Beautiful Folding Chairs

I recently scored two Stakmore wood folding chairs at a thrift store for $7. These chairs typically run between $120 and $150 for a set of two so I didn't hesitate to grab them. As someone who likes to entertain, it's always a good idea to have extra seating options. 

The chairs were in pretty good shape with the exception of having the ugliest seat covers I've ever seen. They were a ghastly shade of off white vinyl with plenty of stains. This picture doesn't really tell the full story of how ugly they and were.

Recovering chair cushions is one of the easiest and most satisfying projects there is. You'll need a hammer, staple gun, screw driver, scissors, fabric, and batting.

For this project I used a remnant of Kelly green wool I picked up at a thrift store for $2. I loved the color and knew it was a quality piece of fabric when I bought it even though I didn't know what I would ultimately use it for. The color doesn't really "match" anything in my house, but because folding chairs are meant to go where you need them, I felt that they could stand on their own. 

I also had a thrift store remnant of quilt batting on hand that cost $1. If you have some extra storage space and like to do DIY projects it's a great idea to look for materials second hand. Not only will it save you money, it will keep the remnants of other people's projects from ending up in a  land fill. In the end, these two chairs cost me $10. Not bad for folding chairs that are actually pretty.

Project Steps

Step 1: Remove the seat from the chair. To do this, you typically need to turn it over and find the screws. It's helpful to put the chair upside down on the edge of a table to bring it to a better height. Once you find the screws, unscrew them and put them somewhere safe. Remember, lefty loosey righty tighty. 

Step 2: With the seat off you can use it to measure your batting and fabric. I typically go right over the existing cover. You really only need to remove the old cover if it's particularly gross or already got several layers of recovering. Lay the seat over a folded piece of the fabric you are using to recover it. Leave at least 2 inches extra on all sides and then cut the folded fabric into two separate pieces. If you haven't already pressed your fabric flat, do that before you start measuring.

Step 3: Now that you have your fabric ready, cut 2 - 3 layers of batting the same size as the fabric. The number of layers you need depends on how comfortable the existing cushion is. Next, place the fabric right side down and lay the layers of batting on top of the wrong side of the fabric. Finally, put the seat cushion on top of the stack with the right side down against the batting. 

Step 4: Having recovered many chairs, I've found that it's helpful to draw a straight line from each of the holes into the center of the seat. This will help you see where the holes are and remind you not to bury them in fabric once you start stapling the fabric.

Step 5: Start stapling the fabric/batting layers to the wooden backing of the seat cushion. Start in the middle of one of the sides and work your way out in both directions until you have about 2 inches remaining before each corner. You want to be sure to pull the fabric taut while leaving at least 2 inches of fabric and batting around the un-stapled sides of the chair. I typically staple every inch to keep things secure. Make sure the pull the fabric taut before each staple and turn the seat over regularly to check that the fabric is flat and tight.

Step 6: When you reach the corner you will need to trim the batting to keep the layers from getting too thick. Pull the fabric/batting tight in the corner leaving a fold to the left and right of the corner. Then trim the excess batting and fold the fabric over the trimmed batting pulling it tight. When you have a nice flat fold, staple the fold.

Step 7: Repeat Step 6 on the other corner and continue working your way around the seat until all sides are secure. Next, trim the excess fabric and batting within about a half inch of the staples. Check where you marked the holes and make sure all holes are visible and none are covered with fabric.

Step 8: When you have finished the seat cover take time to wipe the chair down with a soft, damp cloth if necessary. If there is visible damage to the finish you can often minimize this using a furniture marker. Of course you wouldn't want to take a marker to a priceless antique, for for most pieces they work well and can take minimize any rough spots. Select the marker that matches the finish best and keep your damp cloth on hand to wipe away marks that are darker than the finish.

Step 9: Reattach the newly recovered seat to the chair using a screw driver. Then flip it over to enjoy your new chair.