyl, or leather. Lastly, kitchen stools are typically made from vinyl, fabrics, or wood.
Prepare the Chair Frame
The first thing you should do is prepare the frame of the chairs. You will need to take out all the nails and screws from the chairs. It’s important that you have a quality hammer and chisel on hand to remove any stubborn nails that won’t come out with just your hands. After removing all of the nails, you will want to take off any fabrics or upholstery from the chairs. The wood frame should be as bare as possible before moving on to the next step.
After stripping down your chairs, it’s time to sand it down or prime it if needed. Priming will help prevent stains from seeping into the wood and make sure that your new fabrics has something to adhere to.
How to reupholster kitchen chairs. After priming or sanding, it’s time for painting! There are two options for painting: spray paint or regular paint. We recommend spray paint because it saves a lot of time and effort, but if you don’t have access to this, then regular paints work just as well!
Once your chairs have been painted, it’s time to start sewing! There are many different methods for sewing on new fabrics, but we’ve found that using a slipcover method is the easiest and gives the best results. That means that instead of sewing each individual piece onto your chairs frame separately (like covering an ottoman), you will be spraying adhesive on one side of the fabric and then wrapping it around your entire seat pad until both sides have adhesive touching them.
Add Legs to a Soft Back Chair Frame
Step one– Take the chairs apart. Remove the legs and back fabric by cutting away the staples. Pull the fabric down to expose part of the chair frame.
There are many ways to reupholster a chair, but this is probably how most people start because it’s quick and easy. Once you’ve taken off all of the old fabric, you’ll want to attach the new fabrics to the chair frame. To do this, use a staple gun. Start by tacking in one corner of each piece of fabric with a staple gun and then pull tight before moving on to another corner– repeat this until you are done (it should look like an X). You can also use glue if you don’t have a staple gun handy!
Now that your new piece of upholstery is securely attached, it’s time for step 2:
Create a Pattern for the Fabric
How to reupholster kitchen chairs. How to Reupholster a Kitchen Chair. When reupholstering a chair, you need to create a pattern. Don’t worry, it’s easier than you might think. You can grab an old sheet and make a pattern for the fabric. Just lay the sheet on top of the chairs and cut around it. Leave about two inches of extra fabric on all sides so that you’ll have enough fabric to attach to the chairs when you’re done!
How to Get the Right Fabric
When you are picking out the fabric for your chairs, you want to make sure that it is durable. You want the fabric to last through many years of use. If you can find a fabric that is water-resistant, it will likely be a good choice as well. It’s also important to consider the weight of the fabric when choosing which one to buy. The heavier the fabric, the more durable it will be.
The right pattern is also essential when choosing your material! You want to choose something that blends in with your home décor but still stands out enough. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our roundup of the best reupholstering fabrics!
Make the Fabric Cover
First, you’ll need fabrics. We suggest 1/4 yard for each chair and we recommend that it will be at least 54 inches wide. You’ll also need a staple gun and staples, measuring tape, pins, chalk or another form of marking, scissors, thread and needle, and a sewing machine.
Next to the chair’s seat (the part where you’re sitting), measure from one side of the seat to the other. Double this measurement and add 2 inches, then measure that distance back on it from where it will start. This will be your cutting line. You’ll have to cut all around the outside of your chair’s seat so that when you fold it over it will fit with an inch border on all sides for the seam allowance. Next, measure one inch in from your cutting line all around the outside of your chair’s seat so that you can fold it over for a nice seam allowance. Be sure to keep these measurements in mind when cutting!
Now unfold your fabrics and place them on top of the chair’s seat with the wrong side facing outwards so that there is an inch border on all sides for each side of the seam allowance plus about two inches for each side if you want to keep things simple…now pin down all along your cutting line (including those one-inch gaps). Once everything is pinned down nicely use your sewing machine or hand stitching and stitch up those cut lines!
Conclusion
Every chair tells a story, but after years of use and abuse, that story may need to be updated. In this post, we cover the steps to reupholster a kitchen chair.
Start by gathering the right tools and materials for the job. Then, identify the type of chairs frame you need to reupholster, whether that be soft or hard.
The next step is to prepare the chair frame by removing any old foam and fabric.
Finally, select the type of fabric and make a pattern for it to be cut from.
