How to Recover a Chair Cushion With New Fabric
February 03, 2025
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Step-by-step tutorial to recover a seat cushion with new fabric.
I've recovered quite a few chairs over the years, and some were easier than
others. One of my most difficult DIY projects ever was
recovering our upholstered dining room chairs
years ago.
I've recovered quite a few chairs over the years, and some were easier than
others. One of my most difficult DIY projects ever was
All six had fabric on the seat as well as the back, and removing all of it was
one of the most tedious and annoying projects I've ever taken on. ;) I would
rather not do that ever again.
But the process of cover the chairs with new fabric wasn't that bad at
all! The easiest process when you have a chair with an upholstered seat
cushion that is removable.
My latest project was in my office. I've had this more modern chair in there
for years (this is the best pic of it with the new wallpaper and paint):
But the more I transformed this room, the more it felt of out of place. I
wanted something a little cozier, a little warmer that fit in better.
I found the perfect chair on Facebook Marketplace. I loved the warm, dark wood
tone and the caning on the back:
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I didn't even mind the fabric -- it looked to be in decent shape and I figured
the neutral color would work well in there.
Well, when I picked it up, that fabric had been removed...which was a bummer.
But I still wanted the chair, it was just going to turn into a project I
wasn't planning for!
This tutorial will show you how to change your chair cushion fabric. Some
photos are from an old project, because this one didn't require me to replace
everything
Step 1: Remove the seat cushion.
Most decorative or dining chairs will have cushions that you can remove with a
drill or screwdriver. Turn the chair upside down and look for holes where
there may be a long screw inside.
You may need to use a flashlight to look up inside and determine what kind of screwdriver you'll need.
I haven't come across a chair yet that that doesn't have a removable
cushion.
If your chair seat has existing fabric, you'll want to remove that after
removing the cushion. You can leave it on and cover it with new fabric, but I
prefer to start fresh. (Especially if you purchased second hand.)
To do so, you'll want to turn the seat over and grab either the fabric or
staples with
needle-nose pliers:
My chair had a lot of old tufts of fabric still secured with old staples, so
I removed the fabric and staples. If you don't have pliers like mine, a
flathead screwdriver and hammer will help.
Tap the screwdriver under the staple to remove it. You'll probably need
something to grip wayward staples with this method, but you can also try
hammering them back into the wood.
Step 2: Clean the chair before recovering
It's easiest to sand or clean up a wood chair while the cushion is removed.
If you plan on repainting, this is a good time to sand and do the painting
process.
I wanted to keep the original finish, so I gave the chair frame a thorough
cleaning like I showed you on our
entryway dresser makeover:
Then I used the beeswax conditioner from that project to get all of the wood
replenished and looking great again.
Step 3: Replace foam and batting
My seat was in great condition, so I I didn't have to worry about this step,
but if yours is in bad shape this is a must do.
If your chair is very old, the existing, old foam seat will probably be
falling apart or stained. You'll want to remove that and replace it.
This is usually only necessary when you're recovering a hard seat cushion, not one with springs.
There's a super easy way to do this -- place your seat on the new foam and
trace it to figure out the exact size and shape you'll need:
If you're recovering more than one chair, I find that using layers of
a twin mattress topper is usually cheaper than purchasing thick foam from a craft or fabric
store.
I usually use a spray adhesive to secure the seat foam to the chair. Once you
start recovering it, the fabric will help everything stay secure.
Next, you'll want to use some batting to cover your foam. This step makes
everything smooth and even for the fabric. It also adds a bit more padding to
the seat that never hurts!:
You'll attach this with staples, as you will the final fabric. Batting is very
easy to work with -- just pull it fairly tight and staple it to the underside
of the chair.
Step 4: Cover with your decorative fabric
I'm trying another no-spend month right now, so I wanted to use a fabric I had
on hand for this chair seat cushion. I had a few options I thought would work!
I looove this camel colored velvet, but it didn't give me quite enough
contrast:
I had some of this antelope fabric leftover from my huge upholstered
bulletin board, but I didn't love the look of it with the cane:
The fabric isn't the softest either.
My third option was by far the best! This dark navy velvet looked great,
and it was SO soft and comfy:
Over the years I've learned not to cut my fabric until I've started the
recovering process. Too often I've cut it too small and to pull it
underneath the seat enough.
I recommend starting at the back of seat base to get used to attaching the
fabric. Pull the upholstery fabric over the bottom of the cushion and start
attaching with staples:
Once the first side is done, I always do the opposite side next, instead of
working around the seat clockwise. This ensures the fabric won't get uneven
or loose as you staple.
Be sure to check to make sure the fabric is taut and there are no wrinkles as you work.
A few years back I purchased an Arrow electric staple gun and I highly recommend it if you will be recovering things every so
often. The electric version is so much easier to use, and the staples are
more secure.
If you won't be tackling this DIY project often, a manual stapler is fine! It's just a little more work.
Don't be afraid to use a bunch of staples! Especially with a slightly
stretchy fabric like mine -- these will need more so that the fabric doesn't
fold or bunch up:
The corners are the hardest part, but if you think of them like wrapping a
box, it's not so bad. I fold the fabric back and then pull the other corner
over, stapling it as I'm working:
It usually helps to cut off any excess fabric while you're working on the
corners. Just don't cut too much until you're done!
By the way,
fabric scissors
make cutting fabric SO much easier. I couldn't find mine and had to use
regular scissors.
I’ve made the mistake a couple times. Learn from my missteps!
I just adore the deep blue, soft fabric against the wood and cane on the
chair:
And yes, the chair is surprisingly comfy!
I love how the blue picks up on the blue accents in the rug:
This chair is already a hit, especially with our cats! I love that it brings
some character and warmth to my office:
Not too bad for using what I had on hand!
Hopefully these instructions will help you to give old chairs new life with
some new cushion fabric. This is such a great way to update furniture you
already have.
**You can also
add a cushion to an existing wood seat
(with no fabric) pretty easily!
I love this!
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