Correct reupholstery of chairs with your own hands. Reupholstering chairs: updating old furniture How to reupholster an old chair with your own hands

If you find that an old chair is completely worn out, do not rush to throw it away. Often old pieces of furniture bring with them pleasant memories of people and events in your family's life. And what’s the truth? Previously, furniture was made to last...

Don't rush to throw it away old chair. By updating its upholstery, you can get a stylish, beautiful and durable piece of furniture. A restored chair may well serve not only you, but also your children. And we will tell you how you can do this!

How to update an old chair? Pre-cleaning

First, the surface of the chair must be cleaned of the old coating, no matter what it is. If there is soft seat upholstery, it must first be removed. You don’t necessarily need “male strength” to do this. Try turning the chair upside down and you will see that the seat is attached with screws that need to be removed. To do this, you need to arm yourself with a hammer (to knock out the seat) and a screwdriver (straight or Phillips).

Now you can start removing the old coating. To do this, you can use the usual “ sandpaper» different grain sizes or a sanding sponge. It is important to sand the surface of the wood well. This will help you easily apply the coating you choose later. It is worth saying right away that this work is not easy. But it is possible to simplify the process a little by periodically moistening the surface to be treated. So, you can get rid of dust.

Just don't be afraid of the moisture old varnish becomes viscous. This is fine. After the chair has completely dried, you need to sand the entire surface well again with fine sandpaper.

How to update an old chair? Process step by step

Now it all depends on your imagination. If you decide to varnish the surface of the chair, then you need to use a colorless primer so that through protective layer the texture of the wood was clearly visible. You will have to use a layer of primer in any case, even if you decide to paint the chair in the future.

The fact is that paint adheres better and lasts longer if the surface is first primed. The surface must be coated with varnish in two layers. It is important that the first coat is thoroughly dry before applying the second. The varnish can be applied with a brush or by spraying it over the surface.

The chair can be painted any color. Nowadays white furniture is considered very fashionable. And the seat upholstery can be chosen to contrast. Today there are many ways to show originality, for example, using a stencil. Let it be flowers or any other ornament.

Another way to cover the surface of a chair is to use a balm from beeswax. The surface is also pre-sanded and primed with drying oil, then covered with a thin layer of balm using a cloth. After twelve hours, the surface is polished with a brush.

Now you can begin restoring the upholstery. The old one needs to be removed. Previously, it was attached to the seat using ordinary nails. You will also have to get rid of the foam rubber. It is necessary to carve out a new one according to the old standards. The fabric must be cut with a margin for hemming. The material for upholstery can be very different: either a special fabric for upholstered furniture, or regular linen or thick cotton. It is better to fasten the fabric with a furniture stapler. But if you don't have one, don't worry. You can use regular nails by hammering them in. It is important to remember that the material must be well stretched on all sides.

Now the seat can be inserted into its original place and fastened with screws.

How to update an old chair with a cover

There is another way to update an old chair - use a cover. It can be made from any fabric, hiding defects and imperfections without major intervention. The cover can be with a variety of frills, ruffles, bows, tassels... You can make several options: a festive version and an everyday one. Show your imagination! Don't rush to throw it away old furniture, try to become a designer, we are sure that you will succeed!

How to update an old chair. Decoupage with paper

Do you dream of decorating a chair or hiding defects such as scratches and cracks? This is easy to do using decoupage. Any printed paper is suitable for this (magazine and newspaper pages, napkins, posters, cards, etc.). You need to secure the drawing with PVA glue and cover it with clear varnish.

Decoupage with fabric

Another way to update an old chair is decoupage material. A “brand new” chair will last for a very long time. If suddenly the threads start to come loose at the edges, they can be treated with PVA or cut off.

Other ideas

Multi-colored straps can be the salvation of an old chair. They just need to be intertwined, like on a basket. Pastel paint and a pattern in silver or gold will help you make a vintage chair. Cover everything with craquelure varnish on top.

Give your child freedom of imagination. Let him paint the chair, and you just cover his creativity with varnish.

How to update an old chair? Photo

There can be a great many reasons to renew old chairs or decorate new ones with your own hands. This includes the need to adapt furniture to the interior, the desire to correct design flaws, to restore chairs inherited from a grandmother or found for next to nothing at a flea market. In this material we will talk about 4 ways to transform “four-legged friends” (including office and garden chairs) beyond recognition, and also present 70 cool photo ideas for alterations.

