-
How to reupholster a chair cushion
-
- Bruce Littlefield , Design and Lifestyle Guru
- Comment on this video
-
- My Howdini
-
Suggest a video
My favorites
My previously viewed videos
My profile
- About this video
-
Bruce Littlefield
Design and Lifestyle Guru
If you've got some chairs that could use a makeover, here's a quick and easy way to do it. Grab a staple gun and watch Bruce Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America as he re-covers some chairs that have seen better days.
Bruce's book, Garage Sale America
-
Instructions
How to reupholster a chair cushion
If you would like to give your kitchen or dining room chairs a fresh, new look without spending a lot of money, you may consider reupholstering them. Here are some simple, easy tips to help you.
Chair cushion reupholstering steps:
- Turn chair upside down and use screwdriver to remove the cushion you are going to reupholster.
- If you would like, you can leave the old upholstery attached to give the chair an extra layer of padding.
- Select new covering for your cushion. You can use something as simple as an old tablecloth to recover the chair.
- Lay fabric down and place cushion upside-down on top of fabric. Cut fabric out around cushion, leaving enough fabric on each side to fold over onto cushion.
- Starting with the front, adhere fabric to the cushion using the staple gun, and staple every few inches across. Repeat with the back of the cushion.
- To complete the sides, fold fabric on the sides as you would if you were putting sheets on a bed, forming “hospital corners” to tuck fabric in tightly and neatly. Adhere to the cushion using the staple gun. Repeat for the other side of the cushion.
- Neatly trim excess fabric hanging from the stapled edges of the cushion, cutting close to the staples.
- Reinforce the corners of the cushion with a few extra staples.
- Use screwdriver to attach the reupholstered cushion to the chair.
Print Instructions
Return to top of page
-
Shopping List
How to reupholster a chair cushion
Chairs with cushions to be reupholstered
Staple gun
Short staples (5/16 inch)
Screwdriver
Scissors
Fabric for reupholstering
Print Shopping List
Return to top of page
-
Transcript
How to reupholster a chair cushion
Hey there I’m Bruce Littlefield for howdini.com and today I’m going to show you how to reupholster a chair. Quick and easy. I found this chair at a garage sale, actually a set of these for ten bucks. You can see why I found them for ten bucks; they’re in bad shape. The upholstery is in a little bad shape, but guess what, all you have to do with a few things; a staple gun, short staples make sure that you use short staples, five-sixteenths not one inch because you don’t want somebody sitting in your chair, and a screwdriver.
Unscrew the top off. All right, I actually leave the upholstery on because it gives it a little extra padding. You could take the upholstery off. If you have a dinner guests coming and you need the chairs quick, so, I’ll show you how to do it quickly. This is actually an old tablecloth, and I have enough obviously to do all four of my chairs. Make sure you have enough to fold over. And then you take your scissors and it literally doesn’t have to be neat. You can just sort of cut around it, just make sure you have enough fabric to do the fold over.
All right, start with your front, front of the chair. Flip that over and get your staple gun, and use good force to get them down there. Okay, take the fabric and do the back. And then your sides make a neat fold as if you’re doing the sheets in the bedroom. So, make it taught, and get that over. Some people call that a hospital corner. My dad who went to military college calls it a military corner. And then before you get to the other side, the finishing point, again make sure that the corner is nice and tight. Tuck that in, we’re going to finish this off last. Nice, now one of the things you might do so that is doesn’t hang down below the chair, go ahead and finish off the fabric as close to the staples as you can get, and as neatly as possible. Those are good sharp scissors.
We’re going to finish off the corners by making it tight. It forms a tight bond to the shape of the chair. And then really hit that with your staple gun as tightly as possible. So there we have nice neat corners, and we put that back onto our chair. We left the screws in place. Again, make sure you don’t loose your screws. And, so as it screws in it will tighten down on the fabric, actually go through the fabric. It will just pierce it, it won’t hurt it. Do the same on all four corners, tighten the last screw down, flip your chair over, and your done your ready for seating. So ten dollars I bought the four chairs, a few bucks I got the fabric, and a little bit of time. How easy can it be? For howdini.com I’m Bruce Littlefield.
Print Transcript
Return to top of page
-
Comments
How to reupholster a chair cushion
8 Comments - Yes, it's fast, but a little sloppy. Personally, I would want to do it with a little more attention to detail.
Posted by: MaryKaye - tluminor marina watches set into it Or a sports watch that is water proof movado watches watch With the latest trend in watches it has replica tudor watches mint condition This luxury line of watches are replica watch basic features and allows you to synchronize with replica watches clock To set the alarm press the pusher once panerai watches replica bell and ross watches.
Posted by: boteek - tluminor marina watches set into it Or a sports watch that is water proof movado watches watch With the latest trend in watches it has replica tudor watches mint condition This luxury line of watches are replica watch basic features and allows you to synchronize with replica watches clock To set the alarm press the pusher once panerai watches replica bell and ross watches.
Posted by: boteek - 888single1:
Supra Footwear UK has been quite popular in the international market for many years. We provides various choices for you . You can buy the Supra Trainers at a quite reasonable price at out online shop. The Supra TK Society is also a good one to choose from . When you see the ads of Supra TK Society UK you will surely be attracted by its outstanding design. Supra TK Society Shoes is one our our latest design too. High quality,reasonable prices.
Posted by: 888zl - 888single2:
Dear customers,welcome to our Supra Shoes UK online shop!we will not let you down.Here you can not only find the top-designed Supra NS Trinity Shoes but other sets like Supra Skytop Shoes and the latest designed Supra NS 2010.We'd like to introduce one of our most popular sets for you:supra skytop shoes.The quality of our products is guaranteed, we promise the goods will 100% satisfy you.
Posted by: 888zl - 888single3:
As you know,the GHD Hair Straigheners is take an importand part in women’s life.Every women want to be beautiful,so their will spend a lot of time to make up there are charming.Cheap GHD Straighteners is good choice among the these Hair Straighteners.The GHD Straightener has transformed the way we style our hair today.GHD Styler Australia is usefull for women ,I think many women would like to buy GHD IV Stiler Straighteners Australia online,because Buy GHD Mini Stiler Online is always cheaper than the local shop. Most suitable for your travel use, so you can be away from home to maintain a good image, you can order Cheap IV Stiler Australia now.
Posted by: 888zl - 888single4:
We offer Rare GHD Hair Straighteners here at our online shop ,and all of them are of big diacounts. Our products also include the GHD Leopard Print Straighteners and Purple GHD Hair Straighteners. We have received lots of compliments from our customers for our high efficient service and good-quality Wholesale GHD Straighteners.The authentic products of GHD Hair Straightener are of quite high quality.GHD Straighteners is a good choice for you!Welcome!
Posted by: 888zl - 888single5:
This is our leading product Supra Skate Shoes here at our online shop. It enjoys a international brand name with good quality . It can be said that Ugg Boots will be never out of fashion. it is somewhat a symbol of fashion . there are many beautiful and sexy Supra Shoes born .and we have managed in a variety of Uggs Boots: Supra Trinity , Supra NS Trinity , and Supra Trinity NS . they are all well received by the international market .Put on, win you a sense of comfort and warmth.
Posted by: 888zl
- Want to comment? Register now

