Reupholstering & Adding Foam to a Dining Room Chair

Remove the seat of the chair from the frame by removing the four screws holding it in place.

Insert the tip of an awl under existing staples holding the original fabric onto the chair to lift the staples up. Pull the lifted staples out with a pair of pliers. Remove the fabric form the seat.

Cut the existing foam away from the seat with a utility knife or leave it alone if you choose to add additional foam over the original.

Place the seat upside down on the foam and trace around the seat with ½ inch extra foam all the way around.

Cut the foam with a utility knife using small short cuts until you have cut completely through the foam.

Spray the top side of the seat with a spray adhesive and apply the foam, centering before you attach it. Set the seat aside to dry.

Place the fabric you will use on the work surface with the print-side down. Flip the seat upside down on top of the fabric and trace around the seat leaving six inches excess fabric on all sides.

Cut the fabric out along the line.

Place the fabric with the print-side down on the work surface and center the seat with the foam side down on top of it.

Pull the bottom edge of the fabric straight up while pressing the seat down to hold the fabric in place. Find the middle of the seat and pull the fabric tight against the bottom of the seat. Secure in place with one staple. Repeat on the top edge of the seat and move to the left and right sides.

Staple the fabric in place outward from the staple in the center of each side, stopping 1 inch from each corner.

Pull the fabric at the corner straight up away from the seat to pull the fabric tight and pull the corner towards the middle of the seat. Make small folds in the fabric to make pleats that curve around the corner of the seat. Secure each pleat with a staple.

Repeat for each seat.