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FA B R I C C H A I R M A K E O V E R B E F O R E A F T E R
April 20, 2017 /
636
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OK, its not just a fabric chair, its a wing-back recliner! Oh my, what did I get myself into?
To be honest, I had to face my doubts and fears before jumping into my rst ( and not-so-
beginners ) re-upholstery project.
Totally worth it: we love the fresh new look of this makeover, and it was quite a fun learning
process!
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In this step by step tutorial , I will share with you an overview of everything I have learned
about how to makeover an upholstered recliner chair, and lots of helpful tips for beginners . If
I can do it, so can anyone!
The beginnings: this wing-back recliner chair was a Craigslist nd.Although it is a well-
made chair, I never liked the fabric.
It sat in our guest bedroom until we started our epic decluttering a few months ago. The rule
for us was: only keep things we truly love, and let go of the rest. ( More on that in another
post!)
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So a decision has to be made: should we donate it, or transform it into a chair that spark joy
every time we see it?
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You know I cant resist a potentially fun before after DIY project. When my dear mom
happened to send me some beautiful oral home decor fabric, I took a deep breath, and
dived in.
Note: please check out a list of very helpful tips at the end before you start tips such as :
take photos of each step when you remove the fabrics, so you can reverse the steps when
putting new fabrics on!
I M P O R TA N T : F O L L O W B A S I C S A F E T Y R U L E S W H E N W O R K I N G
WITHTOOLSANDSHARPOBJECTS!LEARNTOUSEEACHTOOL
P R O P E R LY . U S E C A U T I O N A N D W O R K S A F E LY . W E A R G O O D
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NEEDED.
The essential tools needed for removing old fabric: ( Some of the helpful resources are
af liate links. Full disclosure here. ) a at screw driver to remove strip tacks, an upholstery
staple remover , and safety eye goggles to protect yourself from potential ying staples!
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The back piece is held in place by cardboard strips and upholstery tack strips. Once we
remove the back fabric, we get a clear view of how the other pieces are held together so we
can begin to remove them.
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The upholstery staple remover is such a great little tool that makes the job so much easier.
All the staples come up pretty easily with the help of this tool!
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Dont strain yourself. Turn the recliner chair over when working on the bottom side.
IMPORTANT: put all the loose staples and tack strips in a box so no one steps on these
sharp debris!
You can save the piping cords and cover them with new fabrics later.
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Pay close attention to how the side panel fabrics are attached to the recliner chair frame.
Take LOTS of photos for later reference!
I found this area to be the most challenging part of the whole project.
Tip: use the removed fabrics as patterns. Trace them onto your new fabric using a water
erasable fabric marking pen or a pencil.
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I had planned to remove all the old fabric, then start adding new fabric. But something
unexpected made me change my plans. Continue To Next Page
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COMMENTS
Belle
April 20, 2017 at 7:49 am
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Leslie Soto
April 20, 2017 at 8:24 am
Wow! You did such an amazing job! I am in love with the after, it looks so professionally done.
Im also loving the palette patio DIY makeover!!
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Allison
April 20, 2017 at 4:23 pm
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Cait Weingartner
April 21, 2017 at 12:38 am
What an amazing transformation! You did such a great job with that chair. I love the fabric
you chose, its just beautiful!
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Lauren
April 21, 2017 at 10:10 am
oh wow! that looks incredible! I love the step by step photos. Great to know how to do if you
nd an awesome chair that just needs a new coat of paint
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Veronika Sykorova
April 21, 2017 at 11:25 pm
omg that looks so good! I wish I was such a DIY pro haha!
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Kelsey
April 22, 2017 at 12:04 pm
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Wow! Ive always wanted to re-do a chair like that! Thanks for sharing the steps!
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Ann Capozza
April 27, 2017 at 1:27 pm
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ananda
April 27, 2017 at 10:30 pm
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Barb
April 27, 2017 at 10:07 pm
I love the fabric you chose for the new upholstery! Its gorgeous! What a great looking chair
now! Thanks for all the great how to photos. One needs to know these things
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ananda
April 27, 2017 at 10:32 pm
thank you barb! it really could be a book with all the steps! =)
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Sue P.
April 28, 2017 at 4:10 am
Mercy me! You have a LOT of talent and patience for doing such a detailed projectand doing
it so well! Beautiful transformation.
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ananda
April 28, 2017 at 8:17 am
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Chantal
April 28, 2017 at 8:19 am
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Candice
April 30, 2017 at 10:52 am
You rocknice job! Brave for trying something out of your comfort zone
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ananda
May 1, 2017 at 7:26 am
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Phyllis Enloe
April 30, 2017 at 12:44 pm
Wow.the skill level, patience, and all around fabulous taste displayed here is beyond
compare. What a beautiful fabric..so glad the chair survived the moving rule
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ananda
May 1, 2017 at 7:34 am
hi phyllis, thank you so much! this rule has been one of our best decisions! hugs!!
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Crystal Grif th
April 30, 2017 at 5:59 pm
Very pretty re-do. You mentioned the cotton fabric covering you found under the upholstery
fabric. The purpose of this is to protect foam and padding from the sandpapering effect of
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the heavier outer fabric. No special fabric has to be purchased. A twin 200 thread count
sheet will work well. One trick I learned was to place some plastic under the cotton fabric
covering the arms, seat and head area. This allows you to really clean these areas without
worrying about soaking the batting or foam. No mold or mildew! I use a heavy garbage bag
in my projects involving dining room chairs.
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ananda
May 1, 2017 at 7:23 am
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Nancy
May 2, 2017 at 4:45 am
Awesome! I think you have given me the courage to try this for myself! Thanks for sharing!
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Tofa Para
May 3, 2017 at 8:26 am
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Terri Collins
May 10, 2017 at 11:41 am
Inspired! I have my Grand Mothers favorite chair. It is in serious need of recovering. I have
almost thrown it out a few times thinking I would never b able to recover it. Now I have an
idea of how to proceed. Thanks, I really wanted to give it new life. Now maybe I have a good
shot! Thanks for sharing your way of life.
You are living the dream!
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ananda
May 10, 2017 at 3:38 pm
thank you terri! it does take some time and patience, but well worth it! =)
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Melissa
June 3, 2017 at 7:25 pm
Beautiful project and wonderful instructions. We have a chair exactly like that (but not a
recliner)how much fabric did it take to cover??
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ananda
June 3, 2017 at 11:20 pm
hi melissa, my mom gave me a huge amount of this fabric, so i never measure the
square footage! =P i would can use a bed sheet or big sheets of paper to help with a
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rough estimate.
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Robyn Miller
July 5, 2017 at 6:23 am
I have the exact chair and I would love to reupholster it. And I love rhe fabric you used!
Where did you get it??
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ananda
July 5, 2017 at 12:01 pm
hi robyn! my mom got it for me several years ago from overseas, sorry cant give you a
source on it! =) i would look up white oral home decor fabric on google!
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Pinar
July 21, 2017 at 10:46 am
This is very helpful tutorial and good diy project to make Thank you for your post
R E P LY
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