How easy it is to upholster chairs with fabric with your own hands. Do-it-yourself chair reupholstery Do-it-yourself leather chair

A situation when you need to re-tighten the service for a long time an office chair made from new material arises quite often. After all, inexpensive products, as a rule, wear out quite quickly. Accordingly, their appearance leaves much to be desired. Of course there are 2 simple solutions. These are, in particular:

buy a new chair;
seek help from specialists.

However, there is a simpler solution. After all, it is quite possible to reupholster a chair with your own hands. The main thing is to know what and how to do here.

How to reupholster a chair with your own hands - a short master class

So, let's look at this option in more detail. We will reupholster the old chair with leatherette (leatherette). Of course, you can also buy genuine leather. However, firstly, this is a rather expensive material. Secondly, more serious skills will be needed here. Therefore, you need to train, as they said in the famous film, “on cats” or, as in our particular case, on some inexpensive materials.

The simplest option is to reupholster a regular wooden chair. Here we do not touch the back, but only work with the seat. It’s better to try it on such furniture. If everything works out, then you can try to do more difficult work. Let us immediately warn you that if you plan to reupholster a chair with my own hands, then you can’t do without a stapler. For a one-time job, you don’t have to buy it, but borrow it from someone you know.

Next, we select a new upholstery material. There can be many options here. It is best to choose a dense and wear-resistant fabric that holds its shape well. Also check how this material tolerates cleaning from dirt, for example, whether streaks remain on its surface, and so on. Today, jacquard, flock, tapestry or chenille are most often used for upholstering chairs. However, there really are many options here. The main thing is that the fabric meets the above criteria.

The color of the material is also important. It is advisable that the updated chair does not fall out of the overall style of the room in which it will be located. Agree, the combination of flashy upholstery tones with calm wallpaper will not look entirely harmonious, to put it mildly. Generally speaking, the most the best option in this situation there will be dark, saturated shades of the fabric. Firstly, they will fit well into almost any interior. Secondly, such upholstery is not as afraid of dirt as light-colored ones. Accordingly, some special care not required.

At the initial stage of work, we need to disassemble the old chair. To do this, arm yourself with pliers and a screwdriver. Remember that you need to dismantle the elements very carefully - after all, you plan to reassemble the chair from them. So haste in this case is not the best best helper. Next, we check the integrity of the frame. If any problems are identified, they must be eliminated. Otherwise, such a chair will soon fall apart anyway, and your efforts will be in vain. If necessary, the frame can be coated with a new layer of varnish, after carefully sanding the wood. In this case, the restored chair will look like new.

The next stage is making templates. Thick cardboard is best for cutting out patterns. Simply place the sheet of paper on the seat and then trace its outline with a simple pencil. Next you need to step back from this contour by 7-10 centimeters and draw on given distance exactly the same line. The specified increase is needed to make an allowance. You now have a stencil with which you can cut the fabric and filler.

Regarding the latter, it is worth making a small clarification. It is best to use foam rubber or polyurethane foam as a filler. The density of the sheet must be at least 30 kilograms per cubic meter, thickness - at least 40 millimeters. Synthetic winterizer and batting are currently practically not used as filler. After all, these materials quite quickly lose their original shape, sagging almost all the way to the plywood base.

After the blanks are cut out, you can proceed to a very important stage. First of all, we need to glue the filler to the outside of the removed seat, and wait until the glue dries completely. After this, you can begin fixing the new fabric covering. This is done as follows. The material should be laid out on a hard, flat surface with the wrong side facing up. Next, we place the seat on it so that it is in contact with the fabric. soft part. Now all that remains is to firmly fix the textiles. Here we need the stapler mentioned just above. You need to fix the fabric slowly.

Remember to pull the material tightly in front of each staple. This will prevent unwanted large folds. The recommended distance between staples is from 1.5 to 2 centimeters. After the fabric is completely secured, its remnants are removed with scissors. Essentially, the work is completed. Now all that remains is to assemble the chair in the reverse order of the dismantling process. As you can see, there really is nothing complicated here.

