How to Upholster an Easy Chair

Step-by-Step Guide

1. 1

   Step 1: Choose a well-used easy chair for your first project.

   Many crafters suggest trying your hand at upholstery on a thrift store find, rather than your favorite chair.
   
   It will allow you to experiment more comfortably.
2. 2

   Step 2: Find upholstery fabric.

   This is usually a more durable than normal cotton or flannel cloth.
   
   It will hold up to wear and tear. , A small easy chair will need four yards (3.7m) of fabric, while a large chair will need over seven and a half (6.9m) yards of fabric., You may also need sheets of thick foam core for the seat. , These are the main way you will secure the fabric, foam and batting.
   
   Also, purchase upholstery thread, needles and tacks for a more professional look. , Take them from all-angles so that you can refer to them if you lose or mislabel a piece of cloth.Consider drawing a diagram and labeling the diagram as well as the pieces of cloth. , Remove the legs using a screwdriver., Use a seam ripper along the edge of the bottom, the sides and the back.
   
   Then, remove staples and tacks with pliers.
   
   Loosen stubborn areas with a box cutter.
   
   Note the order in which you took off the fabric.
   
   You can mimic the layering method used by the original furniture makers. , Label them with a piece of masking tape and a pen.
   
   Be as specific as possible. , Set them by the piece of fabric they are connected to.
   
   Later, you can cut new piece of cardboard or reuse the existing pieces.
   
   Make notes as to what places on the couch require foam core, batting and tack strips. , Set the pieces of old fabric atop it.
   
   Try to position them as close together as possible to avoid wasting fabric., Cut out the pieces one by one with fabric scissors.
   
   Label them immediately with the tape you used to label the original pieces. ,, Measure them.
   
   Purchase plastic cord to use as a piping base. , Cut strips that are one inch (2.5cm) wide and as long as the original piping.
   
   Wrap the cord vertically in the middle of the fabric.
   
   Pin it in place.
   
   Run your sewing machine needle as close as possible to the fabric near the cord, without going over it.
   
   You will capture the cord inside the fabric.If you don’t have a sewing machine, hand sew as close to the piping as possible. ,, However, use tack strips where they were originally used.
   
   They help to stretch the fabric so that it won’t come loose. , Refer to the picture of your chair so that you can see how excess fabric on the arms is folded and attached. , For example, start by covering the length of the arms with fabric and staples.
   
   Then, run the piping along the entire front edge of the arm.
   
   Follow by covering the arms with foam, batting and fabric.If you are having problems creating a square edge, lay down cardboard tacking strips underneath the fabric, right behind the piping.
   
   Then, fold the fabric up and around the arm. , You will need to reach the fabric underneath and secure it with staples.
   
   Test it several times before continuing to ensure it doesn’t catch., Then, hammer the tack strip onto the back frame of your easy chair., You’ve officially got yourself a newly-upholstered easy chair!
3. 3

   Step 3: Purchase enough fabric to cover your chair.

4. 4

   Step 4: Buy one half-inch (1.3cm) thick bonded polyester batting if the structure of the chair needs to be improved.

5. 5

   Step 5: Find a staple gun and three-eighths inch staples.

6. 6

   Step 6: Take plenty of pictures of the easy chair.

7. 7

   Step 7: Turn the chair over.

8. 8

   Step 8: Remove the fabric piece by piece.

9. 9

   Step 9: Set aside the pieces one by one as you take them off.

10. 10

    Step 10: Remove cardboard pieces

11. 11

    Step 11: if they come loose.

12. 12

    Step 12: Lay your yards of fabric on the floor upside down.

13. 13

    Step 13: Draw around the old pieces with chalk.

14. 14

    Step 14: Repeat this template process with batting

15. 15

    Step 15: cardboard and foam core.

16. 16

    Step 16: Reserve your strips of piping from the original chair.

17. 17

    Step 17: Make new piping with the leftover fabric.

18. 18

    Step 18: Start reattaching your fabric to the frame in the opposite order that you used to take it apart.

19. 19

    Step 19: Use staples to reattach the fabric around the bottom and back.

20. 20

    Step 20: Sew the arms and piping by hand

21. 21

    Step 21: using upholstery thread and a needle.

22. 22

    Step 22: Add the piping between layers of fabric.

23. 23

    Step 23: Pull the fabric through the chair if it is a recliner.

24. 24

    Step 24: Wrap the back piece of fabric around tack strip until it is taught.

25. 25

    Step 25: Sew on additional skirting and fortify any loose areas with upholstery thread and needle.

Detailed Guide

About the Author