Reupholster a DINING CHAIR
Give a set of second-hand dining chairs a new look by replacing the seat fabric to match your scheme
Jay Blades of BBC’S The Repair Shop fame, is the master of repairing, recycling and reusing everyday items. So if you’re looking to bring a new lease of life to your dining chairs, or have picked up a set from your local charity shop or boot fair that are in need of a little love, then Jay has just the trick.
Some of the most widely available second-hand chairs are the type with wooden backs and upholstered seats, and it’s usually really simple to change the fabric to something that fits your decor. To really keep the costs down, use leftover fabric from a pair of curtains, or a well-loved duvet cover to give your chair a fresh feel. Plus you could always spruce up your chair first using chalk paint for a lovely matt finish.
YOU WILL NEED
Dining chairs Pliers Replacement fabric Fabric shears Staple gun or strong glue
1 REMOVE THE SEAT PAD
Push up one of the drop-in seats from the bottom to remove it. It should pop out easily, but you can always use a hammer to gently nudge it out.
2 PREPARE THE SEAT
Carefully remove the tacks or staples holding the existing fabric in place, using a pair of pliers or scissors and discard them. Then take the fabric off and smooth it out to reveal its shape.
3 CUT FABRIC TO SIZE
Use the old fabric as a template to cut out the same-sized piece from your new fabric. If your material has a pattern, think about centring the main motif on each seat, or choosing a different aspect of the pattern for each individual seat pad. You should be allowing at least 2 inches of extra fabric to staple in place, but this will depend on how deep your seat pad is. Check before cutting the fabric.
4
With the seat centred on a new fabric piece, pull the back edge over and staple or glue it in place, leaving corners free. Check there are no creases and that the pattern has stayed in place.
5 SECURE THE FABRIC IN PLACE
Carefully but firmly pull the fabric taut at the front and fold over to the underside of the chair. Staple or glue in place, again leaving the corners free.
6 REPLACE THE SEAT PAD
Repeat steps four and five for the sides, pleating the fabric at each corner to give a neat finish and staple or glue in place. Trim off any excess fabric and replace the seat in the chair frame.
Extracted from
by Jay Blades, out now (£20, Bluebird)