Reupholster a leather chair. DIY chair upholstery

A chair is one of the frequently used objects in everyday life, so it wears out faster than other furniture. Buying a new one (especially when the old one is important to the owner) is not necessary if the structure of the old one is intact. The bases of office and home chairs can last up to 10 years with constant use, while the upholstery will deteriorate within 3-5 years. That is why the issue of constriction is so relevant.

Used for reupholstering furniture different kinds textiles, leather or its substitute. The choice depends on individual preferences and financial resources. However, if you choose fabric upholstery, it is not necessarily cheaper than leather. For example, imported silk, brocade and some types of satin can even exceed it in cost.

Let's consider the most popular materials:

  • Leatherette. The most inexpensive, but at the same time the most short-lived material. As a rule, its “lifespan” is 1.5–2 years with active use of the chair. This is even less than budget options fabric upholstery. Of course, there are high-quality leatherettes, the quality of which is almost as good as natural material, but they also cost almost the same as genuine leather.
  • Textile. Material can be classified according to increasing cost in the following way: chenille (fabric made of synthetic threads and cotton fibers), flock (velvet substitute), jacquard with an adhesive layer (smooth, durable and dense fabric, has water-repellent properties, characterized by a mixed composition of threads), microfiber (similar in texture to suede) and tapestry (dense, thick fabric). Such a wide selection helps you find upholstery textiles that fully suit both your needs and financial capabilities.
  • Genuine Leather. The most expensive, prestigious and quality material. However, it is worth considering that working with genuine leather requires special equipment and skills, therefore, the cost of reupholstery should include not only the price of the material itself, but also the cost of the necessary tools.

When choosing leather, pay attention to its thickness. If you choose leather thicker than 3 mm, it will be difficult to work with due to the lack of elasticity. It is most convenient to use a material whose thickness is no more than 1.5 mm for upholstering a chair.

To upholster an armchair or bar stool, it is recommended to use genuine leather or thick textiles. It is better to attach the material to the base using construction stapler or glue. The process will take no more than 15–20 minutes (with a certain skill).

To qualitatively update the genuine leather upholstery on a chair, you will need the help of professionals.

As for a leather piece of furniture, in this case the work will take much more time and effort. The fact is that the “executive chair” is more difficult to disassemble and assemble. In addition, often reupholstering leather furniture involves removing old upholstery and cutting out new upholstery, which is fraught with some difficulties and will require certain skills. To avoid possible breakdowns or other troubles, it is better to entrust work with such an item to professionals.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the most in a simple way furniture updates. We are talking about upholstery with artificial Alcantara.

Alcantara chair upholstery

Self-adhesive Alcantara is faux suede, equipped with an adhesive layer. Its service life is 3–7 years. Despite the low stretch coefficient, the elasticity of this material is sufficient to make it comfortable to work with when restoring furniture. It fits well on surfaces and takes their shape.

Please note that real self-adhesive Alcantara must have the inscription “Made in Korea” on the back side and a lined checkered pattern with 5 cm squares.

Tools and materials

We will reupholster the office chair made in China.For this we need:


Necessary calculations

To avoid unnecessary production waste, it is important to correct calculation materials. Use a measuring tape to measure all parts of the chair. We will be working with the back cover, chair back and seat, and in our case the dimensions are:

  • 53 cm - cover;
  • 53 cm – back;
  • 45 cm – seat.

Please note that to securely fasten the new upholstery you will need to make allowances of 5 cm on each side. If you do more, it doesn’t matter, the excess parts can be cut off with a stationery knife.

We bought 1 each for work linear meter beige Alcantara and white, of which we needed:

  • 50 cm of beige fabric on the seat;
  • 58 cm of beige fabric on the back;
  • 58 cm of fabric per cover.

Preparatory work

We will work with all the parts separately, so the chair will need to be disassembled using pliers for the nuts. As a rule, all parts can be easily unscrewed, some even by hand. The process takes no more than 5 minutes.

