If a chair is still sound, but the fabric seat has had too many close encounters with soup spoons and dessert forks, you can save the chair and save money by reupholstering the chair yourself. Although that may sound daunting, it's not extremely difficult. The first step in successfully reupholstering a chair is to calculate how many yards of upholstery fabric you'll need to replace the stained or worn fabric.
Instructions
1. Decide what kind of dining room chair you have. Is it a chair with just an upholstered seat (also known as a slip seat)? Or will you need to reupholster the seat and back?
You may wish to save the old pieces and use them as a pattern while you work.
2. Measure the length (front to back) and width (side to side) of the slip seat. To figure how much fabric you'll need, take those measurements and add six inches to each. For example, if the seat measures 17 1/2 by 17, you'll need a piece of fabric 23 1/2 by 23 inches.
You don't need to account for the bottom of the chair; you won't use upholstery fabric for it. Instead, you can use denim or cambric or just leave the wood exposed.
3. Measure the length and width of the back of the side chair. Then add five inches to these measurements. Don't forget that if the back of the chair is upholstered, you'll need fabric to cover it, too. Two rectangles of the same size should cover both the front and the back.
4. Add the measurements you've collected. Here's an example: the seat requires a piece of fabric 23 1/2 by 23 inches, and the back will require two pieces of fabric 23 by 22 inches. Round upward. You need three pieces, each 2 feet by 2 feet.
5. Upholstery fabric is usually sold in 54-inch widths, which will encompass two of the 2- by 2-foot pieces that you need.
Then, you'll need another 2- by 2-inch section. Because of the width of the fabric, buying just 3 feet of fabric won't do the job; you'll need to buy 4 feet, or a yard and a third.
You will have an extra piece of about 2 feet square, as well as a long narrow strip about 4 feet by 6 inches.
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