Do you have a saggy bottom?
Odds are you have a chair in your home that looks a lot like this on the underside. This deteriorating dust cover has reached the end of its useful life. When the chair is upright, the fabric just hangs loosely beneath it, looking tattered.
Here’s how you can fix this problem.
You’ll need: a screwdriver or allen wrench to remove the seat, a staple remover or flathead screwdriver, a staple gun with staples, and replacement fabric as described below.
Step One: Removal
Separate the seat from the chair frame. In most cases, when you turn the chair over, you’ll locate screws that hold the seat in place. (See the screws visible in the first picture?) Once these are removed, the seat should lift right off.
Next, detach the staples where the dust cover has been affixed to the underside of the seat. (Occasionally the cover will be attached by nails, but staples are much more common.) You can use a staple remover or simply pry them up with a flathead screwdriver.
Step Two: Replacement
The replacement fabric for dust covers can be found at your local fabric store or from online retailers (e.g., Amazon). If the old dust cover is still sufficiently intact, use it as a pattern to cut out the substitute piece. If it’s too far gone, use the chair seat to gauge the size and shape you need.
With a manual or pneumatic staple gun, attach the new dust cover with fresh staples. Use one of the old staples to determine what size staple is appropriate for your seat (1/4″ is common for this purpose). Begin by putting a staple in the center of each of the four sides, as shown here, to establish even smoothness and tension.
Step Three: Completion
Continue stapling the dust cover around the sides, smoothing the fabric as you go to achieve even coverage. If the fabric covers any of the screw holes where the hardware attaches the seat to the frame, poke a hole through the fabric in the appropriate place. You can see where I’ve done this on the lower edge of this seat where indicated. If you skip this step, your screw may snarl in the fabric and rip it as you try to reattach the seat.
And that’s it! Easy, right?
Here’s a horizontal look at this chair seat now that it’s reattached to its frame. No unsightly fabric hanging down now! Just a nice, clean look.
I’ve been on the road, but I’ll be back in my workshop soon and finishing up the vintage dresser I’ve been featuring in recent blog posts. Its big reveal is right around the corner! In the meantime, if you have any questions about the items on my blog, visit my contact page or my Instagram shop (@serendipitysequelsmn).