Simple Steps To Restoring Your Padded Dining Room Seating


by Brenda Walker - Date: 2010-10-03 - Word Count: 671 Share This!

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. If your dining room chairs are looking stained, worn or just in need of a style makeover, you can replace the pads and fabric yourself. Recovering padded dining room chairs is really very easy and affordable. Here's how to do it.

Step 1: Choose Fabric and Padding.
Upholstery shops and fabric stores carry furniture-quality fabric by the yard, but first you need to how much fabric you will need. In addition to the seat size, you need enough material to wrap around the sides 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. Also, striped fabrics can be a little difficult to work with because they require a perfectly straight line along the edge of the seat.

You may save time and effort if you can leave the old material in position and fit the new material right over the existing material. If the padding is flat and worn or if the fabric is stained or torn you should remove and replace them both. Also, a dark fabric or pattern might show through if left in place. Padding is reasonably priced and in most cases is well worth the effort and expense of replacing it since you will end up with a newer feeling, more comfortable chair. Take off and measure the padding so that you can determine how much fabric will be needed for each seat.

Now that you know how much fabric and padding you will need, take those measurements with you to the fabric store. Pick out high quality padding and fabric that works withthe 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. Remove the screws and the seat should come off easily.
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. Remove the fabric and padding, if you are replacing it.

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. Use a pair of sharp fabric scissors to obtain the cleanest finish. Cut the padding in the same size as the original, using a pair of long sharp scissors that easily cuts through the padding.

Lay the material down and center the padding on the fabric on a clean, flat work surface. Center the seat on the padding and begin wrapping the fabric over the edges of the seat. First, staple the center front position, starting about one inch from the seat's edge. 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 a similar fashion as the original fabric, trimming excess material away as needed. However, be careful not to remove too much fabric. Securely fasten the corners with staples and reattach the seats to the chairs with screws.

Step 4: stand back and admire your fashionable new dining room seating!

Related Tags: wall tapestries, fish metal wall art, wall crosses

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