How to Upholster a Seat.
In these unprecedented times it is extremely important to throw yourself into activities that make you happy and take your mind off everything that we are missing. Although we are safe at home it is understandable if you feel uneasy about the world around us. Being at home is the perfect time to through yourself into home based projects, our blogs over this time will really focus on the smaller project that anyone can do with the simplest of tools that hopefully you will have handy and fabric that we are still posting out throughout this time.
This week at The Loft we have turned our attention to reupholstering some beautiful chairs, which can be used for many purposes, with our new bundle fabric on the website, launched this week there is plenty of choice to get your started.
Follow our simple guide and get creating yourself.
Step One
Firstly, measure the seat area you would like to cover, be sure to add extra to the measurements to tuck underneath to create neat edging. If you are unsure on how much to leave, pop Sarah an email and she can guide you through the process.
Step Two
Head over to The Loft at More Hall website and find the fabric that will fit perfectly in with the décor in the room you plan to place your newly covered seat in.
Step Three
While you are waiting for your delivery, dissemble your seat, firstly you want to remove the seat from the base. After you have completed this put the seat to the side and take a good look at the base. Now is the perfect time to check if it needs any maintenance, tighten up any screws or bolts, sand down the frame and give it a lick of chalk paint or varnish, to really freshen up the look.
Step Four
While your base is drying you can turn your attention back to the seat, remove any old material, usually this will be held on with stables, which can simply be pulled out and thrown away. Once the material is removed, take a look at the foam, does this need replacing? It can make all the difference and is an easy task to undertake.
Step Five
Once your gorgeous fabric has arrived from The Loft, it is time to really create that new look for your chair. Firstly we need to cut the new fabric.
Place the cushion on the fabric with the outer side facing down. The batting and cushion should be right up against the fabric. Try to place the seat so that it is about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) from the edges of the fabric, but don’t worry about getting it perfect. You can adjust it before you start cutting
Cut the fabric 3 to 4 inches from the edges of the cushion. You will need this much fabric all the way around the cushion to cover it. Measure or find where to cut by wrapping the edges of the fabric up and over the seat edges. Then, mark the fabric and cut it.
Step Six
Staple the upholstery in the centre of each of the 4 sides of the seat. Grasp the fabric on 1 side of the seat and pull it up and over the edge of the seat. Locate the centre of the seat edge and place a staple in the centre of the edge to secure the fabric. Repeat this for the other 3 sides of the seat. If the seat is round, then staple the upholstery to the underside of the seat in 4 equidistant locations, such as at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock
Step Seven
Now start stapling all the way along, leaving the corners, do not staple them just yet! Ensure when you are stapling you are pulling the material tight.
Step Eight
Fold the fabric at the corners and staple in the centre of the fold. Once the fabric is secured along the sides, choose a corner and fold the fabric over at the corner to gather it. Then, fold the fabric again, and staple the fabric a couple of times at the centre of the fold to hold it in place.
Step Nine
Cut the excess fabric 1 inch from the stables, be careful not to cut to close, as this can cause it to come loose. When someone sits on the chair a little but of give helps with the longevity of the cushion.
Step Ten
To finish the seat, cut a piece of dust cover fabric to the same dimensions as the seat. You can place the fabric over the back of the seat and cut along the edges. Fold the fabric over at the edges by 1 inch and stable this to the underside of the seat, it keeps things neat and tidy.
Step Eleven
Attach your seat back to your base and you have yourself a new look to your chair. Place it in your room and be sure to take a snap and send it over to us on our Facebook page, we love seeing your creations.
Stay home, stay safe.
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