By the way, if you manage to carefully remove the old upholstery, then you can easily make a pattern using it. There is already a sufficient supply there, so simply transfer the desired outline onto the new fabric. However, here it is still better to play it safe by making simple measurements and checking the availability of the allowance we need. If you need to tighten the backrest, then the sequence of actions will be exactly the same as when covering the seat with new material. It is quite possible to use different fabrics on these parts of the chair. As a result, you will receive the original color scheme. Just make sure that the fabrics really match each other - both in color and texture.

Even if you carefully monitor and carefully care for your furniture, one day there comes a point of wear and tear when it loses its original appearance. There are many indicators that it is time to change something. The seat may sag or a hole may form, but the most common is external damage to the upholstery. Over time, it gets dirty, deteriorates and becomes outdated, giving the chair or armchair a very unpresentable appearance. However, you should not rush to get rid of old furniture. After all, it can be restored. Reupholstering chairs is not a very labor-intensive process, but it will return them to their former beauty or even make them better. There are a lot of companies that specialize in restoring any type of furniture. But if your chairs require regular reupholstery and do not need serious carpentry repair or some other complex transformations, then you can safely do it yourself. This way, you will be able to save money and subsequently enjoy the creation of your own hands.

Upholstering chairs with your own hands will return them to their former beauty, or even make them better.

Preparatory work

The reupholstery itself implies that certain operations will be performed, during which the soft elements of the furniture are replaced. The main condition is the good condition of the frame. Otherwise, a deep restoration will be required.

If various small parts are worn out, you can disassemble both the seat of the chair and its back, then replacing the old or broken elements with new ones.

It is better to immediately check whether the wood is damaged; perhaps a wood-boring beetle has worked on it, then it will be almost impossible to restore the furniture.

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Materials and tools

In order not to be distracted from work, it is better to take care in advance of preparing all the tools and materials necessary for reupholstering:
Pre-measure the seats of the chairs you are going to restore. To the resulting figure you need to add 15-20 cm on each side. You will need this margin for subsequent hemming of the upholstery height. It is better to choose fabric from tapestries, flock, jacquard or chenille. Select the appropriate padding for upholstering your chairs. Since the seal of the seat is not the same as that of the pillows, fine filling will not work at all ( bulk materials
or polyurethane balls). It is best to fill it with padding polyester, latex, batting or sheet foam rubber. To prevent the latter from sinking all the way to the board, you need to take material with a density of 30-50 kg/m3. Prepare cardboard paper
for the pattern, regular PVA glue.
You will need a jackhammer with furniture nails or a furniture stapler with staples. You will also need screwdrivers different types
and pliers.
Prepare your chisel, cutter and mallet.
You can't do without good, sharp scissors, a standard centimeter for sewing.

It is better to immediately check whether the wood is damaged; perhaps a wood-boring beetle has worked on it, then it will be almost impossible to restore the furniture.

You will need chalk to make markings on the material, a pencil and a ruler.

Step-by-step reupholstery of chairs

The best padding for a chair is latex, batting, or sheet foam rubber.

Slowly remove the old nails or staples using pliers or a staple remover. You should also be careful with the cladding material, because it can later be useful as a pattern for a new cladding. Once you remove it, cut the twine that holds the burlap and stuffing in place. And to remove the spring elements, cut the twine that secures them. Then you will need to remove all unnecessary nails. Carefully arrange the metal plates, nuts and screws so that you do not lose them and do not have to look for replacements later. Worn upholstery can also come in handy, so don’t rush to throw it away. It will serve you as a pattern. Simply lay the old fabric on the wrong side of the new one and trace around the edge with chalk. So, you will get a pattern for brand new upholstery.

The backrest is dismantled in the same way as the seat. Now it’s better to check the condition of your chairs. After all, why do double work? Seal loose connections, glue and tighten cracks in the wood with clamps, replace unusable elements. Everything can be varnished and painted. Otherwise, reupholstering the chairs alone will not have a positive effect. Remove any debris, filler or adhesive residue from the plywood base of the seat.