Method 1: Painting a chair

Even the most old-fashioned or simply ordinary chair, say, a “Viennese” wooden, plastic, folding or office chair, can be transformed by painting. The main thing here is to choose the right color. Here are some inspiring examples where color alone saved furniture from ending up in a landfill.

Old Viennese chair before and after renovation

A few more examples of remaking the most common Viennese chairs made of bent beech, which can be found in almost every home or cottage.

Here are some cool ideas for painting stools.

Inspired? Then let's get to practice!

To paint the chair you will need:

Acrylic paint, or preferably chalk paint, in one or more colors;
Synthetic flat brushes (separately for primer, paint and varnish);
Protective gloves (better to buy at a pharmacy);
Primer for wood/metal (depending on the frame material);
Wax or matte varnish(polyurethane or acrylic);
Medium to fine grit sandpaper.

How to paint a chair with your own hands:

Prepare the chair for painting: wash it to remove any rough dirt and dust, then sand it with medium-grit sandpaper to remove the top layer of old varnish or paint. The surface should be slightly rough.

If you want to update a metal chair, then it is not necessary to sand it (although it is safer to sand off the top gloss), but before priming/painting, the frame must be degreased with white spirit.
Also, you can avoid the tedious sanding step if you use chalk paint, but you won’t be able to do without a primer.
If your chair is varnished, it can be removed special means for removing varnish.

If the chair has any damage, such as scratches, chips or cracks, fill them with furniture putty.

Wipe the chair from dust, wait for it to dry and apply two layers of primer to the entire frame, allowing each layer to dry for about a day. Between layers, it is advisable to sand the primer with fine-grained sandpaper (no. 220 is suitable).
Take a new brush and paint the chair in 2-3 layers, allowing each layer to dry completely. Make sure that the paint does not smudge.

If you want to paint a chair with a distressed effect, then first apply a dark paint, say dark gray or dark blue, to some places (for example, the edges of the seat, back and armrests), and then cover them with wax. Next, you should paint the chair with the main paint in 2-3 layers. And finally, lightly work with fine-grained sandpaper to expose the dark “substrate”.

Do you want to achieve the effect of a perfect factory paint job? Then be patient: each coat of primer and paint (except finishing layers) will have to be sanded with fine-grained sandpaper. This way the coating will be as smooth and reliable as possible.
To paint only certain parts or parts of the chair, use masking tape.

Treat the chair with wax or matte varnish. Voila, your “four-legged friend” has found a new life!

Helpful Tips:

Don't know what color to paint your chair? You can't go wrong if you paint it white, because this color is the most versatile and goes well with any bright upholstery;
Before painting, you can glue it to the back of the chair. stucco decor using wood glue;
Achieve the effect of a very old and dirty chair in Provence style, you can use dark brown wax;
Chalk paints are a relatively new type of paint that are not yet widely available. However, we recommend using it, because due to its thickness, increased adhesive properties and super-fast drying (in 30 minutes), it saves a lot of time and effort. In Russia, you can purchase chalk paints from designer Daria Geiler, and in Kazakhstan – from Vernenskaya Manufactory. You can also always order paints from foreign manufacturers - Annie Sloan and Rustoleum.

This video master class will help you better figure out how to paint an old chair with your own hands.

Method 2. Seat reupholstery

Most often, if the stool has soft seat, then painting the frame is not enough to renew it completely - you need to change the upholstery. Here are some photo examples of how reupholstering a seat can turn an old chair into a stylish piece of decor.

Office chair before and after painting, replacing the back and seat upholstery

By the way, if your chair or stool does not have a soft seat, then you can make it yourself: first cut the MDF base exactly to the shape of the seat, then follow our master class, upholster it and, finally, screw it to the chair frame with self-tapping screws.

To make a soft seat for a stool, just glue the foam rubber directly to the base, and then cover it with fabric, driving the stapler staples into inner side seats.

Stool with homemade upholstery

To work you will need:

Anti-stapler (or its alternative);
Furniture stapler and staples no higher than the thickness of the seat base;
Textile;
Foam rubber about 4 cm thick;
Batting or padding polyester;
Scissors;
Serrated bread knife (with teeth);
Screwdriver.