Then we start preparing the fabric. We take Alcantara beige colour, which we will need to reupholster the back and seat. Using a marker and ruler, measure along the back of the fabric. required dimensions for different parts and cut with scissors. We do the same with the white fabric for the lid.

There is no need to remove the current upholstery, as Alcantara fits perfectly over old textiles.

Master class on updating a piece of furniture with your own hands

Once the preparation is completed, you can proceed directly to the reupholstering process. Let's start from the back of the chair:


Alcantara glues quickly and firmly, so all excess must be cut off immediately - after an hour the material sticks so that it will be impossible to peel it off and carry out any manipulations.

Now we work with the seat:


The work is done easily and quickly, the whole process takes about 40 minutes.

It happens that the furniture frame is still capable of serving for a long time, but the upholstery has already failed. It's a shame to throw away such products. The Internet often searches for the answer to the question of how to reupholster a chair with your own hands step by step at home, using available materials. This is not difficult to do, the main thing is to prepare everything you need in advance and clearly understand the algorithm of work.

Before you start working at home, you need to select materials for upholstery and soft substrate. You can use what you have on hand, or purchase products from specialized furniture stores. Particular attention should be paid to the structure and density of the fabric.

For soft substrate

For a soft backing, you can use foam rubber. This is the most common and cheap material. Its more expensive and high-quality analogue is padding polyester. However, experts recommend using natural options, For example:

  • copra;
  • batting;
  • horsehair;
  • burlap.

The recommended thickness of the cushion is 3–5 cm for the back and 6.5–7.5 cm for the seat. If the plywood base does not have springs, it is better to make all 10 cm. Otherwise, the person will feel discomfort while sitting on the chair for a long time.

Foam rubber

Sintepon

Copra

Batting

Horsehair

Sackcloth

For upholstery

The fabric for upholstering the chair should be dense and hold its shape well. Another important requirement– wear resistance. The material should be easy to clean from contamination.

Peculiarities

Advantages

Flaws
LeatherNatural, environmentally friendly material that does not cause allergies. Available in a variety of colors It lends itself well to mechanical stress, which is very convenient when re-upholstering. May crack or warp from sharp changes temperature. Cheap options look similar to leatherette
JacquardConsists of multi-colored threads or monochrome fibers. Has a textured surface Long service life, durability Heavy fabric, quite difficult to care for
FlockMaterial with a small pile, the composition includes polyester and cotton. The base is covered with a thin layer of glue Wear-resistant, easy-care fabric High price
VelvetSmooth fabric with a small pile, practically does not wrinkle The fabric is easy to work with and upholstering the chair is very simple. Spectacular design Quickly begins to shine and fade if not properly cared for.
Between the spiral of two threads there is a pile. Looks like velor Inexpensive, resistant to external influences It is difficult to remove old, ingrained dirt
Tapestry

Has a dense rough texture, includes 3 layers of threads

Easy to wash and remove stains. Durable and comes in a variety of patterns

Wears out quickly, fades in case of prolonged exposure to the sun

When choosing material for children's furniture, you should choose options that do not cause allergic reactions. It is not recommended to use light-colored fabric, as it quickly loses its presentation.

Leather

Jacquard

Flock

Velvet

Chenille

Tapestry

Required Tools

Before you reupholster the chairs with your own hands step by step, you should take care of the tools. To work with textiles you will need sewing machine. To remove old upholstery you need an anti-stapler. The frame is dismantled using screwdrivers different diameters and pliers. Also home handyman should be prepared in advance:

  • thick cardboard;
  • glue and a brush for it;
  • furniture stapler with staples;
  • nails and hammer;
  • measuring instruments - tape measure, square, measuring tape.

