Reupholstering an Arm Chair Tutorial Part 3: Attaching Fabric to Chair

As I was reading over my Part 2, I realized that I accidentally left out cutting the fabric for the chair seat.....while I included the cushion, I forgot what the cushion sits on!! Sorry about that.

Again, I used the old fabric pieces as the pattern and cut accordingly.

I really thought it silly to make this tutorial longer by including how I painted the frame, as it seems so basic, plus I prepped the chair, painted it solid white, and finished it the same way I did this piece.

I began with the back of the chair. I folded the fabric in half, so that I could accurately line it up in the middle of the chair. If you plan on tackling many upholstering projects, you might want to invest in a Pneumatic Stapler, especially if you already own an air compressor. The one I use is the Arrow PT50, which I purchased from Lowes. You can take a look at it here.

Using 20 gauge staples, I began in the middle, and then staple side to side, smoothing out and pulling the fabric tight as I go.

I attached the two side pieces, and then attached the front pieces, wrapping the corners, much the same way you would wrap a package. I didn't cover the center of the seat as the cushion will sit on top so that open part will not be seen.

Before I started on the back cushion, I needed to reattach the seat, which I did with screws and the power drill. It's a bit hard to see in the picture, but there is a space between the seat and back of chair where the cushion will actually fit down in between.

To cover up the tufting and holes where the buttons were attached, I cut two pieces of heavy interfacing for the front and back of the cushion.

I attached the pieces to the cushion with Loctite Spray Adhesive.

I attached the fabric also with the spray adhesive. I then wedged the cushion down in that space between the seat and back of chair.

I started in the middle of the top of the chair, stapling the fabric to the frame, again working side to side, pulling tight and smoothing as I worked across the top and down the sides of the chair.

Next Monday I will show how I sew the cushion cover plus the finishing touches and the final reveal. I apologize that it has taken longer than expected. Usually when I start a reupholstery project, I have huge blocks of time to work on it. This time around, life (as it often does) interrupted that work time. I really do enjoy reupholstering, and while it is not hard, it does require time. As I age, I'm learning to "role with it" and work on projects when it's convenient rather than pressuring myself to power through for a fast completion. I don't know about you, but when I hurry, I become frustrated and make mistakes. There is much satisfaction in doing things yourself, and the reward will be there waiting for you whether it be now or a little later.

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you will check in again soon!