Reupholstery is the best option when your furniture is still high-quality but has seen better days than now. It is the ideal technique to breathe new life into a well-loved piece without sacrificing the ease of use and attractiveness of the item’s original design.
The process of reupholstering bar stools is both enjoyable and straightforward. In today’s article, we will show you how to reupholster bar stools that you have already made good use of and appreciate.
Following these steps can help you save a lot of money and nerves, regardless of whether you want to use a lightweight textile fabric, vinyl that is easy to clean, or sturdy leather.
How to Reupholster Bar Stools
It’s not difficult to replace the upholstery of a chair, and you might even need to do it frequently. It is advisable to stay with high-quality upholstery if you want to save time and effort. Solid cloth or real leather is typically a great choice.
Before putting your bar stool down to be reupholstered, it’s important to assess its condition. Fine-quality chairs often have a sturdy construction, but you should still assess the furniture’s actual condition. Sometimes the smallest of your problems is the upholstery.
It is essential to go with quality options, typically a little more expensive than most budget furniture, to ensure that the build is robust and the stool will serve you for years. However, in the long term, the investment is wholly worthwhile because you will at least have the assurance that the piece of furniture will be a part of your home for many years.
Before you start, you should look at the stools you want to recover. Pay attention to how your chair’s seat is attached to its base. Take a picture of the chair from all sides before taking it apart.
Remove the seats
Look at your stool and figure out the best way to remove the bottom seat area. Most stools can be taken apart by taking off the seat base. However, some stools may need the back to be taken off before the seat can be removed.
All you have to do to get the seat off is to use your screwdriver to take out a few nuts and screws. Put all the hardware in a plastic bag, so nothing gets lost.
Read more: How to Reupholster an Ottoman
Remove the old fabric
Now that the seat is off the stool frame, you can remove the old cloth. Use your pick and pliers to pull out all the staples already there. Try not just to cut the fabric and leave the staples in place.
You should use the fabric as a guide to cut the new fabric. Also, you shouldn’t try to staple over an already-placed staple. It might mean more work. This step will take the most time and have the most repetitive movements.
Cut new fabric
Cut the new fabric to the same size and shape as the old one, using the old one you just took off as a guide. Cut new batting the same way if you need it. You can use more than one layer of batting to make a softer cushion.
Putting your new fabric upside down on a flat surface is the easiest way to do this. Place the old fabric on top and use chalk or a pencil to trace it.
The new fabric is cut. For extra room, add an extra inch or two to your fabric. Make sure to cut all the pieces simultaneously so you can be sure you have enough fabric.
Attach the new fabric
Put the batting and fabric on the seat cover in layers, and then pull them tight. You don’t want the top of the seat to have any wrinkles. Put the first staple in the middle of one side. Don’t begin at a corner. Then put one staple in the middle of each of the remaining edges. Move around the base of the seat until only the corners are left.
When you get to the corners, you’ll need to fold the edges of the fabric over so they lie flat on top. Before you start to staple, try different ways to fold the fabric. Make sure that you follow the same steps for each stool’s corner.
You must work in a circle to attach the fabric if your stool is round. You should try using this pattern. If you remember how the original fabric was folded and stapled, you should try using this pattern. This is a great example of how helpful it is to have a photo from before.
Trim excess fabric
Now that you’ve finished covering all of the seat bases, you’ll need to cut off the extra fabric and batting from the bottom of each stool. Trim the fabric at the staples, but leave a little extra if something moves. We suggest taking about half an inch off of the staples.
Re-attach the stool base
This is the last step. Get your bag of screws and put the seat base back on the stool’s frame. Do this for each stool.
Also read: How to Reupholster a Couch Without Removing Old Fabric
Conclusion
Renovation is an occasional chore that must be performed on all pieces of furniture, regardless of how long-lasting or high-quality it is. Most renovations, to one’s great relief, can be carried out at home, all by yourself. Even if you have zero prior knowledge in the field, it shouldn’t be too difficult for you to reupholster chairs on your own, including bar stools.
This is because the process is pretty straightforward. The specifics will certainly depend on the specific cushioning material. However, you will need some new upholstery, which is quite clear, some glue for fabric, special fixation bolts for leather, and a screwdriver. We hope that this article on how to reupholster bar stools has made your job easier.
