How to Reupholster a Dining Chair

At Pottery Barn, we understand that life happens. That’s why we’re here to share some ways to switch out unsalvageable dining room chair cushions without a sewing machine. Maybe you simply want your dining room cushions to match your new upholstered chair and sofa. Or, maybe it’s time for a fresh look in your space. Whatever your reason for redecorating, we’ve got your back – and seat!

 

Before You Start

Depending on the style of your chairs and whether your cushions are attached (called drop-in cushions) or unattached to the frames, you have options. For chairs with attached cushions or fully upholstered dining chairs with fabric backs, start fresh with new seating. Or, let a local upholstery shop handle the task. For unattached cushions, it’s easy to replace them using ready-made cushions. If you have drop-in cushions, try the DIY approach. You’ll be surprised how easy it can be when you have some know-how, tools and elbow grease.

 

The Basics

You’ll need supplies and a few hours to do the job. First, examine the dining chairs. See how to remove the cushions. Some cushions are screwed in with many screws or nails. Grab a screwdriver and experiment with one chair to get the hang of it. Keep the screws for each cushion together in plastic baggies so they don’t get lost.

 

Now that you’ve unscrewed and removed the cushion, it’s easier to see what’s going on underneath. This will also tell you if you’ll have to remove the old fabric, foam or batting or keep it intact. Inspect everything to determine what supplies to gather. Basic supplies include:

 

• Batting or foam
• Spray adhesive (optional item for batting/foam)
• About half a yard of fabric per cushion
• Staple remover, needle-nose pliers, flat-head screwdriver
• Staple gun
• Staples
• Hammer

 

Some of the most ideal fabrics for reupholstering dining room chairs are called performance fabrics. They’re durable, abrasion-resistant and spill-resistant microfiber, micro-suede, tweeds, leathers or imitation leather upholstery fabrics. You can usually find them in the home decor section of your local fabric store. It’s also becoming more common to use outdoor fabric on indoor cushions. The high-performance fabric on outdoor furniture is extremely durable and fade resistant. It cleans easily and comes in vivid and neutral colors in solids and patterns. And it’s ideal for families with young kids because it’s usually moisture resistant.

 

Bring along a close-up photo of your dining room set when selecting fabric. That makes it easy to coordinate. Buy new foam or batting if you need to replace the worn material underneath the cushion’s fabric. After that, it’s time to start on the four steps of tearing out the old and bringing in the new.

 

Step One: Cut the New Fabric

If you’re adding new foam or batting, first measure and cut to the exact same size of each cushion. Put those aside. Next, measure and cut out the new fabric squares for each cushion. Take into consideration how thick your new foam or batting will be, if you’re adding any. Make sure you have at least 3" of extra fabric to staple under the cushion. Put the cutouts aside.

 

Step Two: Remove the Old

Here’s where elbow grease counts. Get the staple remover ready. Or, use a sturdy but smaller flat-head screwdriver to stick under the stubborn staples. Then, use a plier to yank the old staples out. If you feel like the old fabric (and foam/batting) can stay, clean it up. Eliminate any dust covers, excess cloth and staples to make sure the new fabric lies smoothly.

 

Step Three: Attach the New

Put new foam or batting on the chair with adhesive spray or glue. Or, simply just place it on top of the cushion’s platform. Hold it in place when you wrap and staple fabric on the underside of the cushion.

 

Put the fabric on your work surface so the wrong side is facing you. Place your cushion on the fabric so the underside of the seat is facing you. Staple the fabric in place using one staple on each side of the cushion. Really pull the cloth so you’re stretching it. Keep stapling clockwise. You want the fabric to be taut on the seat. Use a hammer to flatten any staples that stick up.

 

As for the corners, imagine you’re wrapping a gift. Pull snugly to get any curvy corners down as flat and smooth as possible. Snip off excess fabric around the underside of the cushion. You’ll also be able to use these skills to reupholster benches and other pieces of furniture that have flat-based cushions.

 

Step Four: Replace the Dust Cover

If you’re replacing the dust cover on the underside of the seat, which hides the raw edges of fabric and staples, use the same fabric. Or, simply make new ones from similar cloth. Staple on the dust covers, tucking under the raw edges so they look finished. Then, reattach the cushions to the chair frames with the hardware and screws you set aside.

 

When you follow these simple steps, you won’t believe how easily your handwork has changed the look of your dining room!