Reupholstering a dining room chair is a good way to give old furniture an updated look without spending a fortune. Part of our dining room transformation included reupholstering our own chairs; a simple process, but a little bit time-intensive. Follow along below as we walk through each step of the process so you can confidently reupholster your own dining room chair.
MATERIALS
| MATERIALS NEEDED |
| Screwdriver |
| Staple Remover |
| Needle-Nose Pliers |
| Dust Cover Fabric (optional – may be able to reuse) |
| Replacement Cushion Foam (optional – may be able to reuse) |
| Batting (optional – may be able to reuse) |
| Upholstery Fabric |
| Sewing Scissors |
| Piping Cord (optional – may not need/may be able to reuse) |
| Sewing Pins (optional – only needed if doing piping) |
| Sewing Machine (optional – only needed if doing piping) |
| Staple Gun |
| Staples – I used 3/8″ long staples, make sure they’re flat on the top |
TIME COMMITMENT
| ACTIVE TIME: 2-3 hours per chair |
| TOTAL TIME: 2-3 hours per chair |
STEP BY STEP
STEP 1 – REMOVE THE SEAT FROM THE CHAIR
The first step to reupholster a dining room chair is to turn the chair upside down and remove the seat. This will depend on your individual chair, but in most cases, this means using a screwdriver to remove the screws holding the seat to the frame. Make sure to put the screws in a safe place for when you reassemble at the end.
STEP 2 – REMOVE THE FABRIC LAYERS
After detaching the seat, the next step to reupholster a dining room chair is to remove the existing fabric carefully. Flip the cushion over to reveal the staples, and you will most likely see a black fabric with staples on the edges. This is the dust cover, and it is the first layer you need to remove. If you’re careful when removing the dust cover and don’t rip it, you can reuse the dust cover at the end.
To remove the dust cover, pull out the staples with a staple remover and needle-nose pliers. Continue around the edges of the chair until all staples are removed.
The next layer to remove is the piping layer. Piping is a decorative, fabric-covered cord used to finish the edges of a chair. Not all chairs have piping, so it may be missing from yours. If your dining room chair has piping, you’ll want to remove the staples, just like you did for the dust cover, using a staple remover and needle-nose pliers.
After you’ve removed the piping, the final layer to remove is the actual upholstery fabric. This fabric will be removed in the same way as the other layers. Using your staple remover and needle-nose pliers.
After removing the upholstery fabric, you should have the following pieces: dust cover fabric, piping cord (optional), upholstery fabric, batting, cushion foam, and plywood seat. If the cushion foam and batting are in good condition, then you can reuse them (which is what I did). However, if they are worn or damaged, you may want to replace them before continuing.
STEP 3 – CUT THE UPHOLSTERY FABRIC
The next step to reupholster a dining room chair is to cut the new upholstery fabric. Lay your new upholstery fabric face down on a flat surface and place the old fabric upside down on top of it. Using sewing scissors, cut the fabric, leaving at least 3 to 4 inches of excess material around all sides to ensure there is enough fabric to wrap securely around the seat. If your fabric has a pattern, make sure to pay attention to the direction it faces and where the pattern will be landing on your chair cushion.
STEP 4 – (OPTIONAL) PREPARE & SEW THE PIPING
If your dining chair has piping or you would like to add piping, follow the next steps; if not, skip to step 5.
STEP 4A – CUT NEW PIPING CORD OR RECOVER THE OLD PIPING CORD
Piping is created by wrapping upholstery fabric strips around upholstery piping cord, also called welt cording. So the first step in adding piping to a dining room chair is to obtain piping cord in the correct length.
If you’re adding piping for the first time, measure the perimeter of the seat where the piping will be installed. Then cut the cord to that length, plus a couple of extra inches. Cut one piping cord for every chair you plan to reupholster.
Keep in mind that piping doesn’t always have to run all four sides of the chair; in our dining room chairs, it only runs three – the sides and the front.
If your chair already has piping, then you may be able to reuse the piping cord. This is what I did. Carefully cut a hole in the old fabric around the cord and then pull the piping cord out.
STEP 4B – CUT THE BIAS STRIPS
Next, cut the fabric for the piping. Using sewing scissors, cut the upholstery fabric into 3-4 inch wide strips that are the length of the piping cord. Cut one strip of fabric for every chair you plan to reupholster.
STEP 4C – PIN & SEW THE PIPING
Now that you have the piping cords and upholstery fabric cut, it’s time to combine the two and sew. Place the upholstery fabric strip on a flat surface, upside down. Lay the piping cord in the center of the fabric strip and fold the fabric in half.
