Welcome to Part Five of my How to Re-Cover a Dining Chair Series! In this final section we’ll cover how to add a dustcover to the underside of the seat cushion. Miss a step? Click the links below to view any part of the series!

 

Blog Post: No-Sew Dining Chair Transformation
Part One – Add the Batting
Part Two – Fabric the Seat
Part Three – Fabric the Seat Back
Part Four – Secure the Panel
Part Five – Dustcover

 

TIP: Click the tabs below to see the tools, materials and cut list.

 

Cost: About $25 per chair depending on price of fabric

Time: 1 hour

Difficulty: Moderate. While no sewing is required, adjusting and stapling the fabric in place takes time and patience.

Note: This list may contain affiliate links

Flexible Tape Measure
Staple Gun
Scissors
Mallet or Hammer
Tin Snips to cut the metal tack strips
Needle Nose Pliers to remove staples
Flathead Screwdriver to tuck fabric
Iron to smooth the folds and tighten the fabric

Note: This list may contain affiliate links

3/8-inch staples
Fabric – Get 2 yards per chair
Batting – Get 1½ yards per chair
Dust Cover Fabric – Get about ½ yard per chair

Seat

  • Width – Stretch the tape measure across the seat cushion. Pull the tape down around the edges of the cushion until you reach the inside edge of the wood framing below on each side.
  • Depth – Slip the tape measure between the seat cushion and backrest. Pull the tape down around the edges of the cushion until you reach the inside edge of the wood framing below at both the front and back of the seat.

Backrest

  • Height – Starting on the backside of the top edge (rolled or straight), stretch the tape up and over the top of the chair, down the front side, between the seat and backrest, along the back edge of the seat cushion, and down to the inside edge of the wood framing below.
  • Width – Stretch the tape measure across the backrest. Pull the tape around the edges of the cushion until you reach the inside edge of the wood framing on the backside.

Panel

  • Height – Measure from the top edge of the backrest (or from the wood beneath the rolled edge) down the backrest, past the seat cushion, and under the seat to the wood framing.
  • Width – Measure the full width of the backrest, and then add two inches for the tack strips.

Dust Cover

  • Width and Depth – Measure the total width and depth of the underside of the seat, and then add two inches to each measurement to allow the edges to fold under.

Tack Strip

  • Length – Measure from the underside of the roll to the bottom edge of the seat.

 

Steps

 

1. Position the Dustcover

 

Fold the cut edges of the dustcover under, and then place in onto the underside of the seat. Staple the dustcover to the wood frame near the center of each side of the seat.
How To Re-Cover a Dining Chair Part 5 by Build Basic - Step 1

www.Build-Basic.com2. Fold the Corners

 

When you reach the legs, fold the corners of the dustcover back onto itself so that the crease touches the corner of the leg.
How To Re-Cover a Dining Chair Part 5 by Build Basic - Step 2

www.Build-Basic.com3. Notch the Corners

 

Using scissors, notch the dustcover from the tip of each corner to the corner of the leg.
How To Re-Cover a Dining Chair Part 5 by Build Basic - Step 3

www.Build-Basic.com4. Secure the Dustcover Around the Legs

 

Tuck the corners under, and then staple through the dustcover near the leg on each side.
How To Re-Cover a Dining Chair Part 5 by Build Basic - Step 4

www.Build-Basic.com

 

MORE BUILDING PLANS

 

2 thoughts on “How To Re-Cover a Dining Chair – Part 5

  1. Vickie Sassi

    The chair looks great. But I got one question. My kitchen chairs have a metal frame, so in my case how would I recover my chairs. There’s nothing to staple the fabric to other then the seat. But what about the high back rest. There’s nothing to staple the fabric to? I need your expertise on this situation. Please give me suggestions. Oh, and I don’t own a sewing machine or even know how to use one. So if this is possible please help me make my kitchen chairs look nice again. Thank you
    Sincerely,

    Vickie

    Reply

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