How to reupholster a chair with your own hands:

First we need to remove the seat from the chair frame using a nail puller or a screwdriver.
Filming old upholstery using an anti-stapler and remove the filler if it is worn out (if it is in good condition, then it can be reused). Next, wipe the base of the seat from dust and dirt.

If wooden base The seat seems too old and unreliable, use it as a template to cut a new seat from plywood.

We place the seat on the foam rubber, trace its outline and cut it out.

We cut the fabric and batting in such a size that they can be wrapped around all sides of the seat (along with foam rubber), leaving 10-15 cm free. This excess is needed to make it more convenient to stretch the material.
So, we have four blanks: base, foam rubber, batting/sintepon and fabric. Now we need to put it all into a sandwich. First of all, we spread the batting, put foam rubber on it, and on the foam rubber - the base of the seat, wrong side up. Next, we simply fold the edges of the batting onto the seat and, slightly stretching the material, fix it with a stapler. The corners of the batting can be cut off, or you can simply bend them and fasten them in the same way.

How to restore a chair seat

Once all the batting is attached to the seat, trim off any excess batting.

If desired, the foam rubber can be pre-glued to the base or stapled around the perimeter, retreating 5 mm from the edge of the seat.

The most crucial moment has come - the stage of reupholstering the seat with fabric. Spread the fabric with the wrong side up and place the seat on it. Next, fold the edges of the fabric along one side and secure with a stapler. Now lightly stretch the fabric over the opposite side of the seat and secure it with a stapler.

Repeat the procedure on the remaining two sides and start decorating the corners - they need to be wrapped as shown in the photo below.

Chair after restoration

We return the seat to its place and fix it with the “original” fasteners.

Helpful Tips:

The soft seat of the chair can be additionally decorated with furniture nails around the perimeter.
The upholstery fabric should be selected in accordance with the style of the chair. For example, traditional jacquard fabric is not suitable for a modern chair, and a classic chair with an elegant back is unlikely to “make friends” with fabric with a newfangled geometric print.
The same fabric from which your curtains are made is ideal for upholstering a chair. In the interior, such a coincidence will look very harmonious.
The print on the fabric can echo the carved crossbars as shown in the photo below.

For a more visual master class on upholstering the seat of an old chair, watch this video.

Method 3. Decoupage a chair with paper

Do you want to decorate a chair with a cool print or cover up minor defects like scratches and stains with patterns? This can be done using the decoupage technique.

Chair decoupage idea

You will need:

Any paper with the desired print, for example, it can be multi-layer napkins, pages from magazines and books, geographical maps, posters, wallpapers, etc.;
PVA glue;
Brushes 2 pcs (for applying glue and varnish);
Scissors;
Transparent matte acrylic or polyurethane varnish;
Water (if necessary);
Roller for working with large formats.

How to update chairs using decoupage technique:

Step 1. Clean the chair from dirt and stains, paint if necessary, following the first instructions in the article.

Step 2. Cut out the fragment that you need from the selected printing. The workpiece can be either large (for example, in the shape of the seat and back) or very small.

If you use napkins, you first need to separate the top layer with the pattern and only then cut it out.
If you want to cover the entire chair, including the legs, the paper needs to be chaotically torn into small pieces of approximately 10x10 cm, as shown in the following photo slider.

To decoupage the back and seat, they need to be removed from the chair frame using a screwdriver, and then used as a template for cutting the workpiece (see photo below).

Step 3. Generously coat the area you want to decorate with PVA glue and place your design on it, then smooth with a brush with the remaining glue, releasing all air bubbles and smoothing out the folds.

If the cut out print is small, then it is better to apply glue not to the chair, but to the back side of the workpiece itself.
If the paper is very thick, then you need to moisten it a little in water - this will make it more flexible.

A top layer of glue is not necessary, but is often desirable (it should be thin in any case).

Step 4. Repeat step 3 with the other parts of the chair and leave the glue to dry for about a day.

Step 5. Cover the decorated areas or the entire chair with 4 layers of clear varnish, allowing each layer to dry completely. Ready!

Method 4. Decoupage a chair with fabric

It would seem that there is no other way to radically modify a chair with your own hands other than by painting. In fact, there is another cool way - decoupage with fabric.