Reupholstering a chair with your own hands can be done in different ways. If you don't have a furniture stapler, you can use wallpaper nails (with flared heads) instead. They fit smoothly into the upholstery and hold it well. Some craftsmen also use an attracting strip with screws, which reliably hides the seams (in this case, you need to pull the fabric simultaneously along the entire perimeter). However, special staples still last longer. A hammer can be successfully replaced with a rubber mallet, since reupholstering furniture does not require much physical effort.

Stages of work

Restoration and upholstery of chairs with leather consists of several stages, performed in a certain sequence. The main thing is to know how to change the upholstery. First, the product is freed from old fabric. The next step is dismantling the frame. Then it is attached new material with a soft backing and an updated backrest.

Removing old upholstery

Before you reupholster a chair, you need to expose its frame. You will need a special regulator to remove furniture staples. It can be purchased in specialized stores. Sequencing:

  1. Align the edge of the adjuster with the center of the bracket, lift the tool up, pressing on the frame.
  2. Wait until one of the ends of the fastener pops out.
  3. Grab the staple with pliers and pull it out.
  4. Repeat the same several times, depending on the number of fasteners.

After this, the fabric is removed. First, the seat of the chair is exposed. Then the upholstery is removed from the back.

Under no circumstances should the upholstery be pulled out with force: intense mechanical impact may damage the frame. You need to remove old fabric from the seat in stages, starting from the edges and gradually moving to the center.

Disassembling the frame

To parse wooden frame For the components when reupholstering a kitchen chair, you will need a mallet. You need to tap the joints of the parts with a tool, and the product will easily fall apart into its components - the back, the base for the seat and the legs. ABOUT good condition details are evidenced by the absence of fungus and mold, scratches, nicks and chips. If the old parts are rotten, they need to be replaced (this often happens when a chair long time was in a damp room).

Making a soft substrate

The size of the backing on the chair should correspond to the length and width of the seat (plus a seam allowance of 1.5–2 cm around the entire perimeter). Then, if there is excess fabric left, the protruding ends can be carefully cut off. Step-by-step instruction:

  1. The pattern is made on paper or directly on the material. The shape of a soft pillow can be square or round, it all depends on the seat.
  2. The finished product is cut out with sharp tailor's scissors.
  3. It is placed on the seat using glue, which dries in 10–15 minutes.
  4. It is better to additionally add a small layer of synthetic padding on top.

You can make a soft base from horsehair or dried grass the old fashioned way. These materials are good because they last a long time. Also, dust mites do not breed in them.

Remove traces of old upholstery

Cut out the soft pad

Stick to the seat

Attaching new upholstery

When replacing the upholstery of a chair, you must perform all stages of the work correctly. The fabric tension should be as tight as possible. There should be no folds. You don't need to hit them with a hammer with full force. Step-by-step instructions for attaching the upholstery:

  1. Secure in two places in the center - in the front and back.
  2. Pull and secure left and right.
  3. Evenly distributing the load, fasten it on both sides in turn.
  4. Repeat step 3 back and front.

You can use wallpaper nails, but it will take longer. They should be short so as not to tear the soft backing. In this case, when repairing a chair with your own hands, you will additionally need a tape made of dense material.

Align the main fabric on the seat

Stretch and secure in several places with a stapler

Attach fabric around the perimeter

Finished seat

Restoration of the back of a chair

Working with the back consists of two stages - covering it with fabric and applying paint and varnish. If there are cracks, they need to be puttied or sealed. Step by step guide will be as follows:

  1. Pull the upholstery over the back of the product.
  2. Fix the fabric with a stapler in the direction from the center to the periphery.
  3. Glue foam in front.
  4. Fasten the fabric with edging to the edge.

Next, the excess fabric for upholstering the chairs is cut off. The upholstery is decorated with braid to hide staples or nails. After this, you can varnish and paint the back. Acrylic is best. Substances on water based should not be used, this coating wears off quickly.

