How to Reupholster Furniture With Tacking

Turn your chair over to expose the bottom edge. If necessary, use a flat screwdriver or other straight edge tool to pry off the panel covering the underside of the chair. Set the covering aside. Use a utility staple remover to pull out staples from the underside of the chair. Use a marker to label the fabric panel you pulled off as “bottom.”

Carefully pull off the piece of fabric covering the back of the chair. Stick your flat edges tool into the seam and pry backwards to remove the fabric panel. The back often contains strips of upholstery tacking, which may feature sharp metal teeth, so use caution when working with this area. Place the fabric panel to the side. Use a marker to label the fabric panel as “back.” Label the end that faced up with an arrow.

Repeat the first steps, removing the fabric from the front, right arm, left arm, right outer panel and left outer panel of the chair. Be sure to label each piece that you pull off of the chair. Label the end that faced up with an arrow on each piece you pulled from the chair. Take note of any areas where tacking strips were used to hold the fabric to the chair's frame.

Remove the fabric from the seat cushion, the wings on wingback chairs and any other pieces. Pull out the staples securing the pieces in place. Once the staples are removed, you should be able to pull off the fabric. For pieces secure with tack strips, use your flat edged tool to help pry off the fabric. Label the ends that face up with an arrow on each piece you pulled from the chair. If any of the pieces were sewn together, carefully remove the stitches. Mark the seamed areas by drawing a dashed lines where the stitches are located.

Unroll the new upholstery fabric face down on to a flat work surface. Place each piece of fabric that you pulled from the chair face down on top of the new fabric. Use a piece of chalk to carefully trace out each piece. Use the chalk to label each piece and the top edge, as you did with the pieces you removed from the chair.

Cut out each piece. Thread a sewing machine with nylon or upholstery thread that coordinates to the new upholstery fabric. Pin together the pieces that were previously sewn together along the seams you marked. Sew along these seams, removing the pins as you go.

Gently spray the entire surface of the unupholstered chair with a spray adhesive. Spray all areas that were previously covered with fabric. Place a layer of batting over the chair to add extra cushion. Cover every area that was covered by fabric with the batting. Wrap the batting carefully around the chair. Secure to the wooden frame by stapling the batting to the wooden frame at the back, bottom and sides of the piece. Pull the fabric through the edges of the backrest to the back side.

Use the panels you removed from the chair as a guideline for applying new tacking strips. Cut the tacking strips to size and glue to the fabric with hot glue. Most often, tacking strips are used along the right and left sides of the back panels and the outside edges of the side panels.

Carefully apply the new pieces of fabric. Use the same method you used to apply the batting. Begin with the fabric under the seat and the bottom. Next, apply the side panels, the arms and the wings. Pull each panel tight and staple it in place. Do not staple the edges where upholstery tacking was applied. Next, apply the fabric to the back rest of the chair. The back rest is the area your back rests against when you sit in the chair. Do not confuse this with the back of the chair. Tuck the fabric through the open edges at the back, pull to the back side and staple in place. Finally, apply the fabric to the back panel of the chair.

Take a rubber mallet and gently tap all of the edges where tacking was used. This will help secure the fabric to the tacks, without tearing, to create straight, smooth edges.