How to Reupholster a Recliner

I simply measure the footrest and allow myself enough fabric to go around the corners. In this case I needed a piece of fabric 13 x 37 inches. I lay the fabric face down and lay the footrest upside down on top of the fabric. I bring the fabric around one end and place a couple of staples. Repeat on the other end. Don’t go crazy with the staples at this point because you may have to remove them to make any adjustments. I bring the fabric around the one side and attach here again with just a couple of staples, repeat on the other side. I then start to work the edge to the ends of the footrest. I try to go in as straight of a line as I can. You may want to strike a pencil line to make it easier. You want to have your fabric smooth and taut. Keeping your fabric in a straight line will prevent lumps from pulling the fabric down to far. I work the fabric to the first outside corner. I need to go around the corner with the fabric. In order to do this I will need to fold the fabric in a couple of places. The final fold will be outside corner as I have illustrated. Repeat this on the other corners. I then cover the raw edges and the exposed board with a black dust cover fabric. The child safety bar is a simple operation. Cut a piece of fabric to size and attach to the board folding your corners. Also attach a piece of black dust cover fabric. Set these pieces aside.

How to Reupholster a Recliner

I started with the footrest and the child safety bar. I use an Osborne staple remover to remove the staples, hence the name staple removerThis particular chair will require 7 yards of fabric. Yours may take more or less. The yardage estimate could be varied because of the width of your fabric, if it has a pattern or not and how that pattern is laid out. If you need help with this send me an email @---------with a picture of your chair and fabric and I can give you a pretty good idea of how much fabric will be required. My customer picked out a solid micro fiber fabric that is a standard 54 inch width. The only thing I have to be aware of when applying this fabric is that it has a nap and I want that nap to go all the same direction. I always run the nap down. Before I start to cut my fabric I square the bottom edge of the fabric. The outside edge is square and by putting my square along the one outside edge and my 72 inch yardstick next to the square I will have a fairly straight edge. I mark it with my chalk and cut on the chalk line with my scissors.

How to Reupholster a Recliner

I then removed the positioning handle.

I then removed the foot rest and child safety bar.

I then removed the mechanism from the arm component. Put all of the bolts, nuts and screws in a safe place as not to lose them

Once when all of the bolts and screws have been removed I lifted the rocker mechanism out and away from the chair. Be careful with this mechanism and watch where you put your fingers least they get pinched. I speak from experience, it hurts like hell. If there are any repairs that need to be made to the mechanism such as replacing rocker springs now is the time to do that. This particular chair is in great shape and does not any type of attention like that. Now we are ready to start to apply the fabric.