How to Reupholster a Tufted Wing Chair

Pry away the staples holding the original fabric in place using a flathead screwdriver. For fabric held in place by glue, scrape the glue loose with a chisel, spraying with water to soften. Try to keep as much of the fabric as possible to use as a pattern for your new material.

Mark on the back of the chair where tufted areas will be. Drill holes through the back of the chair.

Repair the chair as needed. Sand and paint before adding new fabric. If the springs in the bottom of the chair are loose, you can tighten them with jute twine. To make the chair more comfortable, add new new cushion. Add 2-inch upholstery foam to worn areas, then cover with a layer of cotton batting. Staple the batting to the chair frame.

Use your reserved fabric as a pattern for new material. Trace the shape directly onto the new fabric. If you were not able to preserve fabric, use muslin cloth to make new patterns. Drape muslin over the area you want to cover, trace out the shape and add 2 inches on all sides before cutting. Cut out your fabric pieces.

Cover the inside wings of the chair first with upholstery fabric. Staple the pieces in place directly to the frame. Continue by covering the armrests, seat and skirt of the wing chair as needed with upholstery fabric. For areas where staple seams cannot be hidden, use flexible jaw stripping to hold the fabric in place. For jaw stripping, place the strip over the fabric along the seam and then use a mallet to hammer the fabric into the seam of the chair, hiding the edges.

Cover the inside back of the chair with new fabric, using staples or flexible jaw stripping as needed. Thread thick embroidery floss through the holes in the back. On the inside back of the chair, position button in place and thread through with floss. Pull through holes in the back of the chair and pull tightly to create a tuft in the upholstery. Tie a knot in the end of the floss to hold buttons in place. Continue until all tufts are created.

Upholster the back of the chair to hide holes. Staple fabric directly to the frame of the chair, leaving approximately 1 inch of extra material along stapled areas to account for give. To cover seams or add contrast, hot glue piping or decorative ribbon.