Using sewing pins, pin the fabric against the edge of the cord so that the fabric stays folded in half around the cord. Continue pinning for the full length.
After pinning the fabric, it’s time to sew it closed. Using a sewing machine, sew a stitch as close to the cord as you can for the full length of the piping. This is easier to accomplish with a zipper or welting foot on a sewing machine. However, I don’t own either, so I used a regular foot and was extra slow and careful while sewing. It worked just fine for me.
STEP 5 – ATTACH THE NEW UPHOLSTERY FABRIC
The next step to reupholster a dining room chair after cutting the fabric and preparing the piping (optional), is to start attaching the new upholstery fabric to the chair. Place the new upholstery fabric upside down on a flat surface and then place the wood, cushion, and batting centered on top of it.
STEP 5A – START WITH THE TOP & BOTTOM
After positioning the fabric correctly, attach it to the underside of the seat with a staple gun and staples. I used 3/8″ long staples and make sure they’re flat on the top. Start by pulling the fabric taut as you fold the fabric over the top of the plywood seat and place a single staple in the center. Move to the bottom of the seat, fold the fabric over, and place another staple in the center. These initial staples help anchor the fabric and maintain even tension while you work.
Then continue adding staples outward from the center towards the corners, along the top and the bottom. Alternate sides as you staple to help keep the tension even. Pull the fabric taut as you work, but be careful not to pull too tight. You want the fabric to lay tight and flat, but not be stretched out. Check the front periodically to make sure that the fabric is laying smooth and the pattern (if relevant) doesn’t look distorted.
When you approach the corners, leave about 1-2 inches free of staples. Trim off the excess fabric from the top and bottom, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch of fabric past the staples.
STEP 5B – TACKLE THE CORNERS
Next, pull the remaining two sides of fabric over the edge and attach them with about 4 staples along the edge. This is so that you can trim the excess fabric off to deal with the corners. If these staples end up not being quite where you want them when actually attaching the sides, you can remove them. Then trim off the excess fabric, leaving at least ½ inch of fabric past the staples.
Now it’s time to tackle the corners. Take extra care to create a smooth, tailored appearance with the folds for the corner. I found that folding down the side edge first, then the top edge created a clean corner. The goal is to keep the fabric tight and clean-looking, while minimizing the bulk.
Once you’re satisfied with the way the corner looks, secure the fabric in place with a staple gun and a few staples.
Repeat the process for the remaining three corners.
STEP 5C – FINISH WITH THE LEFT & RIGHT SIDES
Next, finish attaching the upholstery fabric to the left and right sides. Add enough staples to the left and right sides of the chair that all four edges are secured. After completing the corners and sides, turn over the seat and inspect it carefully. If the fabric puckers or is too loose in areas, then remove a few staples, reposition the fabric, and staple again. The best part about this project is that if you’re not satisfied with part of the outcome, you can remove a few staples and try again.
STEP 6 – (OPTIONAL) ATTACH THE PIPING
If you are adding piping to your dining chair, follow the next steps. If not, skip to step 7.
After attaching the upholstery fabric, the next (optional) step to reupholster a dining room chair is to attach the piping. Position the piping along the edge of the seat with the cord lining the outer edge, and the excess fabric facing inward. Secure the piping in place with a staple gun and staples along the fabric edge on the base. Keep the cord as close to the edge as possible.
The piping on our chairs only runs on three sides, so I started with a small bit of excess piping hanging off the back of the chair. I folded that up and stapled securely as the starting point. If your chair has piping on all four sides, I suggest starting in the back center, or on a back corner.
When it comes to the corners, use sewing scissors to make a couple of small cuts in the fabric. This allows the fabric to bend smoothly and helps avoid bulk along the edges. Then secure the fabric with staples.
Continue adding staples around the edges until the piping is fully secured.
STEP 7 – ATTACH THE DUST COVER
The second-to-last step in reupholstering a dining room chair is to add the dust cover fabric. Center the dust cover over the back of the chair, and attach it to the underside using a staple gun and a few staples on each side.
The dust cover conceals the staples and fabric edges of the upholstery, giving the chair a cleaner and more professional look. That being said, this is an optional step as well.
STEP 8 – REASSEMBLE THE CHAIR
Finally, it’s time to reattach the seat to the chair frame! Flip the frame over, and using a screwdriver and the original screws, tighten each screw to the underside of the seat. Make sure not to overtighten.
Then flip the chair upright and check out your work.
If you’re looking for more quick room makeover ideas, check out My Shopping Finds for a Quick Living Room Makeover!
Or if you’re in the mood for another fun upgrade project, check out How to Paint a Ceramic Pot or How to Build Cornhole Boards!