How to Recover a Leather Seat

Lay out the tarp or floor covering in the area where you will be working. If you drop any tacks or staples you will be able to dispose of them easily and they will not pose a danger to anyone.

Turn the chair you want to recover upside down and use the needle nose pliers to remove any staples or tacks holding the seat cushion in place. Carefully remove any trim around the edge of the seat. Remove the seat from the rest of the chair.

Use the pliers to remove the leather from the seat cushion by pulling out the staples. Once all the staples are removed, mark the seat's top, bottom and sides on the back of the fabric.

Take the old leather with you to a fabric or upholstery store. Use the old leather to find the right size and shape of the new leather you will use to recover your seat.

Lay the old leather on the wrong side of the new leather and use the marker to trace around the old seat cover. Cut out the new cover but leave enough room for cutting further when placed on the actual seat.

Examine the seat itself and, if it is stuffed, make sure that it is sufficiently filled. If the seat made of foam or other material make sure it is intact and does not need any repair.

Lay the seat on the wrong side of the leather. Begin with the back of the cushion and pull the leather taut to the edge of the seat. Then staple the leather to the bottom of the seat.

Work around the seat until 3 sides are done. Use any stuffing that needs to go into the seat at this point. Finish the last side and trim the excess material as close to the staples as possible.

Replace the trim, if any, around the seat edge. Place a layer of glue all around the edge of the seat. Place the seat back on the chair and lay something heavy on it for 24 hours.

Use finishing nails and a small hammer to make sure the seat stays in place on the chair. You now have a new chair.