- Difficultyeasy
- Cost< 60 €
- Duration1-3 h
Do you have any old (hard-seat) chairs lying around? Why not spruce it up with a little fabric – and give your home office a low-budget makeover? You can upcycle your chair in just three steps. Here we show you how.
Remove the chair legs and measure the seat
To determine how much fabric you’ll need for your upcycling project, you first need to measure your chair. The Zamo laser measure with wheel attachment is ideal for this – you can easily trace the curves and edges of your seat. First, remove the chair legs using a cordless or regular screwdriver. Then move the Zamo laser measure plus wheel adapter along the edges of the chair to work out how much fabric you need. Take care not to change the angle of the Zamo and to always apply even pressure. This will provide the most accurate result. Measure the chair on the top and bottom. Buy the fabric in the appropriate size – add a 5-10 cm border at the sides.
Cut the fabric and glue it to the seat
Now you need your fabric: ideally you want a material that is supple but not too thin, like poplin. For chair upcycling projects, it’s best to choose two different dark-coloured fabrics – this will give the chair more depth. And it’s more practical too: if the seat is a little darker, you won’t have to worry so much about denim stains, coffee spillages and other mishaps. Cut the fabric to the desired size, if needed. Coat the surface of the chair with glue. Be fairly generous – in general, découpage glue such as Mod Podge doesn't leave behind any clumps. Press the fabric on to the seat, piece by piece, smoothing it down as you go. As you’ll see, the glue will begin to take effect in minutes! Once you’ve covered both the top and bottom of the chair with fabric, apply another coat of glue as a varnish. This will act as a sealant and make the fabric more resistant and durable. Leave everything to dry, ideally over night.
Finish the edges of the chair
The last step in your chair upcycling project! Once everything is dry, neatly trim the fabric around the edges of the chair using a craft knife. Be careful – it’s sharp! If you want the edges to be even smoother, sand them down with a hand sanding block and a fine sanding sheet. That’s it! The new addition to your home office, dining room table or living room is complete.