How to Cover Chair Seats

A dinning chair that is in good overall repair but has a worn or out dated seat cover usually needs just a new layer of fiberfill and a new cover.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• fiberfill
• fabric
• chalk
• staple gun
• scissors

1. Use a ripping tool to pull away the dust cover and old fabric. Then pry the remaining staples or tacks from the frame with a remover tool. To avoid damaging the finish of an exposed wood frame, always work from the outside edge toward the inside.

2. Place fiberfill on the top of seat; trim it. Turn seat over. Mark center of seat at front and back with chalk. Cut cover, allowing extra fabric for stapling. Mark fabric center at front and back. Match centers; baste-staple fabric at center marks, holding gun just above surface.

3. Baste-staple cover, checking that fabric weave is square to the frame and avoiding wrinkles. Begin at center of front. Work outward in each direction, stopping 3 in. from corners. Baste-staple back edge and two sides similarly; then do final stapling

4. To make a neat corner, pull the cover fabric from the side of the frame toward the front, smoothing the fabric as you proceed. Staple this tensioned fabric to the front of the frame.

5. Cut away any excess fabric. Turn under the raw edge of the fabric so that the front fabric will hide it. Tension the front fabric.

6. Align the vertical edge of the cover with the corner of the frame. Pull the front fold into place. The fabric at the corner should be free of wrinkles. Staple corner and trim the fabric.