Dining Chairs: From Irony to Harmony

It’s okay to laugh.

The irony is not lost on me that this is what my dining room chairs look like. With all the reupholstery I do, I never seem to find time to work on my own items. After being embarrassed to use these for dinner with neighbors recently, I decided it was time to get to work. Follow along to see how you can do this, too, just in time for the holidays.

Step One: Removing the Seat

Flip over your chair and determine how the seat is attached to the frame. Most are like mine, with screws on each of the four corners. Unscrew them so the seat will lift off.

Step Two: De-Upholstering

If your chair has a dust cover on the underside, remove the staples holding it in place. Assuming it’s still in good shape, set it aside to re-use it. If not, you can find replacement fabric (aka cambric) at fabric stores or online.

The staples attaching the fabric to the underside should now be exposed. Pry them up using a staple removal tool or the flat edge of a common screwdriver. Be prepared for a sore arm the next day!

Step Three: The New Fabric

Once you’ve removed the old fabric, you can use it as a pattern to cut your new fabric. Be sure to line up any design or weave before cutting so the fabric will be straight and all the chairs will match.

Wrap your fabric around the foam and secure it on the underside of the seat. Start with a staple at the center of each side to adjust the tautness and pattern of the fabric. Then work toward the corners. (Since my foam was still in good shape and these low-profile chairs don’t use batting, I won’t be showing here how to replace them. For tips on how to replace foam and batting, see: serendipitysequels.com/?p=1039 )

At each corner, fold the fabric inward and tuck it as if you were folding gift wrap on a present. Secure with staples.

Finally, attach the dust cover to protect the raw fabric edges. Leave the screw holes exposed so the cover won’t tear when replacing the seat. Either fold the corners back or cut a matching hole in the cambric.