It is quite normal for the furniture in the house to wear out and deteriorate over time. One of the pieces of furniture that most often notice this passing of the years are the chairs, especially because of the great use that they are given throughout the day. If this is your case and you have the occasional chair in the house that is a bit worn out, don't worry because with a few simple steps you can upholster it and leave it completely as new.
Tools you will need
- Scissors
- Measuring tape
- Brush
- Glue
- Stapler and staples
- Chisel
Upholstery materials
- Elastic straps
- Upholstery fabric
Attach the straps to the chair frame
If you follow these steps you can upholster the chair you want and be able to have it in perfect condition again. First you must place four elastic straps on the top of the frame of the chair. Then one end is stapled with six staples, the strap is fully tensioned and the other end stapled with six other staples. You must bear in mind that each strap must stretch 10% of what it measures to make it fit perfectly. Next you must cover the straps with a fabric of the same size as the frame with the help of the stapler. To prevent the burlap from fraying, it is important that you fold the fabric outward by at least 2 centimeters. The burlap must be taut since the purpose of it is none other than to protect the foam padding of the chair.
To tighten it you must start by putting a staple in the center of one of the sides, stretch the fabric well and put another staple on the other side of the chair. Then you must put a staple in the center of the third side and another in the center of the opposite side. Make sure the burlap is tight and continue to staple the sides. If the chair has a board instead of a frame, you should skip this step and start the next one.
Prepare the seat
Now it is the turn to prepare the seat so the first thing you should do is take a cutter and trim the outer foam. The normal thing is to cut the same size of the frame plus an additional 3 or 0 cm so that you do not have problems when filling the seat. The next layers of foam should be smaller than the first. Initially, about 3 layers of 30, 20 and 10 mm each are usually sufficient. Then you must take a little glue and glue the foam layers to get a compact filling. Place the foam on the frame and fix it well with the help of the stapler.
Place the fabric on the chair
Once the padding is well placed in the frame, it is the turn to place the fabric on the chair to finish upholstering it. Once you have the fabric with which you are going to upholster, you must cut one more square about 10 cm more to cover the seat without any problem. Then you must center the fabric as well as possible and staple it on the frame. The next steps are to tension the corner of the fabric and staple to the hoop and make two pleats that meet on the diagonal. All that remains is to cover the lower part of the seat with another fabric that matches the main one. To do this, put this fabric with a margin of a couple of cm and fix it with the help of some staples. You already have the chair perfectly upholstered and like new so you can put it in the part of the house you want.
As you have seen, upholstering a chair is not something simple and requires following these steps that I have explained to you in order to be able to enjoy a new fully upholstered chair. Remember that when it comes to upholstering it, it is advisable to choose a fabric that is good and that withstands continued use and the passing of the years. Fabrics made from natural fibers are much more pleasant to the touch than synthetic fabrics. In addition, they do not accumulate any static electricity and are much more resistant to burns, so it is much more advisable to opt for the aforementioned synthetic fabrics.
In any case, if you see it as too difficult and complicated for you, it is recommended that you go to a professional who can help you upholster the chair at home that you want to renew and leave it as new again. Do not hesitate to upholster the different furniture in your house that you see worn out, since it is very worth it when it comes to getting the different areas of your home to be redecorated.