Frugal Friday - DIY Reupholstered Chairs

Happy Friday! I hope everyone enjoys their long weekend. I think we will definitely hit the pool, since these temperatures are hotter than ever. This past weekend, I came across these four cloth chairs for $50.00 at the thrift store. I actually have been wanting chairs similar to these, but I didn't want to pay an arm and a leg for my kitchen, where they will get spilled on. When I was at the store, I told the sales clerk they were great. She said, "they would be great if you could reupholster". I thought well I can't, but at 50 bucks I could give it a try. I definitely didn't like the original material on it, but they were solid and sturdy. I am so pleased with how they turned out and if you want to reupholster a chair maybe then this DIY will help.

Materials needed for this project are scissors, material(you will need to figure amount), staple gun, staples, nail head studs, hammer, tape measure, screwdriver, patience, and time.



First measure your chair seat and back to figure out yardage. I needed 5 yards. Lay material flat and cut pieces for seat and back of chair.

Second, cover the material over the seat. Make sure the material is tight and lined up with your pattern. First, staple the sides and trim as needed. I did not take off original material. I think that is getting way to crazy for a beginner.

Third, for the front of the chair I pulled the fabric over and stapled. For the chairs legs, I used a screwdriver to push the material up evenly.

Fourth, pull the material down tightly to cover the staple. Staple the material on the bottom.

Fifth, starting the back of the chair. Staple the material to the bottom of the back. Then, staple the material as seen in the photo. You want to make sure that you leave the longest piece of material to  fold over.

Sixth, the sides were the part of the project that took the longest. You will need to fold over material and hammer in the nail heads. I made sure these went through the wood, so they were secure enough to hold the material. I used 12 nail heads on each side. Also, cut over the excess material, so to get rid of the bulkiness.

I also added two nail heads to the front of the chair.

Lastly, I reapplied the black material that came with the original chair. It gives it a finished look and hides at the staples and material.

The first chair took the longest, but after I figured out the steps, each chair took a half an hour. These chairs are my favorite new edition to our house. My kids enjoyed doing their homework here this week. Well, as much as kids love homework.

Have you ever tried to reupholster? Have a great weekend.