How To Reupholster Your Chairs For A Fraction Of The Cost

When you want to start upholstering a chair the entire project can be intimidating. However, in reality, everything is so much simpler than what you may think. What you have to do is going to be written below and the truth is that even beginners can get it right.

Stripping The Chair

Take a staple remover and gently remove the trim, staples and fabric. Gloves with protective eyewear will be necessary. Every single fabric part you remove needs to be labeled. Write down the order so you know exactly where each part goes. Seam rippers will be needed to separate panels if they are stitched together. Padding that may be present and that restricts frame access needs to also be removed. If there are staples that remain in place, remove them too.

Fabric Panel Cutting

Take the fabric panels removed and pin them to the new fabric you use for upholstery. Fabric pieces have to face the same exact direction. Cut your new upholstery items with the use of the old fabric as your exact pattern. Do this for absolutely all the panels.

Upholstering Your Chair

Have all the pieces ready and start reassembling everything. In most cases you need to assemble from the back. Use every panel with 1 staple. Then place staples on every side to be sure everything is a right fit. Staples have to be put in straight lines so that they would be covered by gimp trip pieces. Place the staples half an inch apart. The back of the seat has to be supported with cardboard, webbing, padding or burlap.

When you work on the back, spread your fabric panel over it. Fabric pattern has to be lined up whenever necessary. What is important is to not pull the fabric way too tight on a single side since this makes the pattern crooked.

When you upholster the seat you want to put fabric panel on it and then spread it out. When patterns have to be lined up with back insides, you have to be sure everything is properly lined up. After the seat is properly in place, you want to staple everything to the frame. Notes come in place to tell you exactly where you want to fold, tuck or staple the fabric. The same process follows chair arms when they also have to be upholstered.

Applying Trim And Trimming The Fabric

Use scissors to cut off the excess fabric. Cut close to staple lines. Hot glue can be applied right along the staples. Gimp trim is pressed into it. You want to hold in the exact same place until the glue will cool off. Always work in smaller sections. As the trim will end the meet, you want to cut trims to size and then secure the ends together.