How to Cover Vinyl

Once you find a vinyl-covered computer chair you like, it's hard to give it up just because the vinyl has become damaged or worn. By recovering the vinyl, you can retain the comfort of your computer chair.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• vinyl computer chair four to five yards of a sturdy, wear-resistant fabric piece of thin foam staple gun heavy-duty staples sewing machine scissors hammer stick pins

1. Lay the foam on top of the seat and position it as evenly as possible, with the same amount hanging over each side. Fold the edges of the foam to the underside of the seat, one edge at a time.

2. Staple one edge at a time to the underside of the seat, placing staples only two to three centimeters apart. Be sure to stretch the foam taut as you go so there are no folds or lumps in the foam when finished.

3. Measure a piece of fabric the same dimensions as the foam and cut it out. Square the fabric over the foam on the seat, and allow the same amount of fabric to hang over each edge. Fold the edges as you did with the foam, one side at a time.

4. Staple one edge at a time on top of the foam and into the seat. Staples should be only two to three centimeters apart. Remember to stretch the fabric taut. Hammer any staples that aren't flush into the seat to make sure they stay. Non-automatic staple-gun staples have a tendency to stick out.

5. Measure and cut out the fabric for the back cover. The fabric should be long enough to span the backrest with a few extra inches (five or so) at the bottom and wide enough for the sides to overlap by two inches when wrapped around the back.

6. Fold the fabric with the pattern inward and pin the seams for sewing. Sew the seams of the slipcover, removing the pins as you go. Slide the slipcover over the back of the computer chair and pull it down so it is snug against the top of the backrest.

7. Tuck the front of the slipcover between the bottom of the backrest and the back of the seat. Pull the back of the slipcover under the seat tautly and staple into place on the bottom of the seat. This creates an image of one-piece fabric upholstery.

Tips & Warnings

• To maintain the cover, consider using a spill-resistant fabric. To avoid a boxy looking top, try rounding the top seam to fit the backrest better. To avoid having two staples on top of each other when attaching the seat fabric, turn the staple gun 90 degrees from the staples you used to attach the foam.
• Always use extreme caution when using a sewing machine, scissors or staple gun to prevent injuries. Always wear safety glasses when using a staple gun as recommended by the manufacturer. Never let a child operate a staple gun or sewing machine. Keep the child at a safe distance when using both. Always make children wear proper safety glasses, and always supervise when letting a child use scissors.

References

• Candied Fabrics