Problem: Flat dining chair seats that no one likes to sit on because it hurts and are probably in need of new fabric.
Solution: This tutorial on how to build up a base for your dining chair seats (drop seats as they are referred to in the industry) that your butt will love and will look great too!
All drop-seats have one thing in common, they lose their lift. Whether its a dining seat or a rocker seat, at some point you are either going to feel the wood base or the springs underneath the cloth and that is no good for anyone’s keester. Today we are going to walk through a simple solution to create a soft landing in a wood-based seat. Ready? Let’s dive in!
Tools & Stuff
Before we get started you’re going to need a few tools and supplies:
- staple puller
- side cutters
- measuring tape
- scissors
- foam cut to size/shape (I’ll give you a link for that)
- small squares of foam (get some from a local upholsterer)
- batting (Dacron as it is known in upholstery)
- stapler
- bread knife or electric bread knife if you are cutting your own foam
The Tear Down!
It’s time to release some pent-up energy! Tear down is much like the demolition part of renovating a home, it is therapeutic and helps you release some of the nerves that come with starting a new project. PRO TIP: Make sure you are pointing the staple puller AWAY from you or the hand you are using to keep the seat steady. If you can’t get the staple out with the staple puller alone take your side cutters, flat side against the wood, grab the staple and roll it out. There is no need to yank anything. If you can’t get all the staples out without breaking them then just take a hammer and flatten them. You don’t want any sharp edges or points that can either make you bleed or tear the fabric during the build-up. When you’re all done make sure to set the fabric aside for future use.
Foam & Dacron
Next steps are all about the build-up. This is where my little trick will make all the difference in how the seat feels when you sit on it. You’re going to need that foam I listed earlier.
*A quick word on foam: do not buy it at your local hobby shop! Foam is already an expensive item so don’t spend more, find your local upholsterer to get the best deal. We buy in bulk and generally have some off-cuts we are willing to sell. You can have them cut the foam to the size/shape you need and still get a better deal. Okay, rant done.*
If you don’t have a local upholsterer or for some reason they are not willing to sell you what you need then use this link and I’ll get you squared away! I won’t be able to cut to exact size but you can handle that part at home, I promise. If need to cut your foam to size/shape the easiest way to do that is by tracing the shape of your base onto the foam. From there you’ll take your bread knife (electric or not) and start by cutting into the top of the foam. Follow the video for more detail. Now, onto the part where your seats get an upgrade!
Before you plop that foam on top of the board you’re going to need that little square of foam I listed at the beginning. Place it in the center of your seat closer to the back, where you’re bum lands. Take the bigger piece of foam and set it on top, making sure to match all the edges to board underneath. This is going to feel awkward until you get the Dacron (batting) on and secure it.
To figure out how much batting you’ll need take your tape measure, start 1″ under the base on one side and wrap the around the top of the foam, ending 1″ under the base on the other side. Apply that measurement to your batting, cut it out and lay it over your foam. Flip the whole thing on its face and let’s get to stapling.
Applying Dacron
When you are attaching anything with a weave you want to make sure it is not being pulled too far in one direction or the other. We are going to use that same concept when applying Dacron (batting). Lay your seat on the Dacron and make sure you have enough to pull on all sides. Get it as even as possible. Drop a staple in the center of the Dacron on all 4 sides. Start at the top and gently pull and staple to each side of the middle staple. Again, check as you go that you aren’t pulling harder in one spot and less in another. When you’re done go to the OPPOSITE side you were working on and repeat. The reason for this is to keep the Dacron (and eventually the fabric) even on all sides. Going around the seat will cause the fabric to pull in odd directions, leaving you with a mess.
Measure & Cut
We are moving onto fabric. You can either use your previous fabric as a template or measure it out. If you use the template cut extra! The fabric has more than liekly been cut down after it was stapled and you need enough to pull.
To measure put the foam (with the added cush) on the board and measure all the way around for width and length. Add 4″ to both of those measurements. That gives you 2″ on every side to pull with. Take that measurement and apply it to your fabric, keeping any pattern you may want on the center of the seat in mind. Cut it out and let’s keep going!
Upholster It!
Now we are onto the fun part! Lay your fabric face-down and put your seat on it. Adjust the seat on the fabric and pull each side to make sure you have even amounts of fabric all around. Once you get that done, drop a staple in the center of each side. This grounds your fabric to your seat and ensures that the weave of the fabric, in each direction, is straight. You are essentially making a cross in the fabric with a little tension and a staple.
From Top To Bottom
Your next step is to staple down the top of the seat. Start to one side of the center staple, pulling enough to match the tension of the staple already down. Go small increments at a time and staple as you go. Do not staple all the way to the corner, we need them open for the next part. After you complete the top go to the bottom and repeat. After the bottom do one side and then the other.
Corners
Once all the sides are stapled go back to the top and pick a corner to work on. You will start by pulling the remaining fabric up and in. Give a good pull and staple. Once you are to the corner you will more than likely need to create a pleat so the top fabric will fold nicely. To do that, pull the fabric in and down. A pleat (small fold) should appear. Staple that down and the top fabric should start to fold on it’s own.
Work that top fabric into a fold that does not go too far up the seat or over the side. PRO TIP: Be patient with this process. The fabric requires manipulation at every turn but it will eventually lay down. Don’t be afraid to cut out extra fabric, it will help things along. Once you get the fold the way you want it check that there are no visible bumps and then staple it down. You may have to remove a staple or two to get everything flat from the center of the side to the corner but that’s okay.
Side To Side
Once you get the one done go the bottom of that same side and do it again. Complete one side at a time. PRO TIP: Keep all of your folds going in the same direction. Fold down from the top and up from the bottom.
You Did It!
When all of your corners are done trim off any excess fabric and admire your work! You just upholstered a seat your butt will love!
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