How to cover a wooden chair with fabric. How easy it is to upholster chairs with fabric with your own hands. What do you need for homemade

The easiest and most economical way to update an old and inconspicuous chair is to reupholster it with bright, modern upholstery yourself. This way you can easily change the interior of the room, show your creativity and do everything to your liking.

Where to begin

First, you need to get rid of the old upholstery and filling once and for all. Only the springs, if any, should remain.

Secondly, carefully inspect the product to be remade. Its frame must be strong and stable, otherwise all the work will be done in vain. It is recommended that along with changing the upholstery fabric, you also change the entire chair.

To do this, you need to sand the surface to eliminate all scratches and irregularities, rinse the product thoroughly, tighten loose parts, replace fittings, apply a primer (putty or white paint), paint and fix the result with varnish.

Thirdly, everything is prepared necessary tools and materials, which include:

Fabric for reupholstery;
Seat filler;
PVA glue;
Centimeter or long ruler;
Cardboard pattern or plywood base for seating;
Furniture stapler or small nails;
Screwdriver, screws;
Scissors or stationery knife;
Pencil, soap or crayons (for measuring fabric).

An important point is the choice of suitable upholstery for upholstering the chair, which should be as dense and strong as possible. Also, the upholstery fabric should be easy to clean from dirt. various kinds using a sponge or brush.

So, you can choose from tapestry, wool, chenille, artificial and natural leather, jacquard, satin. Required size is calculated according to the formula: area of the upholstered area + 15-20 cm around the entire perimeter for bends.

As for the filler, it should have a density of 30-50 kg/m3 and a thickness of at least 4 cm. Foam rubber, a soft, durable, non-creasing and non-deformable material, is considered optimal. Sheet polyurethane foam and latex are also used.

Batting and padding polyester are used extremely rarely, as they do not hold their shape and quickly sag. Under no circumstances should you stuff the seat with bulk materials (polyurethane balls, buckwheat husks, etc.).

How to decide on color

It is important to carefully approach the choice of shade and texture of the future product. Here photographs of chairs from furniture catalogs, where you can find hundreds of upholstery options, will help you in your search. You also shouldn’t lose sight of your own wishes, the interior of the room, and the design of other pieces of furniture.

The color of the upholstery of a restored chair is usually dark. The most commonly chosen colors are brown, blue and burgundy. However, for light frames, golden fabric is selected, beige tone. Often preference is given to more intense colors, especially if the furniture is intended for children's rooms or living rooms in the pop art or city style.

An interesting solution would be to use several materials on one product: for fabric mosaics in one place or for upholstery different areas chair.

Constriction algorithm

When the frame is prepared and the color is chosen, the actual reupholstery begins. In general, the procedure is as follows:

Remove old upholstery.
Produce necessary repairs frame.
Cut out pieces using a plywood seat base or old upholstery.
If there are springs on the chair, then they must be tied vertically, horizontally and diagonally with a strong rope, making 8 knots on each spring.
Place a piece of burlap over the springs to reduce the mechanical impact of metal objects.
Cut out the filling and fabric using scissors or a utility knife. Pay close attention to the existing print: the pattern, stripes or ornament must match.
Install and glue the filler. Fold the edges over the frame and secure with staples. Remove excess.
Place the fabric on the workpiece, stretch it and secure it with a stapler. Work starts from the central part and continues along the entire perimeter. The step between staples should be 1-2 cm.
Additionally, secure the upholstery with small nails. You can hide staples or nail heads using decorative elements.
Cut off excess pieces of fabric.
Coat the product protective coating: Sprinkle with a special spray and leave in a ventilated area for several hours.
Install the seat into place using a screwdriver and screws.
Glue a thin black fabric underneath the seat to give the chair a finished look.
If necessary, repeat the steps for tightening soft upholstery the back and armrests of the chair.

