Reupholstering your own dining room chairs is one of the easiest do it yourself projects around, in fact I’ve reupholstered my “well loved” dining rooms chairs twice which has really extended the life of the chairs. Plus, it’s a cheap and easy way to change the look of your dining room.
The look above was created by taping a stencil in place and applying a thin layer of fabric paint (see Courant.com for detailed instructions) on a solid color upholstery fabric.
Turn the chair over and remove the screws that hold the seat in place. If the fabric covering is worn or the padding is deteriorated, then remove it and replace the padding with new foam from the craft store. If both the padding and the covering are in good shape, then you could simply cover over it without removing them.
Place the chair seats on pattern paper or newspaper and draw around the shape, then add about six inches to each side, more if your cushions are very thick. Use this as a pattern piece to cut as many as you need. Stretch the new fabric over the seat, with the new cushion in place (if replacing the cushion) and staple it in place on the underside with one staple in the center of each side.
Keeping the covering centered and taut, work your way out from each staple around the edges of the seat. Staple the corners in place last after folding the excess fabric toward the corners on the under side of the seat. Trim the excess fabric before screwing the seats back in place. In just a few short hours you can have a whole new look for between $50 and $100 depending on the fabric you choose and whether you replace your cushions.
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