A chair updated in this way will last a surprisingly long time, even under heavy loads. And if individual threads come out of the fabric along the edges of the chair, you can simply cut them off and treat them with a layer of PVA glue.

Decoupage idea for an old chair

You will need:

Textile;
Wooden chair;
PVA glue or special glue for decoupage;
A sharp stationery or breadboard knife;
Brush for applying glue.

How to update a chair using decoupage technique:

Step 1. Using a screwdriver, remove the back and seat from the chair. If you want to paint the chair, do it before taking it apart.

Step 2. Spread the fabric on a flat surface, place the seat on it and trace it along the contour, stepping back about 2.5 cm from the edge, then cut out the blank.

Step 3: Cover the outside of your seat with PVA glue, then lay the fabric over it and smooth it out. Once the fabric is straight, coat it with PVA glue and leave to dry overnight.

Step 4: Once the fabric is dry, make sure it is completely stiff. Next, trim the excess fabric with a sharp knife exactly along the edges of the seat.

Step 5: Now coat the perimeter of the seat with PVA glue again to prevent wear around the edges.

Step 6: Repeat steps 2-5 with the chair back and other parts you want to decorate and finally put the chair back together. The main condition for successful restoration of a chair is that the pattern must accurately repeat the shape of the surface being decorated.

Here are some more photo ideas for decorating a chair with fabric.

Decoupage office chair fabric with additional protection with polyurethane varnish

Stool decoupage ideas

Even with the most careful treatment, furniture sooner or later begins to wear out. What to do if the upholstery of wooden chairs has completely lost its presentable appearance? Don’t rush to part with things that are familiar and dear to your heart! Thanks to such a simple measure as reupholstery, you can quickly and easily bring them into proper condition.

Before you start reupholstering the chair, you need to decide on the choice of new upholstery materials - the internal seat filling and the front fabric. Sheet polyurethane foam or foam rubber is traditionally used as filler. When purchasing material, keep in mind that the sheet thickness should be at least 40 mm, and the density should be about 30-50 kg/m3. Batting and padding polyester are used less frequently for padding - during use they quickly deform, lose their original shape and sag all the way to the plywood. It is no less important to approach the choice of upholstery fabric – the appearance of the restored furniture directly depends on it. Give preference to durable and dense materials - the fabric for upholstering the chair should hold its shape well. In addition, the textiles you like should be easy to wash and clean from dirt with a sponge or brush. The most popular materials for upholstering chairs are chenille, tapestry, flock and jacquard.

When choosing the color of the upholstery material, take into account the overall color scheme of the interior. Traditionally, textured fabrics in rich and dark shades are considered the most practical; light upholstery in pastel colors requires more careful treatment and proper care. It is worth noting that for the restoration of chairs you can use several different materials– they may differ in both color and texture. When starting to reupholster furniture, first remove the old upholstery. Turn the chair upside down and remove the old staples, screws, bolts and other fasteners one by one using a screwdriver and pliers. Perform all actions as carefully as possible so as not to accidentally damage the wooden planks with the tool. Necessary parts that will be required when final assembly, set aside. Then check general condition and the integrity of the frame - tighten all loose connections, glue cracks in the wood and tighten them with clamps for 2-3 hours. Thoroughly clean the plywood base of the seat from old glue and remaining stuck filler. If necessary, sand the wooden parts with sandpaper, then open them acrylic paint or stain. Be sure to fix the new coating with varnish.

Next, proceed to making templates and cutting out upholstery materials. The pattern can be cut out of thick cardboard - attach it to the plywood seat and trace the outline with a pencil. Step back 7-10 cm from the outline and draw a second line - this increase is necessary for allowances. Using the prepared stencil, cut the new filling and fabric covering (use scissors or a utility knife). When cutting patterned fabric, try to ensure that the pattern does not move and lies in the center. Alternatively, you can use a worn fabric covering as a template for new upholstery.

When the blanks are ready, proceed to the actual reupholstery of the chair. First, glue the filler to the outside of the plywood seat. After the glue has completely dried, you can attach the textile covering - lay the fabric on a flat flat surface with the wrong side up, and place the seat on top of it with the soft part down.

Use a furniture stapler to secure textiles. Pull the material tightly and consistently shoot the edges of the upholstery to the back of the plywood. Optimal distance between staples - 1.5-2 cm. It is important that there are no loose or large folds between the fasteners. To ensure the staples are secure, carefully tap them with a hammer. Once the material is completely secured, trim off the excess with scissors. The final touch is to install the reupholstered seat on a wooden frame.