Drag new upholstery fabric It's not difficult to sit on a chair on your own. The proposed algorithm will help even a novice master cope with the task.

Another way to tighten the fabric sequentially is to fasten the staples in the middle of each side, starting from opposite sides. Then the seat rotates, and the fabric is fixed further in a similar way, gradually shifting in one direction or the other.
Springs are much more durable than upholstery fabric, so there is no need to remove the metal filling.
The seat for a chair without springs can be leather straps stretched in strips or crosswise.
Threaded fittings should not peek out from under the upholstery, but they should also not be covered with too thick a layer of fabric.
The stapler must have enough power to penetrate the wood.
If you buy more fabric than you need to cover an upholstered chair, you can make additional pillows or bolsters to match the item.
Rapid wear of the fabric from the edges will be prevented by special tape glued to dangerous areas.

The main advice is not to be afraid to experiment with patterns, colors and textures.

You can always put your favorite silk or soft velor of the most intense and enchanting colors on top of a dense material, and the frame of the chair can be decorated with fabric scraps or amazing paintings.

You cannot say goodbye to a chair with worn or torn upholstery right away, since a strong and stable frame can last for many years. New finish is able to give furniture a second life, refreshing the familiar interior without high costs.

To do this, just think about the design of the chair, choose the fabric for the upholstery, prepare the necessary tools and get to work in a creative mood.

Photos of chair upholstery options

Do you want to know how easy it is to upholster the seat of your chair with your own hands without much effort?

Then this article is for you! The photo shows dining room chairs, but you can upholster any chairs this way.

What you will need for homemade:

Construction stapler

Special glue (in this case foam glue was used)

Screwdriver

Step 1. First, remove the seat from the chair with your own hands using a screwdriver. (Don't forget where you leave the screws so you can easily find them later)

Step 2. Using a chair, create a template out of cardboard, slightly larger than the chair itself.

Step 3. Using a cardboard template, carefully cut out the batting for the seat using scissors.

Step 4: Apply a generous layer of foam adhesive to the top of the chair

Step 5. Then turn the chair over with the glue side down and place it on the cut out batting.

Step 6. Next, you need to determine the size of the fabric for upholstering the chair. To do this, you need to measure the chair, including the batting on all sides, taking into account both the length and width.

Step 7. Cut the fabric + 4 cm to the resulting size.

Step 8: Take construction stapler, place the fabric on a clean, flat surface and place the seat on top, batting side down.

Pull the fabric a little so that there are no unsightly folds left, but you shouldn’t pull too hard, this can also ruin it. appearance and shorten the shelf life of the upholstery. Staple one side of the chair.

Step 9. Secure the opposite side chair

Step 10: Secure the Third Side

Step 11. Secure the fourth side of the chair

Step 12. The result should be a picture like this.

Step 13. Using scissors, trim off the excess fabric, leaving about 2 cm of fabric in the corners in order to “fold” a nice corner, as shown in the next step.

Step 14. Fold the corner, playing with the folds of the fabric until you end up with a nice and neat corner. Then place 2-3 staples in this place, secure well and do this with each corner.

Step 15. This is what all 4 fixed corners look like.

Step 16. Turn the finished seat over and voila! You have a beautiful and comfortable soft seat.

Step 17. Attach the seat to the chair using screws and a screwdriver, and that's it - your homemade product is ready!

Any furniture that is in your apartment gets old, becomes unusable, the upholstery is torn, stains and scuffs appear. It is impossible to sit on it; it spoils the appearance of the interior. There comes a time when you have to throw it in a landfill or take it to the country.

Old chairs are often simply created for restoration and new life.

If the chair retained its strength strong foundation, reupholstering furniture is a great chance to return a piece of furniture to its former beauty. It can last for many more years.

There's nothing better than using worn-out furniture for a makeover.

We decided to do the reupholstery of the old one ourselves. chair and not buy a new one? Let us present a number of advantages, and you will understand why it is worth doing this work yourself.

