Update your decor with new fabric for your chair pads. Covering your chair pads is a way to update your decor at little expense. Upholstery fabric choices are abundant, ranging from floral designs to stripes. If your chair pad is separate from the chair, you will need enough material to cover the top and bottom. For those pads that sit into the chair, called slip seats, you will need enough fabric to fold to the underside and staple. The type of chair pad you have determines how you figure the yardage. Remove the seat from the chair. Most seats are screwed in, so a screwdriver will work. Unscrew and pop out the seat. For those seats attached with a nut and bold, use the pliers to loosen the bolt. Turn the pliers to the left to loosen the screw. Measure the length of the seat. Using the tape measure, place the tape on the inside of the front of the seat. Guide it to the other side and stop on the inside of the back of the seat. Add 3 to 4 inches to your total. This allows enough fabric to fold under the chair for stapling.
You do not need to measure the width because the width of upholstery fabric is sufficient for the chair. Calculate how much fabric you will need. Fabric is sold by the yard, which is 36 inches. If your seat length is 27 inches, divide 36 into 27. The result is 0.75 or 3/4 of a yard. You will need 3/4 yard for each slip seat. Measure the length of the top of the chair pad from the front to the back of the chair. Add an additional 1 inch for a 3/8-inch seam allowance on each end. Double that number for the top and bottom of the chair. For example, if the chair length is 20 inches, add 1 inch for the seam allowance and then multiply by two. You need 42 inches of length for one chair pad. Measure the depth of the chair. Add an additional 1 inch for a 3/8-inch seam allowance you need to attach the gusset. The gusset is the rectangular strip of material that connects the top and bottom of the chair pad. If the depth is 2 inches, you need 3 inches for the gusset. Measure the perimeter of the chair pad.
Add 1 inch for seam allowance. This is the length of strip needed for the gusset. Calculate how many strips of fabric needed for the gusset. Most upholstery fabric is 54 inches wide, including the selvage or edging. Subtract 1 inch for each side to allow for cutting off the selvage. You now have 52-inch-wide fabric. Divide the 52 inches into your perimeter measurement for the gusset. If your gusset measurement is 65 inches, divide 52 into 65. The result is 1.25. You will need 1.25 yards for the gusset. Therefore, you will need to cut two strips for the gusset. If the gusset strip is 3 inches, you will need to factor in 6 inches. Total your length measurements and gusset measurements. For example, if you need 42 inches for the length of the pad, add that to the 6 inches for two gusset strips. You need 48 inches of material. If you need 48 inches of material, divide 36 into 48. The result is 1.3 yards of material for each chair. Things You Will Need Screwdriver Pliers Tape measure Calculator Tip Warning References Fabric Work Shop: Upholster a Slipseat Photo Credits PhotoObjects.net/PhotoObjects.net/Getty Images Suggest a Correction
Add to Wish List Set of 2 grip-tight chair mats12 1/2" long x 11 3/4" wide eachCan be trimmed for an exact fitHand wash Clear Elasticized Table Cover Terry Kitchen Dish Cloths, Set of 6 Embroidered Cotton Kitchen Towel View Cart / CheckoutCushions MmmcraftsMmmcrafts ChairMmmcrafts DiyMmmcrafts TutorialsCushions For Kitchen ChairsDiy CushionsHow To Sew Chair CushionsChair Pillow DiyDiy Seat Cushion ChairsForwardHow to make chair cushions. Yellow patterned for one side, and white or cream for the other side :) that way they will go with lots of stuff! Video: How to Reupholster Stained Chair Cushions If you've got some chairs that could use a makeover, here's a quick and easy way to do it. Grab a staple gun and watch Bruce Littlefield, author of Garage Sale America as he re-covers some chairs that have seen better days. How to reupholster a chair cushion: Give your kitchen or dining room chairs a fresh, new look without spending a lot of money.
Turn chair upside down and use screwdriver to remove the cushion you are going to reupholster. If you would like, you can leave the old upholstery attached to give the chair an extra layer of padding. Select new covering for your cushion. You can use something as simple as an old tablecloth to recover the chair. Lay fabric down and place cushion upside-down on top of fabric. Cut fabric out around cushion, leaving enough fabric on each side to fold over onto cushion. Starting with the front, adhere fabric to the cushion using the staple gun, and staple every few inches across. Repeat with the back of the cushion. To complete the sides, fold fabric on the sides as you would if you were putting sheets on a bed, forming “hospital corners” to tuck fabric in tightly and neatly. Adhere to the cushion using the staple gun. Repeat for the other side of the cushion. Neatly trim excess fabric hanging from the stapled edges of the cushion, cutting close to the staples.
Reinforce the corners of the cushion with a few extra staples. Use screwdriver to attach the reupholstered cushion to the chair. CelebrityCooking TipsCooking With KidsDessert RecipesDid You Know?Entertainment & BooksHobbiesHoliday RecipesHome & GardenQuizzes & PuzzlesRecipesTechnologyTravelLarry King HuffPo 50: Here’s The Down-Low On Down-Sizing The 9 Unwritten Rules of Grandparenting HuffPost 50: Study Reveals Dramatic Rise In Binge Drinking Among Those Over 50 The 7 Most Common Internet Security Mistakes 10 Fun Holidays Gifts for You & Your Grandkids Latest in Our Grand Deals Win a Science Fair S.O.S. Kit and Take the Stress out of Science Projects! Win a Cat in the Hat Prize Pack! See more Deals & Giveaways Grandparent Movie Quotes Quiz How Cool a Grandparent Are You? How well do you get along with your grandchild and other family members? Want to know if your personalities mesh? Become an AGA Premium Member.