How to Recover Chair Cushions With Leather

Replace the chair cushion fabric with leather to create a sophisticated look.

Recover a chair cushion with a piece of leather to revitalize a worn out seat and create a sophisticated look. Choose a flexible piece of leather since stiff leather is difficult to fold over chair cushions and creates a puckered cushion that will not fit back on the chair properly. Verify the leather is free of flaws to prevent premature damage or tears to the recovered cushion. Stain or paint the chair frame after removing the cushion for recovering to enhance the new look.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Measuring tape
• Leather
• Chalk fabric marker
• Staple gun
• Staples
• Polyester batting or foam pad
• Muslin (optional)

Instructions

1. Remove the chair cushion by flipping the chair over and unscrewing the pad. Set the screws aside to reattach the completed cushion.

2. Lay the piece of leather on a flat surface with the back side facing upward. Set the removed cushion top-side down on the leather and lightly sketch the outline of the chair cushion onto the back of the leather. Increase the outline sketch by 3 inches and cut out the leather piece.

3. Remove the current fabric covering on the seat cushion by pulling out staples or tacks holding the fabric in place. Verify the padding is usable and intact. Replace worn out padding by cutting a 1/2- to 1-inch thick piece of polyester batting or foam to the size of the cushion.

4. Set the leather face down on a flat surface. Set the padding and chair cushion board face down on top of the leather so it is in the center of the leather piece.

5. Pull the excess leather along the front edge towards the back side of the chair cushion and secure it in place by placing a staple along the center edge of the board. Repeat this process on the back edge of the cushion and then on each side edge so there is one staple on each side of the cushion.

6. Secure the leather around the cushion by evenly pulling the excess leather along the front edge towards the backside starting in the middle. Secure the leather with staples placed along the edge. Stop 1 inch from the corner.

7. Staple each edge of the cushion, making sure to stop 1 inch from each corner. Flip the cushion over several times during the process to make sure the leather stays smooth and flat.

8. Finish the corners of the chair cushion by pulling the leather tight on one side of the corner and securing with a staple. Fold over the excess leather on the opposite side of the corner and secure in place with a staple. Repeat this process for each corner.

9. Cut excess leather on the backside of the cushion to 1/2-inch from the stapled edge. Place the chair cushion onto the chair and secure in place with the screws.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a test pattern for the cushion cover out of muslin to verify the size of leather needed for the covering. This will prevent the costly mistake of cutting the wrong size of leather.

References

• Fabric Workshop: Upholster a Slipseat
• Mother Earth News: How to Reupholster Furniture