For high-quality reupholstery, you need to make a template. To do this, you will need to lay pieces of cardboard on the plywood seats of the chairs and trace them with a pencil. When the plywood is removed, take into account the allowances; it is worth adding 2-4 cm in the drawings. Cut out the template using a sharp utility knife or scissors.

So, using a stencil, the foam rubber for filling is cut out. If suddenly it was not possible to use worn upholstery for a pattern (as described above), then the material can also be cut out according to a cardboard template. To do this, you need to trace it over the fabric using a pencil or chalk, allowing for 10 cm on each side for hems. Now you can cut. Keep an eye on the pattern on the fabric, because you will need a good supply of material. There are many nuances here. The picture must be in the center so that the chairs have a presentable appearance, all patterns and lines must be correctly positioned and match each other. Immediately mark down everything you have done so that you don’t have to repeat it later.

If the chair models do not have plywood inside, but a frame with rubber or mesh weaving, then you will need to check the condition of the wicker base.

It is better to throw away unusable and worn-out material, and instead use thick and wide rubber bands.

Now you can glue the foam over the seat. When the glue is completely dry, it’s time to upholstery fabric. It is placed wrong side up and then covered with the foam seat facing it. The fabric that you have in stock should be folded in a circle onto the plywood.

At the end of the reupholstery, you need to pull the material tightly along the edge of the covering, at a distance of about 1-2 cm, shoot the fabric to the seat. Make sure that there are no large folds or weak spots between the fasteners. Tap loose staples with a hammer. Trim any excess fabric. If your chairs square shape, then you need to bend the folds at the corners. This completes the re-upholstery.

Inhale new life You can restore your favorite chairs by removing the worn upholstery and replacing it with new ones. And reupholstery is a great way to fit your favorite furniture into color scheme updated room interior. The method of reupholstery will depend slightly on the type of chairs. Here are some standard methods.

Steps

Part 1

We remove furniture nails and other fasteners

This section is about how to remove furniture nails and other sharp fasteners. If you used staples to secure it, go to another section.

Bring the chisel to the edge of the nail head or other fastener.

Tap the tip of the chisel with a wooden mallet.

Use the lever to gently lift the nail (or other fastener) upward. Repeat the procedure carefully until the nail is freed from the wood.

Place the removed nails in a bag or immediately throw them in the trash. This is to prevent you from accidentally stepping on sharp objects.

Part 2

This section deals with the large, heavy-duty type of staples that hold upholstery fabric in place.

Use the adjuster to remove the staples. This is a specialized tool used in the wallpaper craft to remove staples from furniture. It can be bought online in specialized stores.

Place the end of the adjuster under the center of the bracket. Use the lever to lift the adjuster up, pressing against the edge of the wood.
- If the wood is polished or this part of the chair is visible, place it under the regulator metal plate or fabric so that the lever touches them and not the wood. This way there will be no marks left due to pressure from the regulator.
Wait until one end of the staple appears. The second one usually stays inside.

Take pliers or side cutters and grab the staple. Pull up and twist slightly to remove the bracket completely from the wood.

Repeat the procedure until you have pulled out all the staples. Some people prefer the conveyor method: first they lift all the staples with a regulator, and then pull them out with pliers, so as not to constantly switch from the regulator to the pliers on each staple.

Part 3

Remove the upholstery from the seat, backrest and armrests. Once you remove the fasteners, you can remove the old fabric and use these trim pieces to make new ones.

Mark the removed blanks with arrows, letters or something else so that it is convenient for you to draw the same on the new fabric.

There is no need to be lazy: the efforts made will pay off later when you need to maintain accuracy.
It will be easier if you draw a chair diagram for each piece of upholstery you remove and write the corresponding letter or number on each piece of fabric, both on the diagram and on the back of the fabric.