Features of re-tensioning the base with belts or a snake spring

To restore old chairs on canvas, you will need synthetic rubberized belts of approximately the same width. They are fixed in the center of the bar towards the frame. The new strip is secured with staples, rotated and fixed again. Then it is secured and tensioned on the opposite side. A soft substrate is placed on top. The tools you will need are a steelyard and a furniture stapler with staples.

You need to pull with a force of 1 kg on the seat, 8 kg on the back. When one side of the belt is already secured, a steelyard is hooked to the other end and pulled until the desired number appears. The desired length is marked with a marker.

To replace the snake spring, it must be fixed to the frame using special fasteners, and they, in turn, must be mounted using brackets on long legs. At correct location This part has a slightly curved shape. If you want the upholstery to last longer, place a fabric layer between the twisted wire and the pillow. This is done so that the foam rubber does not fray over time.

If the chair reupholstery is successful, you can try restoring another, larger one. upholstered furniture: armchair sofa, Kitchen Area. The work is carried out according to the same principle, only the dimensions and shape of the product change. Restoring old broken things will help you save on buying new ones, and will also become a fun hobby for people who love to make things.

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High quality wooden furniture can last for a very long time. If there are beautiful chairs in the house carved wood, and the upholstery is worn out, there is no need to throw them away. The main thing is to make sure that the wooden part is intact. Upholstering such a chair with new material is not difficult at all.

How to choose the right fabric for upholstering a chair with your own hands

Fabrics produced for furniture upholstery are dense, durable and easy to care for. They can be easily cleaned with soapy water if necessary. Reupholstering a chair with your own hands will be presented step by step below.

Reference! There are fabrics with special impregnation that do not stain, even if coffee or wine is accidentally spilled on them.

The colors are selected to match the interior. Among the most popular in Lately you can note:

  • Flock: pile is glued onto a mixed base (65% polyester and 35% cotton). Characterized by high wear resistance and good appearance;
  • Chenille: A fluffy chenille thread is woven into the warp threads. It is characterized by durability, beautiful appearance;
  • Tapestry: high-quality fabric is extremely durable; not only is it torn, it is difficult to cut with scissors.

Sometimes, in order to fit into the interior palette, you have to purchase not the most durable fabric. This option is possible when using rough upholstery made of durable auxiliary fabric.

What tools will you need?

In order for the work to go smoothly and quickly, you need to select everything in advance. The main thing you need to prepare is an electric furniture stapler. Suitable staples for upholstery work: 10 mm for interior work and 6 mm for mounting upholstery fabric.

The track of staples on the back and seat can be covered with finishing braid. To glue it, you should prepare a glue gun with silicone sticks.

To work with foam rubber you will need a sharp knife and suitable glue.

Removing old casing

Remove old upholstery very carefully. The old back and seat cover can be used as a pattern. Under the soft part of the seat there may be a piece of plywood or furniture rubber. The latter may stretch and need to be replaced. Be especially careful when removing staples near an exposed part of the wood to avoid damaging the painted part.

Once the upholstery is removed, it's time to check the strength of the wooden part. All weakened joints must be glued, where possible fixed with 14 mm staples.

Restoring the seat and chair cover

How to properly reupholster a chair with your own hands, step-by-step instruction presented below. A piece of foam rubber is glued onto the seat plywood or furniture rubber.

Reference! Foam rubber with a density of 28-35 kg/m3 is suitable for upholstering chairs.

The foam rubber is covered with padding polyester with a density of 200 g/m2 and a detail made of upholstery fabric. The upholstery fabric should be cut according to the removed cover plus 5 cm around the perimeter, this allowance is needed for ease of work; after adjusting with staples, it is cut off.

If a rough cover is used, it is upholstered first. The main load falls on the auxiliary fabric; the beautiful upper cover also experiences pressure, but much less.

The back of the chair is upholstered in the following sequence:

  • First, the cover is stuffed from the back of the chair;
  • A detail of the rough cover, it takes on the main load in this part of the furniture;
  • A part made of foam rubber and a part made of padding polyester are glued;
  • A piece of upholstery fabric is shot from above;
  • Excess fabric is cut off with a construction knife.

