subject: Straightforward Steps To Recovering Your Padded Dining Room Seating [print this page] While many people would feel comfortable hanging wall tapestries or wrought iron wall crosses or even with many do-it-yourself projects, they're under the impression that it's difficult to recover padded dining room chairs. Dining room seating that are beginning to look worn, stained, or that merely need a style makeover can be redone in DIY fashion by replacing the pads and fabric. Recovering padded dining room chairs is really very easy and affordable. Here's how to do it.
Step 1: Select Fabric and Padding.
You can find high quality furniture quality fabric by the yard at upholstery shops and fabric stores but you must first determine how much fabric is required. In addition to knowing the seat size, you will also need adequate amounts of material to wrap around the sides of the chair and fold under the edges. The best way to get an accurate measurement is to remove the seat, padding and fabric from one of the chairs. (see Step 2).
Keep in mind that arm chairs may have a slightly larger seat, so that seat will provide the best measurement to ensure that you purchase adequate materials. You want to buy all of your fabric from the same bolt so that there is no variation in color. Additionally, striped fabrics can be hard to work with due to the fact that they require a perfectly straight line along the edge of the seat.
You can save time and effort if you can leave the old fabric in place and fit the new fabric right over the old. But if the padding is worn and flat or if the fabric is torn or heavily textured, you will need to remove and replace both. Also, a dark fabric or pattern could show through if left in place. Padding is reasonably priced and in most cases is well-worth the expense and effort of replacement. Remove and measure the padding so that you can determine how much fabric will be required for each seat.
Now that you know how much fabric and padding you will need, take those measurements with you to the fabric store. Choose high-quality padding and a fabric that works with the color scheme and style of your dining room. It would be wise to take color samples of with you when shopping. If you're not sure or torn between two fabrics, take swatches home to make a final decision.
Step 2: Remove the Seats and Upholstery.
Remove the seats from the chairs. Turn a chair over and look for a single screw that is secured through the bottom of supports in each corner. The seat should come off easily once the screws are removed.
Turn the seat cushion over and use a flathead screwdriver to pry off the staples that hold the fabric in place, taking note of how the fabric is folded. If you are redoing it, remove the fabric and padding.
Step 3: Replace Padding and Recover the Seats.
Use the old fabric and padding as a template and cut the new fabric about an eighth-inch larger then the original fabric. Utilize a pair of sharp fabric scissors to obtain the cleanest finish. Use a pair of long, sharp scissors to cut the padding in the same size and shape as the original.
On a clean flat work surface, lay the material face down and center the padding on the fabric. Center the seat on the padding and begin wrapping the fabric over the edges of the seat. Staple the center front position first, starting about one inch from the edge of the seat. Pull the fabric taut and staple the middle position on the back of the seat; then staple the side center positions. Add additional staples as needed to secure the fabric along all four edges, leaving the corners till last.
Fold the corners in the same manner as the original fabric, trimming surplus material away as required. However, be careful not to remove too much fabric. Securely fasten the corners with staples and reattach the seats to the chairs with their screws.
Step 4: Enjoy your fashionable new dining chairs!
Straightforward Steps To Recovering Your Padded Dining Room Seating
