Re-Upholstering Dining Room Furniture
We’re back at it with the furniture updates! A friend of mine had a great dining room set but the seats were in TERRIBLE condition, so she asked me to lend a hand. We gave these ugly, stained, and literally peeling seats a much needed face lift!
Now when I say this set was bad, it was B.A.D. Originally, it was her parents, but when they got a new dining room set, they passed it off to my friend’s older brother. He lived like a young bachelor, always having parties so plenty had been spilled on it. Then the table was passed on to my friend, so it had most definitely seen better days. The table was still in great shape, but the cushions just needed a little TLC.
So gather your supplies and let’s get started!
- Heavy duty cloth fabric
- A tape measure
- Scissors – I like to use kitchen shears as they’re heavy duty and cut through thick fabric well
- A staple gun – this is a good starter kit as it comes with staples and a staple remover!
First, unscrew all of the cushions from the bases and laid them out. Then take rough measurements where there is plenty of fabric to wrap around the base and staple the bottoms down. When cutting the fabric down to size, make sure to account for the depth and staple room!
Next, lay the fabric face down on your work surface. Center the cushion on the fabric making sure to pay attention to the direction of the pattern. You want to make sure all of the cushions match and are going the same way.
Start by stapling one of the sides down. I find it easiest to do the opposite side second instead of going in a circle. So do the top first and then the bottom before doing the two sides. This way it’s easier to keep the fabric straight and tight. Put a staple in the center of the side you are working on first, then work your way towards the corners. Don’t staple too close to the corners as you have to pay special attention in order to get nice corners that aren’t lumpy and ugly! I like to start with a few staples spaced apart and then add more once I know the fabric is where I want it.
Make sure to keep the fabric tight since no one wants a saggy seat! Its important to have the fabric almost too tight at first as it will stretch and give the more people sit on it.
Now let’s move on to the corners or any rounded edge. I’m not gonna lie, this is the hardest part of this project. It’s very easy to get lumpy corners and pleats over the top never look good. It’s best to work in small folds instead of large portions. Your wrist will get a work out flipping your cushions over so much! Start with the very center of the corner or rounded portion and staple it down. Then fold small portions making sure the creases don’t go too far up the sides. It’s important to work in little chunks and check your work as you go.
Once the fabric has been well secured, go back and trim excess fabric. Make sure that the holes for the hardware are accessible so your cushions can be reinstalled on the bases.
Go ahead and finish the rest of the cushions and put them back on their bases. Sit back and enjoy your “new” furniture set! Don’t forget to share your projects with us so we can see what you’re up to!
