Striped fabrics need to be aligned carefully for upholstery.
Adding casual elegance to your dining room doesn't always mean a complete design makeover. If you have chairs with screwed-on cushioned seats, simply reupholstering these with new cushions and fabric will do. Fabrics with printed stripes are a classic choice. However, be extra careful when applying striped fabric. Unlike other designs, striped fabric needs to be laid to make the lines look perfectly vertical or horizontal on the finished seat cushion, regardless of the chair seat's shape.
Instructions
1. Turn the dining room chair upside-down and unscrew its cushioned seat entirely. Set aside the screws for later use. Pop out the seat.
2. Use a pair of pliers or a staple remover to pull out any tacks or staples that attach the old upholstery fabric to the seat. Peel off the old upholstery fabric and other layers, freeing up the bare wooden backing within. Discard the old fabric. If the original padding and batting are also worn or flattened, discard these as well.
3. Cut out a new piece of foam or padding, if necessary, using the bare wooden backing as your reference. Lay the backing on the foam or padding and make a 1/8-inch margin all around it with a marker. Cut out the new foam or padding and set it aside.
4. Use the wooden backing as a guide if you need to replace the batting. First, lay the wooden backing onto a new piece of batting then make a 5-inch margin all around the backing and mark out the entire margin with tailor's chalk. Cut out the new batting then set it aside.
5. Decide how you want the stripes of the new fabric to run across the seat, whether horizontally or vertically. Lay the bare wooden seat backing on the fabric, top side down and aligned so the fabric's stripes run perfectly straight in the direction you want. The stripe pattern should end in a similar way on opposite ends of the seat.
6. Measure a 5-inch margin on the fabric all around the wooden seat backing. Mark it out then carefully cut the fabric along this margin. Set it aside.
7. Align the foam on the topside of the wooden backing then lay them topside down and centered on the batting. Pull and wrap the excess batting over the edge of the wooden backing's bottom side now facing you then staple them flat onto the wood. Pull and fold in any excess batting at the corners and staple them onto the bottom side as well.
8. Place the padded seat backing topside down and centered onto the striped fabric. Double-check that the stripes are still perfectly aligned in the direction you intended. Working one edge at a time, carefully pull and wrap the excess fabric over to the backing's bottom side and staple it flat. Then turn the seat right side up and pull the fabric tightly toward the opposite edge to keep the stripes straight and wrinkle-free. Flip the seat upside down again and staple down the opposite edge. Repeat for the other edges until the fabric is secured correctly. Pull and fold the excess fabric over the seat's corners and staple them flat against the bottom side.
9. Fit the newly-upholstered seat back into the chair and screw it back into place. Repeat the process for the rest of your dining room chairs.
Tags: , bottom side, , , seat backing