Easy barstool re-upholstery
Hi guys! Putting new fabric on a chair seat or barstool is so easy, everyone should be able to do it! I’ve put together a little tutorial and linked the affordable tools below that I use.
I LOVE when I find the perfect piece at the Habitat Restore or Home Goods, and knowing I can switch out the fabric to my style is the best. Also, I have young boys, so …. my kitchen barstools need new fabric like every 6 months. The light blue velvet is the before, and made it a year with boys so I’m pretty happy with that! The stripes are the new fun fabric, and the barstools were a HomeGoods find!
All you need is a screwdriver to undo the seat from your chair or stool, and then a staple remover and basic staple gun- you can pick these up at Lowes, or order them off Amazon. I generally use size 6 staples for projects like this.
staple gun, staples, staple remover & pliers
To estimate how much fabric you need, just measure across the seat both ways (including enough to wrap under the seat and staple), and plug your measurements and number of chairs into HERE For most styles, you would need only 1 yard for two chairs. Make sure you know the width of your fabric! Most are 54”, but it’s important for calculating fabric.
If your chairs get a lot of use, I would go for a sunbrella or heavier upholstery fabric. You could also splurge on a gorgeous designer fabric since you don’t need much of it. Velvet is another favorite of mine, which I have found holds up well and is easy to clean. I’ve had pale blue velvet on my stools for a year now, and it’s stayed clean until recently. If I have to, I’ll take a clorox wipe to them and it always does the trick.
You can probably get away with not taking off the original fabric once, but after that I would remove the old fabric before putting the new one on, so it doesn’t get too lumpy. Also make sure any texture or stains do not show through. If they do, remove the old fabric. If you aren’t removing it, you do not need the staple remover.
Once you have your fabric selected, decide where to center your pattern or stripes if it’s not solid, and cut out your pieces with extra for wrapping under the chair. I pull it tight and staple the middle of all four sides first, and then work on the corners. The corners tend to be the hardest part - I think the cleanest look is to wrap one side in and then fold over the other side. (shown in the photos) Just make sure you are wrapping the corners the same direction so it looks the same from the front. Once the whole thing is stapled on, trim the extra fabric. Make sure you can still see the holes where the screws attach to your chair, so it’s easier to attach at the end.
If you want to go the extra step (totally not necessary, but it will stop any fraying edges from hanging under your barstool), you can staple on black pellon fabric to finish it off. You can purchase it by the yard here, or order a whole roll of it off Amazon if you are going to be doing multiple projects with it. Cut little holes in the fabric where the screws go. And voila - re-attach the seat and you are all set!
Let me know if you have any questions, and please share your projects!
xoxo