Pay attention to hems, folds, bends, etc., so that you can repeat them later when making new upholstery. When you remove sections of trim, write down the order in which you do it.
- This will help you a lot when you start putting it all back together. Sections of chair/chair upholstery are usually marked as follows:
- IB = inside back
- OB = outside back
- IW = inside wing
- OW = outside wing
- IA = inside arm
- OA = outside arm
- S = seat
- SC = seat cushion
- FB = front border
- SB = side border
- AF = arm facing (front part of the armrest)

SK = skirt. (edge)

Part 4

Preserving the stuffing Carefully lift up the packing.
- Try not to break or tear anything. Her current shape was achieved through years of sitting in a chair, so her shape already fits this chair perfectly.
- You should lift it with both hands, placing the padding on the bend of your elbow and holding it with your fingers.
Prepare a level, clean area to place the padding on while you work on the upholstery. Trim off the glued portion of the padding.

Sometimes you have to cut off the padding that was attached with glue. To do this, take a long-bladed knife, such as a serrated knife, and carefully slide it under the padding. Smoothly and very carefully cut away the padding. Remove other fasteners.

You may find that the padding is held in place with additional staples or wallpaper nails or string. You remove the nails and staples as described above, and simply cut the rope. Should it be repaired or left as is? If you can leave it as is, you can move on to preparing the new upholstery. And if not, you will have to repair the frame of the chair/chair.

Part 5

This section - summary basics for a standard modern chair/chair frame. Here we are not considering such tricky frames that require weaving, pulling and other corrections, because... I can't talk about it briefly.

First, decide whether you want to handle this yourself or entrust the matter to a professional. It can be difficult, but basic frame repairs can be done yourself. The only thing you can’t do is leave everything as it is, because a weak frame won’t last long and the chair will break.

If you're not up for the job, take the chair to an upholsterer or furniture maker.

First check the glued joints. If they need to be straightened or compacted or re-glued, do it yourself. Pull the chair slats in different directions to test for stability or strength. If no weak points are found, there are no questions about the connections. If they move in the grooves or bend, they need to be repaired.
- In old furniture, staples, screws or tongue and groove joints. If you don’t understand it yourself, it’s better to show the damaged tongue and groove joint to a professional.
- You don't need to use a lot of force while testing because a pinned (dowel) joint that is holding well can become loose if you pull too hard.
Check the corner blocks. If you need to re-glue the joints, the corner will have to be removed first. This is a triangular part located at inner corner chair seat frame; it can be glued, screwed or nailed in place. To remove it you need::
- Drive the tip of the spacer bit into the edge of the corner block where it meets one side of the frame.
- Tap the tip of the chisel with a wooden mallet.
- As you move the chisel, use it as a lever to pull the block out of the frame. Do not press too hard, the chisel may break; if you feel that the block is giving in, remove the chisel and press only with your hand.
- Do the same with the remaining corners.
Repair connections.
- Place the chair on the workbench with the part you want to repair facing up (facing you, not the workbench). Hold the chair firmly.
- Tap near the joint with a rubber mallet to loosen it slightly. Don't do it by force.
- Remove the disconnected part. Clean and sand to remove any remaining old glue.
Replace broken keys. If you find that the key is broken, it will need to be repaired before reassembling the joint.
- Use a chisel to remove the edges of the key to a smooth surface so that you can work with a drill. Then drill into the old dowel, being careful not to damage the chair frame.
- Squeeze some wood glue into the hole, then insert a new dowel into it. Tap it lightly with a hammer. Wipe off any excess glue that has been squeezed out and let it dry completely.
Reconnect. Pour wood glue into the dowel holes. Gently but firmly connect the components.

Clamp the entire frame together to apply pressure to the joints and prevent them from moving while drying.
- Wipe off any excess glue to prevent it from drying in beads on the chair frame.

Place the corner blocks in place, wiping off any excess glue again before they dry.

