How to Reupholster an Office Chair - Steps to Follow

Everyone has an office chair in their home office that has seen better days. You purchased your office chair years ago from a local store or online, and you loved it; however, it badly needed an upgrade. In fact, you even picked out the right color to complement your office's decor. You have a new office set up, but because of the DIY trend and wanting a fresh look, you decide the chair no longer matches your new office set-up. Meanwhile, buying a new chair is expensive, so you're better off reserving those funds for when you really need them. Rather than tossing that old chair, why not reupholster the office chair instead? We believe the following guide on how to reupholster an office chair can help you implement this idea if you think it's a good one. It is easy to follow, takes little time, and doesn't require any sewing. Let’s learn how to reupholster a desk chair with us!

Benefits of DIY Home Office Chair Upholstery

Cost-effective

The cost of buying a new ergonomic chair is much higher than that of upholstering your current office chair. Reupholstering is relatively inexpensive. It's never too early to start saving!

It is easy to do

Do you ever wonder if the manufacturer could have done better on something you purchased? You have full control over the kind of fabric you want for your computer ergonomic chair when you upholster it on your own. Choose suitable fabric, design, and color that will blend well with your home or office décor.

It's the greener solution

By taking the office chair to the dump, you can get rid of it, but that's not the best idea. Reusing your old office chair will reduce landfill waste on our planet. Upholstering your reclining ergonomic chair will prevent toxic chemicals and greenhouse gasses from being released into the atmosphere. Factory recycling produces these by-products.

Refreshing your home office look

If you're looking to make some changes to your workspace, your office chair is a great place to start. You can recover an office chair by creating an attractive ambiance with little effort simply by covering your chair in new fabric. You can achieve this by properly reupholstering, using quality fabrics, and choosing artistic color combinations.

DIYer’s Guide to Reinventing the Home Office Chair

Materials and tools

Here are the tools you will need to complete the project: new fabric, screwdriver set, glue gun, fabric scissors, and needle-nose pliers. If you want a piece of fabric, cotton is the best choice. Since you need to be extra careful with outdoor fabrics, they are more challenging to work with. Listed here are some best fabric office chair requirements for cotton-based fabrics: flame retardant, sun-resistant, and stain-resistant.

Take apart the chair

Start disassembling your chair from the armrests if yours has them. Even with the arms on your chair, it's possible to reupholster the office chair, but it's more difficult. You can undo the screws or unlatch the latches from the fixtures without any hassle.

Reverse the chair to see how the fasteners are holding the base and seat pan together. Unscrew each screw and remove the cushion from the base. Before you disassemble the chair, take a photo of the chair if you find the reassembly process complicated. Assembling the device will be easier with this guide.

The seat pan and backrest remain after you remove the base and armrests. You should use an electric screw set to remove the deep-set screws from the shell-like base. Now you should be able to separate the back and seat easily.

Remove all old upholstery and staple pins

In order to ensure the fabric of the chair remains intact, manufacturers line the back of the seat pan with strong staples. Depending on the chair's design, the fasteners can appear either as huge fasteners or as a series of small ones. 

Pull them out carefully with the needle-nose pliers so long as they're blocking access to the old fabric. As you unfold the underlying computer chair upholstery fabric, go from one corner to the next. Remove the upholstery from the seat after you remove the staples.

Measure seat size and cut out fabric for it

Put the fresh fabric beneath the seat and spread it out evenly. It should face upwards. Fold the fabric around the seat edges to allow you to take some measurements. Exact measurements aren’t required; leave out four inches to attach the seat's wood base to the edges of the chair. Cut off the excess fabric with scissors once you have done this.

Apply the new fabric to the chair

Tailoring classes can be complicated for someone who has never taken one before. You may not be able to fold your office chair as easily as you think because of the specific shape of the back and seat. If you are patient enough, you're sure to nail it and get that fabric in place.

You can attach your new fabric to your DIY reupholster office chair seat by folding it around the back portion. Keeping the fabric flat and smooth, attach it slowly and carefully. To attach the fabric, spray glue on the area you want to attach, press it down, and then staple.

Fitting the fabric well

Here is the next step to reupholster the office chair. Make a tight triangular fold with the extra fabric at the corners. Try not to pull too tightly, as this leads to wrinkles and other issues. Make sure all leftover fabric folds have been cut for a smoother fit.

Before moving on to the final step, let the glue dry completely for approximately half an hour. Likewise, you can make your backrest and armrests uniform by repeating the same process. 

Put your chair back together again

Now that you have the best ergonomic chair, proceed to reassemble your chair since nothing needs to be done to the fabric. Ensure that you do not forget a single piece or fixture. Find out where each piece should go based on the photo you took earlier.

Don't be afraid of ruining your fabric covering if you need to drill the screws through the wood base. Go as far down as possible through the material after poking a tiny hole in it. Be extremely careful when doing so.