The upholstery of the seat and back is carried out with a large tension of the cover. Neat symmetrical folds are placed in the corners of the seat. The line for adjusting the upholstery fabric with staples is closed with finishing tape using glue gun with silicone sticks.

In addition to braid, you can use decorative nails. This type of finish comes in two types: in the form of tape or piece nails. It's easier to work with tape.

The Internet and print media feed us with new ideas every day, including many new products for upholstered furniture.

To reupholster chairs, you can use a combination of companion fabrics. For example: the seat is fabric with a jacquard pattern, and the back is chosen to be plain and velvety.

There are many finishes available for chairs. The second purpose of finishing is to cover the path of staples that are visible after shooting the upholstery fabric. In addition to finishing braid and decorative nails, you can use finishing twisted furniture cord.

It is produced in many colors and different diameters. The same cord is also produced sewn with braid for sewing into the seam. You can sew decorative furniture pillows along with the chairs. As a finishing sewn-in edging, there is a decorative cord, like on chairs with only braid.

The process of reupholstering furniture is very exciting. It takes very little time, but the result is pleasing long years. Nowadays it’s easy to choose upholstery fabrics in combination with curtains and the interior of the room as a whole. There is an opportunity to implement the most successful design finds at home.

Modern houses It's hard to imagine without furniture. Perhaps its most common element is the chair. It can be found in the dining room, living room, bedroom, office, nursery - stores today offer a wide variety of options. Over time, chairs, like any other furniture, wear out. No matter how careful you are, there comes a time when you need to buy new ones. There is another option - reupholstering chairs.

Types of structures

There are quite a lot of types of chairs of various designs made of various materials. When renovating an apartment, many people also want to update the furniture. Most often this concerns kitchen chairs.

For kitchen

There are quite a lot of options here: from ordinary kitchen wooden ones to soft ones with a back, covered with leatherette. The kitchen can be renovated in a style that will fit perfectly bar stool or original round version. Kitchen - no the only place, which requires chairs. They are necessary both in the living room and in other rooms.

In the house and garden

There are universal chairs. They can be placed in gazebos or directly in the garden, as well as in the dining room and kitchen. As a rule, they are made from special wood that is resistant to moisture even without special impregnation. They also have versatility plastic chairs. They can also be used in the country or at home. Variations of frames include solid and collapsible structures. If the solid metal frame is tightly welded, then the collapsible structure is fastened with screws. In the first case, the chair is stronger, and in the second, it is more convenient, since you can disassemble it and clean the same back or seat.

So-called stackable chairs are compact and good for storage., installed one on top of the other. These chairs are used as needed. They can be stored in the pantry until guests arrive, taking up very little space. Another alternative is folding models. Some are designed like scissors, others like theater seats. At home, many people prefer to use chairs with a soft or semi-soft seat rather than a hard one. They are the most comfortable. The same applies to models with armrests, which are divided into hard, semi-soft and soft.

Wooden chairs You can do it yourself using carpentry tools. It is enough to show a little patience and diligence. Bent chairs require special equipment. By using several materials and technological processes, combined chairs are created. Consumers often prefer wooden-metal structures, but they have not proven themselves to be 100% reliable. In order for furniture to serve for a long time, it must be made of high-quality wood. Plastic and metal combine best with each other; they are mainly used in the manufacture of garden furniture.

Office, children's, bar

In addition, there are office chairs. As a rule, they are covered soft material, equipped lifting mechanism and wheels. More common simple options- on metal legs with soft back and seat. Another variety is bar stools. Their design differs in that there is a crossbar for the legs at the bottom. They usually have a large height for comfortable sitting at the bar counter. There are special requirements for chairs for children and students: they must have a comfortable back and four stable legs.

