My Grandpa was an amazing man. He was a hard worker and always took care of his family. One of the many things that Grandpa taught me is how to re-upholster furniture. He spent most of his adult life working in his own business, re-upholstering furniture.
My siblings and I spent HOURS in Grandpa’s shop or sewing room, watching him, asking TONS of questions, and “helping” him. Looking back, I am sure that we actually caused Grandpa to work longer hours because we truly interrupted him so much. He NEVER gave us any indication of that though. Instead, he ALWAYS made sure we felt loved and wanted.
As a teenager, I worked with Grandpa in his shop here and there. He would be cutting out his patterns while I “tore down” the furniture. Tearing down a sofa or recliner is actually a TON of work! Re-upholstering it is also a lot of work and involves using a commercial grade sewing machine. So, I don’t do the heavy re-upholstering.
However, I DO enjoy the smaller upholstery projects, such as kitchen chairs. Re-upholstering kitchen chairs is a great DIY project that can give your space a fresh look without a big investment. It gives a feeling of satisfaction knowing that I completed that project. Therefore, I would like to share the experience with you! Here’s a step-by-step guide how to do it.
Tools & Materials You’ll Need
* Upholstery Fabric
*Foam Padding & Batting (if need to remove old foam or add more for softness)
*Screw Driver or Drill (to remove seat from chair frame)
*Tack Lifter (to remove old tacks or staples)
*Needle Nose Pliers (for removing old staples)
*Heavy Duty Staple Gun & Staples
*Hammer
*Scissors
*Measuring Tape
*Fabric Marker
Below is a picture of the Upholstery Hammer and Tack Lifter that I used for years when I helped my Grandpa in his shop. These are two tools that I will keep forever because of the nostalgia with all of my wonderful memories.
If you don’t have any Re-Upholstery tools, you can purchase a kit on Amazon pretty cheap.
Step – by – Step Guide
1. Remove the Seat
You will begin the project by taking a picture of the chair so that you will have a “before” picture for a later comparison. Below is MY “Before” picture.
Then, you will need to flip the chair over and unscrew or unbolt the seat from the frame. You may need to use a screw driver or drill for this part. Make sure you put the screws in a container or zip lock baggie so you don’t lose them.
2. Remove the Old Fabric
The second step is to remove the old fabric. You will want to use either a tack lifter or needle nose pliers to pull out the staples, tacks or nails that are holding the old fabric. I personally prefer to use a tack lifter. I carefully set the points of the tack lifter flush with the tack or staple and then use a hammer to gently tap it. While tapping, I push down on the tack lifter and the staple comes right up.
At that point, I am usually able to twist the tack lifter to get the rest of the staple out. If there is any part of the staple left in the seat, I’ll then use the needle nose pliers to pull out the rest of it.
Once all of the staples are removed from the seat, you can carefully lift the old fabric off of the seat. That is when you can inspect the foam to determine if you want to use the old foam and padding or if you want to replace some or all of it.
3. Cut New Foam & Batting (if needed)
Step three to re-upholster your chair is to cut out the new foam and batting. If you have chosen to only use the old foam and batting, then you can skip this step.
First, you will want to lay the seat base on the foam and trace it’s outline with a fabric marker. Next, you will need to cut the foam and add a layer of batting over the foam for a smooth finish.
4. Cut your New Fabric
In this step to re-upholster your chair, you will need to lay your seat (with foam and batting in place) face-down on the back of the new fabric. Next, you will cut around the seat, leaving 3-5 inches extra all the way around so that you will have room to staple it.
5. Staple the Fabric
Then, you will start stapling one side of the fabric to the seat base. Make sure it is nice and straight. Pull it tight and then staple the opposite side. Work your way around, alternating sides to keep the fabric tight and even. When you get to the corners, neatly fold them as if you are wrapping a present. Make sure the corners are nice and tight.
6. Trim Excess Fabric
Once you have stapled all of the material down nice and secure, you can trip off any extra fabric.
7. Reattach the Seat
The final step to re-upholster your chair is to screw or bolt the newly upholstered seat back onto the chair frame. As you can see from the picture, when I re-upholstered my kitchen chairs, I stripped and painted the frames before putting the seats back together. Don’t forget to take your own “After” picture too! Check out the link below if you want to learn how to refurbish the chairs.
✨ Tips for a Clean Finish:
- Use upholstery-grade fabric if you want it to last longer and handle spills better.
- Patterns? Line them up before cutting so everything looks straight and intentional.
- Add felt pads to chair legs after reassembly to protect your floors.
Want help picking out fabric or calculating how much you need for your chairs? Just let me know how many you’re redoing and the dimensions of each seat and I’ll help you figure it out!