You can master reupholstering corners.
Furniture wears out. Chairs that people sit in a lot wear out even quicker. Save yourself a lot of money by reupholstering those chairs instead of buying new ones. The price difference can add up to hundreds of dollars in your savings account. Reupholstering scares people because it looks like a daunting task. Follow a few simple tips to make reupholstering even the corners of chairs a doable project.
Instructions
Basic Chair Seat
1. Remove the old upholstery from the chair seat and throw it away.
2. Lay out your new fabric on a large, flat surface, with the right side down. Put any batting or foam on top of the new fabric. Center your chair seat on top of the batting or foam.
3. Cut the fabric around the chair seat so that it is about 4 inches larger all the way around. Cut your fabric a little larger if necessary depending on how thick your chair seat is.
4. Start by putting one staple only in the middle portion of each side to tightly hold the fabric in place. Pull the fabric from the middle of one side of the chair and staple it, and then do the same on the opposite side of the chair. Repeat with the two other sides of the chair seat.
5. Finish stapling down the fabric from the middle to the ends of each side of the chair seat, leaving about 1 inch on either side at the corners to allow for folding the fabric.
6. Hold the fabric at the corner between your thumb and your first finger. Put a fold in the fabric on one side of the corner by pushing the portion of the fabric closest to the corner behind the fabric that is closer to the front of the chair. Make sure your fabric is nice and smooth and then staple it in place.
7. Repeat Step 6 with the other side of the corner.
8. Finish all four of the corners of your chair by repeating the process in Steps 6 and 7.
Corners with Pleats
9. Lay out your new fabric on a large, flat surface, with the right side down. Put any batting or foam on top of the new fabric. Center your chair seat on top of the batting or foam.
10. Cut the fabric around the chair seat so that it is about 8 inches larger all the way around. Cut your fabric a little larger if necessary depending on how thick your chair seat is and how far the upholstery hangs down from the chair seat.
11. Start by putting one staple only in the middle portion of each side to tightly hold the fabric in place. Pull the fabric from the middle of one side of the chair and staple it, and then do the same on the opposite side of the chair. Repeat with the two other sides of the chair seat. Finish stapling down the fabric from the middle to the ends of each side of the chair seat, leaving about 4 inches on either side at the corners.
12. Fold a pleat into the fabric on one side of the corner. Pull the fabric tightly and staple it in place. Use a couple of staples to make sure to catch all of the pleat. Repeat with the other side of the corner.
13. Repeat Step 4 with the remaining corners.
Tags: chair seat, chair seat, side chair, your chair, your fabric