How to Use Amy Butler Fabric to Recover a Chair

Amy Butler designs bright, fanciful patterns that add a touch of designer chic to your home. Her fabric has many uses, including recovering plain or worn-looking chairs. With the right tools and some time you can give a new look to your chair with Amy Butler fabric.

Things You'll Need

• Screwdriver
• Scissors
• Amy Butler fabric
• Staple gun
• Piece of fabric or cardboard, optional

Instructions

1. Turn the chair upside down. Unscrew the seat from the chair.

2. Remove the old fabric from the seat. Pull out the staples using the scissors or screwdriver as needed.

3. Lay the Amy Butler fabric face down. Place the seat of the chair on the fabric with the bottom of the chair facing up. Make sure that any image or pattern is centered on the seat before proceeding.

4. Add another 1-1/2 to 2 inches around the seat. Cut out the fabric, using the seat of the chair as a guide. If you have a lot of padding on the chair, you may need to add another inch or two to the fabric so that you can completely cover the chair.

5. Pull the fabric over the bottom of the seat. Place a staple at the top, the bottom and one on each side, pulling the material taut. Make small folds of the material if you have a circular seat or fold the material at the corners for a square or rectangular seat and staple the edges of the fabric.

6. Trim any excess material. If desired, place another piece of fabric or a piece of cardboard to cover the underside and staple it to the seat.

7. Screw the seat back into the chair.

Tips & Warnings

• Depending on the wear on the chair, you may need to replace the padding as well. You can use cotton batting available at most fabric and craft stores. Remove any old batting. Cut the batting out to match the seat of the chair and glue it on directly using hot glue. Allow this to dry completely and continue with Step 3.

• If you are covering multiple chairs in a set, check that the pattern is centered and that all the pieces match.

References

• Chatelaine: How to Recover an Old Chair in Five Easy Steps
• Kessels Upholstering: Recovering Your Dining Seats
• Amy Butler Design: Where to Buy

Resources

• Amy Butler Design