Restoration methods

If your favorite chair begins to look less attractive, and the upholstery is worn out, do not rush to give up the old one and spend money on a new one. You can easily give it a second life by repairing it yourself. Choose a method that you can handle. Upholstering a chair, in fact, is a simple process, it can even captivate you.

The chair must be restored in a way that is acceptable in each individual case:

  • If the chair just wobbles, then you need to connect its parts. To do this, some elements may have to be replaced by first disassembling the chair completely.
  • There is such a thing as carriage tie. It is used on seats and must be durable and intact. The screed fabric is cut out with a margin, applied to the foam rubber, then the fabric with a long needle is pierced reverse side. Mark the place where the button will be located.
  • If the upholstery looks faded or is torn in some places, reupholstering will save the situation. Before this, you need to prepare the tools, and also decide what fabric the seat will be covered with, what material to use for the filler.
  • If you need to change the armrests, you will have to disassemble the entire structure. Wooden parts must be examined for cracks and chips, defects must be removed with putty and wood glue. If some parts are badly damaged, you will have to make new ones according to the previous samples.

Process Features

Before you begin the task, you need to decide how global the repair will be: a light update of the furniture, a complete re-upholstery of the seat, or replacement of parts. First of all, study the frame. If there is any damage, repair it using wood putty and varnish. If you have already decided what color the upholstery will be, you can paint the frame to match it. Such bright chairs will look great in any corner of the house. Before you reupholster a chair with your own hands, you need to select the fabric and all the necessary accessories.

Step by step process presented below:

  • First you need to remove the seat. It's easy to deal with this on your own. Old fabric and soft filling must be removed. To do this, you need to carefully remove the seat and try not to damage it. wooden structure, tools will help with this. The fabric is also separated carefully, because it is from this that the pattern will then be made to alter the seat.
  • Springs usually last a very long time, but if you see them worn out, remove them too.
  • Do the same with the back of the chair.
  • Proceed with the restoration itself.

Preparing tools

To avoid distractions later, prepare everything you need for work.

During dismantling you may need:

  • nail puller;
  • hammer;
  • scissors.

For the reupholstering process itself, you need to prepare:

  • furniture stapler;
  • staples or furniture nails;
  • pliers;
  • screwdrivers different types;
  • bit;
  • cleaver;
  • mallet;
  • PVA glue.

When you start making a pattern, you will, among other things, need:

  • tape measure;
  • pencil;
  • ruler;
  • cardboard.

Material selection

Choose an upholstery fabric that you like, that we think is beautiful, practical and durable. Keep in mind that you need a material that retains its shape and is strong. It is also extremely important that you can easily clean the soft surface with a regular brush and soap and remove dirt or simply wipe the surface wet wipe. So, you can cover the chair with dermantine, eco-leather, genuine leather, or leatherette.

  • Leatherette refers to inexpensive and short-lived coatings. Its service life does not exceed two years. Over time, cracks and scratches may appear on it. This is especially true if there are animals in the house. At the same time, there is quality faux leather, which cannot be distinguished from natural ones, but the price for these types is extremely high.
  • It's a completely different matter - Genuine Leather, which refers to high-quality, prestigious and expensive materials. There is one nuance here: if you have never dealt with furniture restoration before, there is a risk of ruining the expensive coating.

  • The most common upholstery is done made of textile, and here there is a large choice: chenille, flock, jacquard, microfiber, tapestry. After studying all the properties of fabrics, choose the one that suits you best in terms of quality and price.
  • There is also an option like self-adhesive alcantura– artificial suede with an adhesive layer. Some people prefer it because of its long service life (up to 7 years), and working with this material when restoring a chair is easy even for a beginner in this field.

Another one important detail– choice of filler. Synthetic padding polyester, latex, batting are suitable, but the best option– sheet foam rubber. It lasts a long time and keeps its shape.

The so-called bulk materials - polyurethane balls or buckwheat husks - are definitely not suitable.

