How to Refinish & Upholster Furniture
Refinishing and upholstering furniture is a hobby for some people. They find used and maybe a little tattered items, refinish and upholster them and then resell those pieces of furniture to make extra money. Or they furnish their own homes that way. Refinishing and upholstering furniture, especially pieces like dining room chairs, takes only about a weekend to complete, without too much difficulty. It is not overly expensive to refinish and upholster furniture, depending on the type of fabric you buy for the upholstery. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Pliers
- Screwdriver
- Rags
- Putty knife (optional)
- Stripper
- Paintbrush
- Sandpaper
- Polyurethane
- Fabric
- Foam or quilt batting
- Scissors
- Staple gun with staples
Instructions
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Refinishing
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1
Remove any fabric that is on the furniture, such as the seat of a dining room chair. Use pliers or screwdrivers to remove all hardware and staples from the underside of the seat.
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2
Wipe the entire piece of furniture down with a damp rag to get it completely clean. Use a plastic putty knife to remove stubborn dirt and grime.
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3
Brush some stripper on the wood, and let it sit according the manufacturer's directions. Use a plastic putty knife to remove the stripper. Wipe the wood down with a damp rag and allow the wood to dry.
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4
Sand the chair with 80-grit sandpaper and then wipe with a damp rag to remove all the dust.
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5
Use 100-grit sandpaper to sand the surface again. Wipe with a damp rag and examine the furniture to see if the surface is smooth. Sand one more time, if necessary, to get a completely smooth surface.
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6
Apply the stain using a rag. Cover all surfaces of the wood. Allow the stain to dry according to the manufacturer's directions.
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7
Give the wood a second coat of stain if desired.
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8
Brush on a coat of polyurethane, and allow it the dry according to the manufacturer's directions. Give the wood a light sanding. Add another coat of polyurethane and let it dry.
Upholster
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9
Remove any fabric from the furniture, such as the fabric on the seat of a dining room chair.
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10
Lay our your fabric face down on a flat surface. Place a piece of 1-inch foam or quilt batting on top of the fabric. Center the chair seat, upside down, on the quilt batting.
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11
Cut the fabric so that it is 4 to 6 inches larger than the chair seat all the way around.
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12
Pull the fabric up, at the middle of one side, and staple it to the middle of the wooden portion of the chair seat. Repeat with the three remaining sides.
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13
Work from the center of each side out to the corners, pulling the fabric tightly as you go. Fold the fabric at the corners to make a nice edge. Trim off any excess fabric and refasten the seat to the chair.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Work outside if possible when putting both stain and polyurethane on your furniture. The fumes can be quite strong. Work in a well-ventilated area if you have to work indoors.
To reupholster cushions, remove all the fabric and use the old fabric as a guide for cutting and sewing your new upholstery.