Currently, furniture manufacturers produce products that are not as strong and high-quality as before. Especially if it is inexpensive, it can quickly become unusable.

Choosing the right fabric

To choose the right upholstery material, you need to consider some points: upholstery density - textile must be strong and retain its shape; no problems with washing; If necessary, it was easy to clean with soapy water or a brush.

Typically, chair upholstery is done with fabrics that can hold their shape.

Let's list the materials most suitable for the job: leather, but it is easily susceptible to scratches and other defects; jacquard – strong, wear-resistant; flock, velvet - good quality, does not fade; chenille is a common material, compacted, practical; artificial leather – does not wear out for a long time; tapestry - easy to wash.

The best option is jacquard, tapestry, flock, chenille.

Required Tools

Having decided on the upholstery cloth on the chair , prepare the tools we need: sewing machine, anti-stapler for removing old staples, thick cardboard, brush, PVA glue, set of screwdrivers, pliers, furniture stapler, staples or hammer and nails, centimeter or tape measure, scissors, chalk, ruler, pencil.

Tools for upholstering chairs.

What materials are needed? Firstly, textile . It is better if it is jacquard, tapestry or flock - they are good quality, strong enough, and do not wear out for a long time. Before making a purchase, we take measurements and add 15-20 cm for hem and upholstery height. Secondly, filler. The most acceptable option is sheet foam rubber with a thickness of 4-5 cm and a density of 30 to 50 kg/m3. Bulk materials are completely unsuitable. Thirdly, padding polyester. It is used as a stabilizer, placed between fabric and foam rubber. The material glides along it easily, stretches in one moment and without wrinkles.

To determine the size of the cut to buy, measure the seat and add 15–20 cm to allowances on each side.

Removing old upholstery

Furniture restoration begins with dismantling. How to properly remove the old one textile? First of all, we unscrew the seat - we use a screwdriver to hook up the fasteners, remove the nails, unscrew the screws, and remove the metal pads. Use an anti-stapler or a flat-head screwdriver to remove the old staples.

We put the fasteners in a container, it may come in handy.

Then we inspect the base chair , if it is loose, it needs to be strengthened - fill the cracks with sealant or PVA glue, you can cover them with putty, weak spots pull up. We remove the old upholstery and carefully remove the foam rubber. If you do not throw away the removed textile , use it as a pattern.

Remove the remaining foam and glue from the seat frame.

The reupholstering process: step-by-step instructions

How to reupholster a chair. First of all, we attach the foam rubber to the plywood using PVA glue. We reface the seat as soon as the glue dries.

Using the template, cut out a soft pad from foam rubber.

Apply foam adhesive to the underside of the pad and to the surface of the wood seat.

Then we place the material face down, place the seat on it, so that the foam rubber lies on the upholstery, put padding polyester between the foam rubber and the fabric as a layer. Then we fold the material onto the base, stretch it carefully so that there are no folds, and attach it with a furniture stapler.

Cut a piece of fabric to the desired size. It’s not scary if it turns out to be a little more than necessary, the main thing is that it’s not less.

Lay out the fabric on flat surface face down, place the seat on top with the foam facing down.

Use a stapler to secure the edges of the fabric.

Carry out the work without exceeding 2 cm increments. Excess textile cut off. We fix the finished seat onto the frame - first we fasten the plates, then the screws.

Place the seat in place and secure it with screws.

How to restore a chair back

Chair back repair we start with the frame. We disconnect the parts, remove the old coating, and sand it. If there are cracks, fill them with glue using a syringe, you can apply putty. Optional chair repaint it a different color or simply varnish it. When all the parts have dried well, we connect them.

If there is upholstery on the back, the material and filling must be replaced.

First, we attach the back part of the back with a stapler, stretching the material from the middle to the corners. Then we glue foam rubber in front and attach fabric with a sewn-in edging. It covers the staples so that they are not visible.Restoring old furniture, you will not only extend its service life.