As you can see, self-upholstery chairs does not require any special skills or abilities. Rather, it is an interesting creative process that allows you to significantly save the family budget.

Almost every family has old furniture that was inherited, but not always this furniture has an acceptable appearance. The upholstery is quite easy to replace. Then grandma’s favorite chairs and armchairs will get a second life and sparkle with new colors.

Instead of buying new chairs, you can reupholster old ones: replace worn seats with new ones, saving money.

For this you will need:

thick tape;
lining fabric;
upholstery fabric;
filler (batting, padding polyester, coconut fiber);
furniture foam rubber;
construction stapler;
hammer and nails.

Upholstering chairs yourself is not so difficult if you follow the technology and know the assembly sequence. It happens when not only the casing, but also the internal contents require replacement. The first step is to remove the seat, remove the old nails using a nail puller, and remove the upholstery and filling. All you should have left is the wooden frame from the seat.

For upholstering a chair, the main tool is a furniture stapler.

Now you need to attach a thick tape along the bottom (in the form of a lattice), which is used for upholstery. Nail one end of the tape with 3 nails, wrap the other end around wooden block and pull. On the opposite side, secure the tape with nails, then cut it off, bend the end and secure with a stapler. The distance between the strips should be about 5 cm. Usually 2-3 strips are nailed on each side on the chair seat, intertwining them together in the form of a lattice. Instead of nails, you can use a stapler - in this case, the staples are arranged in 2 rows, at a short distance from each other. For this purpose, it is better to take 8 mm staples.

After this, take the lining fabric and secure it with a stapler around the entire perimeter wooden frame. Next, lay a layer of filler. It can be batting, coconut fiber or padding polyester. Then a piece of foam rubber is cut so that it is 2-3 cm larger than the seat. First, it is secured with staples in the center of each side, then the sides are shot. The corners are designed in last resort, while the ends are gathered into small folds. During work, you need to make sure that the foam rubber does not warp, otherwise the upholstery will turn out uneven and take on an untidy appearance.

To reupholster a chair, you must first strengthen the frame and then remove the jet upholstery fabric.

All that remains is to cover the seat with fabric. Lay the material out on the table, place the seat on top (foam down), shoot 3 staples in the center of each side. Try to stretch the fabric evenly so that you do not have distortions, otherwise it will affect the appearance products. Make beautiful folds at the corners, shoot them with a stapler, cut off all excess. Fold the ends under and secure them in the same way, and then place the seat on the chair.

Upholstering chair seats with your own hands is more difficult if the upholstery contains springs. Many furniture craftsmen do not recommend replacing them with less durable foam rubber. The first step is to carefully disassemble the contents. As a rule, the springs are already connected to each other. Then all you have to do is check the strength of the bundle. If some threads become frayed over time, they need to be replaced. After you have nailed the ribbons and lining, install a bunch of springs on it, sewing each one from the bottom (with a few stitches on all sides). Secure a thick lining fabric over the structure and sew the springs to it in the same way. This is followed by a layer of batting or padding polyester, after which the seat is upholstered with fabric and installed on the chair.

Return to contents

Covering a chair with a hard seat

For this you will need:

thick furniture foam;
thick fabric;
construction stapler;
braid;
glue gun

Upholstering a chair with a hard seat is quite simple: even a person who has nothing to do with furniture can easily handle it. First you need to cut the foam rubber, it must completely match the dimensions of the seat. There is no need to cut the fabric, since it is much easier to work with a cut that is 15-20 cm larger than required.

Foam rubber is placed on the chair seat and covered with a cloth. First, shoot (along the side) each side in the center, then on the sides. After this, the corners are decorated: the fabric is gathered into small folds and secured with staples. It is important to ensure that the staples are positioned clearly along the line. Next, the material is cut off, departing from the fastening by about 5-7 mm.

All that remains is to glue the tape that will hide the staples. The easiest way to do this is with glue gun– although the work is easy, it requires maximum attention and accuracy. The upholstery of a stool is done in the same way, but in this case the upholstery fabric is not shot along the side, but from reverse side seats. Therefore, there is no need to decorate the seam with braid.

