Reupholtering Furniture | A Simple Guide To Reupholtering Furniture

How to Reupholster Furniture

DIY reupholstering doesn’t need to be hard and it can revitalise existing furniture creating a whole new look quickly and cheaply. Here is a short guide to reupholstering your old chairs.

How should I choose the fabric I use?

Firstly you will need to choose a fabric to reupholster your chair or couch. Think carefully about what the piece of furniture is used for and how much, an item that is used everyday will be need to be hard-wearing and durable so go for a higher thread count and a more durable fabric. Also consider how easy the fabric is to clean before you buy. Reupholstering is easy with lighter, thinner fabrics, so avoid reupholstering suede or leather furniture, which are particularly difficult if you are a beginner.

What will I need to reupholster a piece of furniture?

As well as the fabric you will need a pair of needle nose pliers, stable gun, rubber mallet, glue gun and a sharp pair of scissors. You may also need cotton batting for stuffing and welting for the seams to help make the edges more durable.

How can I reupholster a chair cushion?

Chair cushions are fairly easy to reupholster, firstly unscrew the seat cushion from the rest of the frame, remove all the staples or tacks currently in the seat cushion using the needle nose pliers and then remove the fabric. Next lay the seat base on top of the fabric you have chosen, leaving two inches border, cut around the seat. Then you can place the seat board over the fabric with the batting facing downwards. Pull the fabric tightly over and tack and staple it down, paying particular attention to the neatness of the corners. Then you can trim of the excess before replacing the seat back in the chair and enjoying the new, revamped look.

How can I reupholster an armchair?

The concept for reupholstering an armchair is very similar to just the seat although it is a little trickier. Remove the staples, tacks and old fabric as before, although for an armchair you will have to use the old fabric as a template for cutting your new fabric, so remove it carefully. Cut the new pieces of fabric, leaving two inches of overhang. Place the new fabric over the back of the chair, tucking the fabric into the sides and then pulling it through. You need to make sure that the fabric is taught before you staple the fabric to the frame. Move along, doing the same the whole way along working carefully. The seat of the chair can then be done in the same way, work from the front of the seat first and then towards the back.

Reupholstering furniture isn’t complicated but it does require time and patience, start on a small project and practise in order to increase your reupholstering skills. Once mastered, you will be able to rejuvenate old furniture, saving yourself money and allowing you to enjoy beautiful, customised furniture.