Calculations

To reupholster a chair efficiently and then use it for a long time, you need to take all the measurements correctly, choose the right fabric, and decide how thick the filling layer should be. So, measure the back, seat and back cover. In order for the fabric to be well secured, at least 5 cm is left on each side. When choosing foam rubber for stuffing, you need to take into account that its density should be 30-50 kg/cubic. m. Only then will the seat not sag and be comfortable. When choosing leather as upholstery, keep in mind that for ease of use it must be elastic, so its thickness should not exceed 3 mm.

Padding

First, foam rubber is attached to the plywood with PVA glue. To do this, apply glue to wooden surface and on top part foam rubber and wait for it to dry completely. Afterwards, cut out the fabric of the required size, preferably with a margin; if the piece turns out to be smaller than needed, it will not be possible to correct the situation. The fabric is placed so that the front side is at the bottom, and the soft part of the chair is placed on it. As an additional filler, padding polyester is laid in the middle. The material is then pulled over the base and secured with a furniture stapler, which may result in excess fabric that can be easily trimmed. Then the seat is put in place and secured with screws.

When repairing the back of a chair, the frame is disassembled into parts. The old coating is removed and cracks are eliminated using glue and putty. Then you can varnish or paint the parts. The well-dried parts are connected. Change the filling and fabric on the back, the replacement process is similar to that described for the seat.

Assembly

This stage is final. All that remains is to install the structure on the base, attach it with plates and screw it in place. If you have updated the upholstery, you can replace other parts as well. Then you get a completely new design. Thus, with your own hands you made a completely new chair with beautiful upholstery, durable and comfortable, which will serve you for many years in the kitchen or living room, nursery or office. But that's not all. You can act as a designer and decorate your new furniture.

Finishing and decor

At home, it’s not at all difficult to beautifully decorate the seats and backs of chairs. To do this, it is enough to have fabric, paints, braid, ropes at home, as well as to have imagination and creative abilities. Remember: nothing limits your choice. The color scheme can be any: bright blue, soft pink, snow-white. Decoupage is considered a fashionable trend - a simple way of decorating furniture items, which is applicable for chairs made of wood and plywood that do not have soft upholstery. The surface needs to be prepared and treated sandpaper and putty. Then the chair is painted, it is best to use White color. Then they stick to the surface decorative elements. The finishing touches are re-painting and varnishing.

Any furniture that is in your apartment gets old, becomes unusable, the upholstery is torn, stains and scuffs appear. It's impossible to sit on it, it spoils appearance interior There comes a time when you have to throw it in a landfill or take it to the country.

Old chairs are often simply created for restoration and new life.

If the chair has retained its strength, it has a strong base, reupholstering furniture is a great chance to return a piece of furniture to its former beauty. It can last for many more years.

There's nothing better than using worn-out furniture for a makeover.

We decided to do the reupholstery of the old one ourselves. chair and not buy a new one? Let us present a number of advantages, and you will understand why it is worth doing this work yourself.


Currently, furniture manufacturers produce products that are not as strong and high-quality as before. Especially if it is inexpensive, it can quickly become unusable.

Choosing the right fabric

To choose the right upholstery material, you need to consider some points: upholstery density - textile must be strong and retain its shape; no problems with washing; If necessary, it was easy to clean with soapy water or a brush.

Typically, chair upholstery is done with fabrics that can hold their shape.

Let's list the materials most suitable for the job: leather, but it is easily susceptible to scratches and other defects; jacquard – strong, wear-resistant; flock, velvet - good quality, does not fade; chenille is a common material, compacted, practical; artificial leather – does not wear out for a long time; tapestry - easy to wash.

The best option is jacquard, tapestry, flock, chenille.