Modern houses It's hard to imagine without furniture. Perhaps its most common element is the chair. It can be found in the dining room, living room, bedroom, office, nursery - stores today offer a wide variety of options. Over time, chairs, like any other furniture, wear out. No matter how careful you are, there comes a time when you need to buy new ones. There is another option - reupholstering chairs.

Types of structures

There are quite a lot of types of chairs of various designs made of various materials. When renovating an apartment, many people also want to update the furniture. Most often this concerns kitchen chairs.

For the kitchen

There are quite a lot of options here: from ordinary kitchen wooden ones to soft ones with a back, covered with leatherette. The kitchen can be renovated in a style that will fit perfectly bar stool or the original round version. The kitchen is not the only place where you need chairs. They are necessary both in the living room and in other rooms.

In the house and garden

There are universal chairs. They can be placed in gazebos or directly in the garden, as well as in the dining room and kitchen. As a rule, they are made from special wood that is resistant to moisture even without special impregnation. They also have versatility plastic chairs. They can also be used in the country or at home. Variations of frames include solid and collapsible structures. If the solid metal frame is tightly welded, then the collapsible structure is fastened with screws. In the first case, the chair is stronger, and in the second, it is more convenient, since you can disassemble it and clean the same back or seat.

So-called stackable chairs are compact and good for storage., installed one on top of the other. These chairs are used as needed. They can be stored in the pantry until guests arrive, taking up very little space. Another alternative is folding models. Some are designed like scissors, others like theater seats. At home, many people prefer to use chairs with a soft or semi-soft seat rather than a hard one. They are the most comfortable. The same applies to models with armrests, which are divided into hard, semi-soft and soft.

Wooden chairs You can do it yourself using carpentry tools. It is enough to show a little patience and diligence. Bent chairs require special equipment. When using multiple materials and technological processes combined chairs are created. Consumers often prefer wooden-metal structures, but they have not proven themselves to be 100% reliable. In order for furniture to serve for a long time, it must be made of high-quality wood. Plastic and metal combine best with each other; they are mainly used in the manufacture of garden furniture.

Office, children's, bar

In addition, there are office chairs. As a rule, they are covered soft material, equipped lifting mechanism and wheels. More common simple options– on metal legs with soft back and seat. Another variety is bar stools. Their design differs in that there is a crossbar for the legs at the bottom. They usually have a large height for comfortable sitting at the bar counter. Chairs for children and students require: special requirements: They should have a comfortable back and four stable legs.

Restoration methods

If your favorite chair begins to look less attractive, and the upholstery is worn out, do not rush to give up the old one and spend money on a new one. You can easily give it a second life by repairing it yourself. Choose a method that you can handle. Upholstering a chair, in fact, is a simple process, it can even captivate you.

The chair must be restored in a way that is acceptable in each individual case:

If the chair just wobbles, then you need to connect its parts. To do this, some elements may have to be replaced by first disassembling the chair completely.
There is such a thing as carriage tie. It is used on seats and must be durable and intact. The screed fabric is cut out with a margin, applied to the foam rubber, then the fabric is pierced from the back side with a long needle. Mark the place where the button will be located.
If the upholstery looks faded or is torn in some places, reupholstering will save the situation. Before this, you need to prepare the tools, and also decide what fabric the seat will be covered with, what material to use for the filler.
If you need to change the armrests, you will have to disassemble the entire structure. Wooden parts must be examined for cracks and chips, defects must be removed with putty and wood glue. If some parts are badly damaged, you will have to make new ones according to the previous samples.

Process Features

Before you begin the task, you need to decide how global the repair will be: a light update of the furniture, a complete re-upholstery of the seat, or replacement of parts. First of all, study the frame. If there is any damage, repair it using wood putty and varnish. If you have already decided what color the upholstery will be, you can paint the frame to match it. Such bright chairs will look great in any corner of the house. Before you reupholster a chair with your own hands, you need to select the fabric and all the necessary accessories.

Step by step process presented below:

First you need to remove the seat. It's easy to deal with this on your own. Old fabric and soft filling must be removed. To do this, you need to carefully remove the seat and try not to damage it. wooden structure, tools will help with this. The fabric is also separated carefully, because it is from this that the pattern will then be made to alter the seat.
Springs usually last a very long time, but if you see them worn out, remove them too.
Do the same with the back of the chair.
Proceed with the restoration itself.