Part 6

Applying new upholstery fabric

Here's a simple method using scraps of old sheathing. There are more complex methods, but for beginners this method is better. Measure the fabric for the new upholstery.
This requires great care when removing the old trim to avoid tearing or cutting anything, because you will be using the old piece as a template for the new one. Unstitch the old piece.
- Anything pinned or sewn should be laid out so you can see the seams and allowances the upholstery makers made.
- Always allow enough allowance for stitching and pinning when taking measurements for new upholstery.
- If the fabric has a design or pattern, the fabric should be positioned so that it points upward, toward the back of the chair. Keep this in mind when preparing the central chair blank. It’s better to try your hand at a plain fabric first than to create additional difficulties for yourself while you don’t have enough experience yet.
- All removed pieces of fabric should be kept together in a plastic bag. Then you can use them again if you want, and they will be at hand.
Be careful when removing the cover. If you want to use it again, you need to avoid tearing or cutting. Moreover, you can damage the wood during the process, so keep this in mind when removing the fabric. If you want to use the old stuffing again, you need to carefully remove it and not touch it again without doing anything.
- If you have pierced the skin with an old nail, staple, etc. Go to the doctor and get a tetanus shot. If the furniture is old, it's better to be safe than sorry. If you're undertaking a large project or drapery for a living, it's best to make sure your tetanus shots are up to date.
- Wear safety glasses when removing nails and staples. You can't predict when a piece of a sharp object might fly into your face, so it's better to be safe.
- If you are unsure about the condition of the padding or it is too old, it is better to wear a mask. When the padding is released from the fabric, it may release a cloud of dust and enter Airways. If you suffer from allergies, then the mask will be especially useful for you.

Sometimes people don’t know how to reupholster a chair with their own hands, but doing this becomes simply necessary. Not everyone is in a hurry to send strong chairs to the landfill; they are much easier to restore. Upholstering chairs with your own hands allows you to save money, and new coverings perfectly update the interior of the room. They can be decorated with any possible decorative elements, and most importantly, done at home.

Before you reupholster the chairs with your own hands, you should prepare for this process. The soft seat on the stool can be covered with thick and bright fabric. Chair reupholstery requires special materials, such as:

thick fabric;
grinding machine;
screws and screwdriver;
foam;
furniture stapler;
PVA glue;
screwdriver;
scissors;
pencil.

If you are going to reupholster the kitchen corner with your own hands, then you should choose not easily soiled fabric, but it is better to use leather. In the kitchen, dirt most often appears, and therefore it should be covered with a material that will not be difficult to wash later, because it is necessary to create a soft corner for the most contaminated part of the apartment. Upholstered furniture is reupholstered with the help of additional people, since the material needs to be stretched well. This can easily be done at home, since restoration does not require special equipment.

Before restoring or reupholstering a chair Kitchen Area with your own hands, you need to prepare patterns. There is a large amount of photo and video materials on this topic on the Internet that will help and explain the preparation process step by step. It is worth noting that real leather is expensive, so the use of leatherette is allowed.

Immediately before you start reupholstering the chair, you should thoroughly sand all its parts. A soft chair it is also advisable to coat it with varnish, thereby preparing it for application different types staining. You can cover the chair with your own hands after the applied varnish or paint has completely dried. First you need to put the back and frame in order, and only after that do the reupholstery.

Old chair 1. Remove the old seat 2. Cut new blanks to the size of the old seat
3. Using the same measurements, we cut out the foam rubber 4. Using the same measurements, we cut the fabric, leaving 5 cm for the folds 5. The blanks are ready
6. Fold in layers - first fabric, then foam rubber and plywood 7. To ensure that the seat does not move on the chair and is well fixed to the plywood from the bottom side, we attach special wooden blocks with screws 8. We fix the fabric on the back side of the base using a furniture stapler
9. That’s it – our beautiful and soft seat is ready!

The chairs are almost like new

Reupholstering the seats of chairs and other furniture

Knowing how to reupholstery can help you update your interior without spending a lot of money. Nowadays it has become fashionable to restore old furniture with fabric. Chairs can be upholstered several times a year and thus will be a reason to update the interior of the apartment. Repairing and reupholstering chairs begins with gluing foam rubber to the top of the wooden seat. After the glue has dried, you can begin to retighten. This is done simply, the wrong side is applied to the foam rubber, and the specially left edges are secured with a construction stapler.

