Discard the tacks or staples since you will be using a staple gun to attach the new materials.
For older chairs, the padding may be made up of a mixture of hay and cloth, so replace this with foam.
An easy way to get the dimensions you need is to place the old seat on the plywood and trace around the edges of the old seat with a marker or pen. Then, use a hand saw to cut along the lines you traced.
A dust cover will help to prevent the cushion from sagging down into the seat base.
A bread knife or turkey carving electric knife work well for cutting foam padding. [9] X Research source
Don’t worry about the dimensions of the batting. Use a large piece and cut what you need after you have the seat and foam in position.
Mark the batting to indicate where to cut it or cut it while it is wrapped over the edge of the seat.
Repeat this for each corner of the chair.
Don’t cut the batting too close to the staples or it may come loose.
You may want to opt for a dark fabric to make stains less visible, or get a water-resistant fabric to protect your chair from spills. [15] X Research source
Repeat this for the other 3 sides of the seat. If the seat is round, then staple the upholstery to the underside of the seat in 4 equidistant locations, such as at 12 o’clock, 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock.
Repeat this on all sides of the seat.
Repeat this for all of the corners.
Be careful not to cut the fabric too close to the staples or it may come loose.
Be careful not to cut the upholstery fabric as you cut out the dust cover fabric.
Repeat this all the way around the edges of the chair to secure the dust cover.
If you have other chairs to reupholster, repeat the process for each of these chairs.
