Reupholstering chairs, where do I start?

[mosaica]

Hi,

On impulse, my husband bought 6 beautiful mid 19th century chairs. They are lovely but a bit tatty and need reupholstering.I have never done any upholstering (or anything crafty, to be honest) but I want to have a go. Am I mad, or is it a doable project for a novice?

What do I need? I guess fabric (how much?) and a stapling gun, anything else?

What sort of fabric do you suggest I use? I quite fancy quite a modern fabric, to contrast with the age of the chairs. Something like maybe a floral motif with a twist. Or is it going to look horrible?

Any ideas welcome, and if you can suggest an online tutorial that'd be brilliant. I'm hoping to do this as cheaply as possible, although I don't want to wreck the chairs so will fork out for fabric if needed.

You need to remove the current fabric and use that as a template...can't say how much fabric you will need without seeing chairs.

I think it might be too much o be honest...and if there is horsehair in there you will be grossed out!

When chooing patterns, bear in mind the dimensions of the chairs and how ornate they are. If the chairs are delicate anda bit ornate, then a big bold print won't work...but modern is fine...just go for a smaller print. If they are of basic shape with not many fiddly bits then go with yur gut...get some samples and hve a look hwat they look like by placing them on the seat.

Remove the nails carefully and work outside or in a well ventilated room...get the current fabric off arefully so you can use itfor paper patterns. You MUST use paper paterns and also pins!

Is it just seats? Anything else is quite tricky.

Are they dining chairs or armchairs? And do you want to re-cover them or re-upholster?

If it's just re-covering, take off the existing fabric, paying v careful attention to how it is currently put on, I'd take photos tbh.

I wouldn't use a staple gun, but tacks and a hammer which are far easier to adjust (staples are awful to remove). Don't hammer the tacks all the way home until you're happy with the result.

It's not an easy thing to get looking good, but with patience, if it's just re-covering, it should be OK to do yourself.

Hi, thanks for your answers. Yes, it's just recovering and only the seat pad, as the back is wooden. I might have a go with one of them and if it's really tricky I'll take them to an upholsterer's.

You might need to renew the 'black and white' webbing under the seat.