Choose the right thickness of foam rubber and dermantine, this will help the product serve you for many years. When fitting a seat onto a chair, you need to pay attention to the gaps, because it is better to make the distance between the fasteners no more than one and a half centimeters.

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We trim the seat so that there are no large folds. The upholstery will last longer if the folds go evenly and equally. Excess pieces of fabric are cut off during repairs and reupholstery of chairs.

How to choose upholstery? Before reupholstering a kitchen corner or other furniture, you should select good upholstery

. You can compare photos from the Internet and choose the best shades that will suit your apartment perfectly. You should not buy softer fabric, it will quickly lose its appearance. Knowing how to update chairs, you need to remember that the outer side of the covers quickly gets dirty and needs to be chosen so that it can be washed with a brush or sponge. Knowing how to restore your, you can restore almost everything in your apartment. Available master classes will help you cope with the work, even if you are still completely new to this matter. Knowing how to do beautiful furniture, you don’t want to buy it in a store; it’s easier to decorate your home yourself - both cheaper and more beautiful.

Jacquard Velor
Thermal Jacquard Velvet
Scotchgard Shannil
Genuine Leather Microfiber
Faux suede Faux leather
Flock Arpatek

Furniture restoration includes updating the frame, replacing upholstery, decorating and allows you to restore items that have become unusable. , which saved durable frame. Upholstery with fabric will allow you to restore the aesthetic appearance and fit the furniture into the color scheme when updating the interior of the room. Before you reupholster a chair with your own hands, you will need to prepare tools and materials, draw up patterns for elements, etc.

Required Tools

Reupholstering chairs requires restoration tools. The set includes screwdrivers, pliers, keys for bolts, a furniture stapler, sheets of sandpaper, brushes, and scissors. You will also need: an anti-stapler for removing low-quality fastenings (staples), PVA glue, a hammer, a tape measure or tape measure, sewing machine, ruler, pencil and chalk. To create patterns you will need sheets of cardboard.

To restore furniture, you need appropriate padding. It is recommended to cover the chair with your own hands using padding made of padding polyester, batting or sheet foam rubber with a density of 30-50 kg/m³. Polyurethane compositions are not recommended.

The reupholstering process: step-by-step instructions

Before you reupholster a chair with your own hands, you need products. You will need to clean the furniture from old upholstery materials, sand the surfaces, and remove any unevenness. If necessary, the chair can be painted a different color or coated with translucent varnish. You will need to prepare the fabric, cut out the elements, line the surfaces of the chair parts (back and seat) with foam rubber, then reupholster them.

Preparing fabric and foam

Before calculating the amount of fabric, you need to measure the dimensions of the chair. The upholstery fabric must match the size of the back and seat frames. Seam allowances of 10 cm are required. To create patterns for finishing elements, you can use old fabric parts of the chair.

Furniture fabrics are produced in widths of 130-140 cm. Therefore, from one width of fabric you can cut out elements for upholstering 2 chairs. If there are patterns on the fabric, it is necessary to arrange the pattern so that all the furniture in the set looks harmonious.

The old upholstered chair base can be saved. But if the quality does not meet the requirements, the filler will need to be replaced. A thin layer of glue must be applied to the wooden seat, then a layer of foam rubber is laid out. The material must be pressed and allowed to dry, it will take about 10-15 minutes.

Foam rubber blanks can be made in advance, taking into account the size of the elements. It is allowed to stick the material to parts of the chair and then trim off the excess fabric.

A layer of thin synthetic padding is laid on top of the foam rubber. The size of the material should be slightly larger than the base so that you can freely wrap the frame on top.

Seat reupholstery

Before reupholstering the seat with fabric, it is necessary to check the integrity of the frame. It is necessary to tighten weak connections and glue cracks. The parts are tightened with clamps and left for several hours.

Then the rough upholstery is done. It is necessary to stretch the fabric over layers of foam rubber and padding polyester. It is necessary to carefully staple the edges of the rough upholstery. If the fabric becomes more stretched during the decorating process, you will need to remove the staple using a thin screwdriver. After adjusting the canvas along the frame, the material must be secured again using a stapler.

What do you do with old furniture?