Reupholstering Kitchen Chairs: Ideas and Options

If you like your kitchen chairs but they need new seats, you can make new ones yourself using ideas and options for reupholstering kitchen chairs. Recovering an old chair can freshen its look, improve its comfort, and save you money over buying new chairs.

First, consider what you'd like the new seat to look like. Do you want a pattern on the chair seats? Or do you prefer a solid fabric in a color that complements your kitchen's decor? Measure your seats and visit a fabric store for ideas. Store staff can help you determine how much fabric you'll need as well as how much seat liner will be required for your project.

You'll also need a tape measure, staple gun with staples, straight pins, screw driver, fabric pen, scissors and batting if you want to add more cushion to the seats. After choosing your fabric and gathering your tools, you'll need to remove the old seats from the chair frame. This usually involves removing screws on the bottom of the seat, but sometimes the screws have been installed horizontally into the frame of the seat, near the legs of the chair. Once the seat is removed, inspect the chair to see if the frame itself needs painting or refinishing.

When you're ready to proceed with the seats, check the condition of the seat padding. If the old padding is in bad shape (or you simply want a softer seat), you can add batting now. Secure the batting to the seat with the staple gun. Now you can cut out a liner, based on the size of the old seat cover, and staple it to the seat. Start at the center point of each side and pull the liner tight as you go.

To make your new cover, use the old cover as a template and cut out the shape from your fabric. If your fabric has a pattern, once you've placed the seat on the back side of it, turn the seat right-side up so you can check that the pattern is centered the way you want it. Mark the corners of the fabric placement with straight pins. Stitch or serge the edges of the fabric to keep it from fraying.

When your new fabric cover is ready, lay it face-down on your work surface and place the seat on top of it, taking care to line up with the straight pins if your fabric has a pattern. Now it's time to staple the fabric to the seat, using the same method you used to staple the liner.

After your newly covered seat is finished, it's time to reattach it to the chair frame. Use the original hardware to do this. Next, turn your chair right-side up and admire your handiwork.