Preparing tools

To avoid distractions later, prepare everything you need for work.

During dismantling you may need:

nail puller;
hammer;
scissors.

For the reupholstering process itself, you need to prepare:

furniture stapler;
staples or furniture nails;
pliers;
screwdrivers different types;
bit;
cleaver;
mallet;
PVA glue.

When you start making a pattern, you will, among other things, need:

measuring tape;
pencil;
ruler;
cardboard.

Material selection

Choose an upholstery fabric that you like, that we think is beautiful, practical and durable. Keep in mind that you need a material that retains its shape and is strong. It is also extremely important that you can easily clean the soft surface with a regular brush and soap to remove dirt, or simply wipe the surface with a damp cloth. So, you can cover the chair with dermantine, eco-leather, genuine leather, or leatherette.

Leatherette refers to inexpensive and short-lived coatings. Its service life does not exceed two years. Over time, cracks and scratches may appear on it. This is especially true if there are animals in the house. At the same time, there is quality faux leather, which cannot be distinguished from natural ones, but the price for these types is extremely high.
It's a completely different matter - Genuine Leather , which refers to high-quality, prestigious and expensive materials. There is one nuance here: if you have never dealt with furniture restoration before, there is a risk of ruining the expensive coating.

The most common upholstery is done made of textile, and here there is a large choice: chenille, flock, jacquard, microfiber, tapestry. After studying all the properties of fabrics, choose the one that suits you best in terms of quality and price.
There is also an option like self-adhesive alcantura– faux suede with an adhesive layer. Some people prefer it because of its long service life (up to 7 years), and working with this material when restoring a chair is easy even for a beginner in this field.

One more important detail– choice of filler. Synthetic padding polyester, latex, batting are suitable, but best option– sheet foam rubber. It lasts a long time and keeps its shape.

The so-called bulk materials– polyurethane balls or buckwheat husks.

Calculations

To reupholster a chair efficiently and then use it for a long time, you need to take all the measurements correctly, choose the right fabric, and decide how thick the filling layer should be. So, measure the back, seat and back cover. In order for the fabric to be well secured, at least 5 cm is left on each side. When choosing foam rubber for stuffing, you need to take into account that its density should be 30-50 kg/cubic. m. Only then will the seat not sag and be comfortable. When choosing leather as upholstery, keep in mind that for ease of use it must be elastic, so its thickness should not exceed 3 mm.

Padding

First, foam rubber is attached to the plywood with PVA glue. To do this, apply glue to wooden surface and on top part foam rubber and wait for it to dry completely. Afterwards, cut out the fabric of the required size, preferably with a margin; if the piece turns out to be smaller than needed, it will not be possible to correct the situation. The fabric is placed so that the front side is at the bottom, and the soft part of the chair is placed on it. As an additional filler, padding polyester is laid in the middle. The material is then pulled over the base and secured with a furniture stapler, which may result in excess fabric that can be easily trimmed. Then the seat is put in place and secured with screws.

When repairing the back of a chair, the frame is disassembled into parts. The old coating is removed and cracks are eliminated using glue and putty. Then you can varnish or paint the parts. The well-dried parts are connected. Change the filling and fabric on the back, the replacement process is similar to that described for the seat.

Assembly

This stage is final. All that remains is to install the structure on the base, attach it with plates and screw it in place. If you have updated the upholstery, you can replace other parts as well. Then it will turn out perfect new design. Thus, with your own hands you made a completely new chair with beautiful upholstery, durable and comfortable, which will serve you for many years in the kitchen or living room, nursery or office. But that's not all. You can act as a designer and decorate your new furniture.

Finishing and decor

At home, it’s not at all difficult to beautifully decorate the seats and backs of chairs. To do this, it is enough to have fabric, paints, braid, ropes at home, as well as to have imagination and creative abilities. Remember: nothing limits your choice. The color scheme can be any: bright blue, soft pink, snow-white. Fashionable direction decoupage is considered - easy way decorating furniture items, which is applicable for chairs made of wood and plywood that do not have soft upholstery. The surface must be prepared, treated with sandpaper and puttied. Then the chair is painted, it is best to use white. Then they stick to the surface decorative elements. The finishing touches are re-painting and varnishing.