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i have some old kitchen chairs that are made out of vinyl. of course they have significant wear and
it was a set given to me and the overall chairs are in good shape. meaning the frame and all. what i want to know is how can i re upholster them myself using my fabric of choice. any websites that might help me?
3 Answers
Reupholstering is not difficult. You can find books and upholstering supplies at most craft stores. I have not looked on line but I am sure there are many, but they may not give free instructions.
DIY Network's website might have something. They have a show, Free form Furniture, and I know they have done upholstering on the show.
DIY Network's website might have something. They have a show, Free form Furniture, and I know they have done upholstering on the show.
All you need for the job is...A staple gun..Stanley makes a nice one..about 14.99 in Wal Mart...then go over to the fabric dept, pick out a good weight fabric...if in doubt ask the sales clerk, for fabrics suitable for your project.
You'll need some padding, look for a dense foam about 3 inches thick for most chairs...(not quilt batting..foam) if in doubt buy a package of the cheapest chair pads you can find, the type you tie to the seat of the chair...clip off the ties and use that foam...it is a good substitute.
Remove the screws from the bottom of the chair and release the seat..be careful not to strip the screws as you take them out.
Do one chair at a time so you don't get messed up with pieces here and there.
Once you have the seat base off, using a flat head screw driver, remove (pry) the old staples from the bottom of the seat and free the old fabric...toss it out.
Lay your new fabric out and place the seat base in the corner of the fabric and trace around the seat base with a pencil...once you have that done..measure out from that line 4 and half inches more on the fabric...then cut your replacement seat out. Making sure you enough fabric to cover the new foam and the width of the seat itself. @ 4 1/2 inches...but you decide.
(Place the seat on the floor...it is the best to work..put it on a towel or something that won't slide around or get your fabric dirty.)
Put pad on the seat and cover with your materal...center it so you have equal fabric on all sides...now with your knee placed in the middle of seat..press down this helps pull the fabric tight and makes stapling it easier...staple your straight sides..leave the corners for last..once you get to the corners...fold fabric over the edge you'll see it pucker..don't panic..cut a release snip about a half inch snip in the fabric..and pull tight and staple...you should have a nice finished corner..and your done! Replace the seat on the chair..and repeat.
You'll need some padding, look for a dense foam about 3 inches thick for most chairs...(not quilt batting..foam) if in doubt buy a package of the cheapest chair pads you can find, the type you tie to the seat of the chair...clip off the ties and use that foam...it is a good substitute.
Remove the screws from the bottom of the chair and release the seat..be careful not to strip the screws as you take them out.
Do one chair at a time so you don't get messed up with pieces here and there.
Once you have the seat base off, using a flat head screw driver, remove (pry) the old staples from the bottom of the seat and free the old fabric...toss it out.
Lay your new fabric out and place the seat base in the corner of the fabric and trace around the seat base with a pencil...once you have that done..measure out from that line 4 and half inches more on the fabric...then cut your replacement seat out. Making sure you enough fabric to cover the new foam and the width of the seat itself. @ 4 1/2 inches...but you decide.
(Place the seat on the floor...it is the best to work..put it on a towel or something that won't slide around or get your fabric dirty.)
Put pad on the seat and cover with your materal...center it so you have equal fabric on all sides...now with your knee placed in the middle of seat..press down this helps pull the fabric tight and makes stapling it easier...staple your straight sides..leave the corners for last..once you get to the corners...fold fabric over the edge you'll see it pucker..don't panic..cut a release snip about a half inch snip in the fabric..and pull tight and staple...you should have a nice finished corner..and your done! Replace the seat on the chair..and repeat.
This is a very simple thing to do and once its done you will have the exact look that you want. On these chairs if you flip them over they should have some screws that you can undo to remove the Upholstered part. Once that is off you may remove the old fabric. If you manage to get it off in one piece you can just it as a template for you new fabric. If not then Just lay the piece down on top of the new fabric and trace around leaving about 1 1/2 inches around the edges. With a staple gun you may Attach the new fabric and just screw back on.
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