Required Tools

Having decided on the upholstery cloth on the chair , we prepare the tools that we will need: a sewing machine, an anti-stapler for removing old staples, thick cardboard, a brush, PVA glue, a set of screwdrivers, pliers, a furniture stapler, staples or a hammer and nails, a centimeter or tape measure, scissors, chalk, a ruler, a pencil .

Tools for upholstering chairs.

What materials are needed? Firstly, textile . It is better if it is jacquard, tapestry or flock - they are good quality, strong enough, for a long time do not wear out. Before making a purchase, we take measurements and add 15-20 cm for hem and upholstery height. Secondly, filler. The most acceptable option is sheet foam rubber with a thickness of 4-5 cm and a density of 30 to 50 kg/m3. Bulk materials are completely unsuitable. Thirdly, padding polyester. It is used as a stabilizer, placed between fabric and foam rubber. The material glides along it easily, stretches in one moment and without wrinkles.

To determine the size of the cut to buy, measure the seat and add 15–20 cm to allowances on each side.

Removing old upholstery

Furniture restoration begins with dismantling. How to properly remove the old one textile? First of all, we unscrew the seat - we use a screwdriver to hook up the fasteners, remove the nails, unscrew the screws, and remove the metal pads. Use an anti-stapler or a flat-head screwdriver to remove the old staples.

We put the fasteners in a container, it may come in handy.

Then we inspect the base chair , if it is loose, it needs to be strengthened - fill the cracks with sealant or PVA glue, you can cover them with putty, and tighten the weak points. We remove the old upholstery and carefully remove the foam rubber. If you do not throw away the removed textile , use it as a pattern.

Remove the remaining foam and glue from the seat frame.

The reupholstering process: step-by-step instructions

How to reupholster a chair. First of all, we attach the foam rubber to the plywood using PVA glue. We reface the seat as soon as the glue dries.

Using the template, cut out a soft pad from foam rubber.

Apply foam adhesive to the underside of the pad and to the surface of the wood seat.

Then we place the material face down, place the seat on it, so that the foam rubber lies on the upholstery, put padding polyester between the foam rubber and the fabric as a layer. Then we bend the material onto the base, stretch it carefully so that there are no folds, and attach it with a furniture stapler.

Cut a piece of fabric required sizes. It’s not scary if it turns out to be a little more than necessary, the main thing is that it’s not less.

Lay the fabric face down on a flat surface and place the foam seat on top.

Use a stapler to secure the edges of the fabric.

Carry out the work without exceeding 2 cm increments. Excess textile cut off. We fix the finished seat onto the frame - first we fasten the plates, then the screws.

Place the seat in place and secure it with screws.

How to restore a chair back

Chair back repair we start with the frame. We disconnect the parts, remove the old coating, and sand it. If there are cracks, fill them with glue using a syringe, you can apply putty. Optional chair repaint it a different color or simply varnish it. When all the parts have dried well, we connect them.

If there is upholstery on the back, the material and filling must be replaced.

First, we attach the back part of the back with a stapler, stretching the material from the middle to the corners. Then we glue foam rubber in front and attach fabric with a sewn-in edging. It covers the staples so that they are not visible.Restoring old furniture, you will not only extend its service life.

It will appear in your house original item furniture that no one else has.

How to sew a new chair cover

Chair covers are becoming popular again. This is not only beautiful, but also protects the furniture from various contaminants, in particular from your beloved pets, and can be quickly removed and washed. It’s better to sew several covers and change them according to your mood.

Any housewife can sew a cover for a chair.

To work, you will need about two meters of fabric, thread and needle, scissors, a tape measure, pins, a sewing machine, and chalk. First we make a pattern, you can use an old cover, do not forget the seam and hem allowances.

The most important thing is to take into account the thickness of the back and legs, their curves and how much the fabric will shrink after washing.

To make the product fit snugly, make fasteners in the form of ties, buttons or zippers. The seat and back can be cut and sewn separately or as a whole fabric.

Sew according custom design, showing patience and accuracy.

VIDEO: How to restore a chair with your own hands.