It will appear in your house original item furniture that no one else has.

How to sew a new chair cover

Chair covers are becoming popular again. This is not only beautiful, but also protects the furniture from various contaminants, in particular from your beloved pets, and can be quickly removed and washed. It’s better to sew several covers and change them according to your mood.

Any housewife can sew a cover for a chair.

To work, you will need about two meters of fabric, thread and needle, scissors, a tape measure, pins, a sewing machine, and chalk. First we make a pattern, you can use an old cover, do not forget the seam and hem allowances.

The most important thing is to take into account the thickness of the back and legs, their curves and how much the fabric will shrink after washing.

To make the product fit snugly, make fasteners in the form of ties, buttons or zippers. The seat and back can be cut and sewn separately or as a whole fabric.

Sew according custom design, showing patience and accuracy.

VIDEO: How to restore a chair with your own hands.

How to reupholster a chair yourself? Reupholstering a chair is a fairly simple action, but there are several secrets.

First, you should buy a furniture stapler (the cost of a mechanical stapler starts from about 500 rubles), with approximately 8 mm paper clips. (from 40 rubles), fabric (you can use what you have at hand, for example, a grandmother’s scarf or blanket, but for a chair you need a little, so the price is linear meter can be very low from 170 rubles. p.m.), and filler (sheet foam rubber costs from 170 rubles per p.m.), and also have a screwdriver on hand. You may also need an anti-stapler, which pulls out poorly secured staples (from 400 rubles).

In order for the material to sit evenly, the cover for an ordinary one is sewn in advance on a sewing machine. Not everyone has a machine, not everyone knows how to sew. How to be?

It is better to put the fabric on the floor, then the filling, and press it all down with the seat, tightening and securing the chair upholstery with an overlap with a furniture stapler. The filling can simply be glued to the base of the seat and then covered with fabric. Since any material can be frayed, it is better to step back 2-3 cm from the edge. More staples are better than fewer. You can fasten a piece of fabric over the bottom with furniture pins to make it look neater.

It is most convenient to pull square chairs, then you can simply bend the folds at the corners.

How to reupholster a chair without wrinkles

If the back of the seat is plywood or wood, you can simply glue the fabric down. But it's better to do everything as expected.

To ensure that the upholstery lies flat, begin to pull the fabric from the corners into a fist, and without letting go of the fabric from the fist, secure it with a stapler. It is better to pull the fabric from diagonally opposite corners.

Secrets for reupholstering a chair or how to evenly reupholster a chair with your own hands

To make the fabric sit more evenly, trim the edges of the foam or lining in advance, using a grinder or scissors, making rounded edges.
Practice in advance on thin foam rubber.
Fillings for chairs are different - the best of them are isolon, and not foam rubber at all. Without experience, it is better not to use foam rubber as a chair filler; it is quite difficult to pull it straight.

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 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. Kitchen - no the only place, which requires 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. Plastic chairs are also versatile. 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.

You can make wooden chairs with your own hands 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 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 a 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 must have comfortable backrest 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 a 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 with a long needle is pierced reverse side. 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 that they are 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:

tape measure;
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 high-quality artificial leather, which cannot be distinguished from natural leather, 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– artificial suede with an adhesive layer. Some people prefer it because long term service life (up to 7 years), and working with this material when restoring a chair is easy even for a beginner in this field.

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

The so-called bulk materials - polyurethane balls or buckwheat husks - are definitely not suitable.

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 onto the top part of the foam rubber and wait for it to dry completely. Afterwards the fabric is cut out the right size, better with a reserve; 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 to be a simple way of decorating furniture items, which is applicable for chairs made of wood and plywood that do not have soft upholstery. The surface needs to be prepared and treated sandpaper and putty. Then the chair is painted, it is best to use White color. Then they stick to the surface decorative elements. The finishing touches are re-painting and varnishing.