It will look fine, the only reason you run the risk of something not looking good over old fabric is if the new fabric is tighter than the old causing folds on the surface of the old fabric. Usually we would put at least a layer of dacron over top the old fabric to give it some space and a little more plush. There's nothing wrong with just going right over the top of the old if this is your own dining chairs. If it was a customers chairs I wouldn't but for your own go right ahead. The advantage of going over the old also is that the foam is compressed already to the shape that it should be from the fabric being pulled over it. So instead of worrying about how tight to make the new fabric or how to work the foam into a nice rounded shape, you just go right over top. Answer from zachismyname89 on reddit.com
Four Generations One Roof
fourgenerationsoneroof.com › home › diy tutorials › how to reupholster a chair the quick and easy way
How To Reupholster A Chair | Four Generations One Roof
August 24, 2025 - Start by draping your fabric over your chair (leaving the old fabric on the chair) simply to get an idea of how your chair will look. I am a visual person so I need to do this prior to starting any project. I started by cutting my fabric for the two inside pieces first. (see below) yes! you can reupholster a chair without removing old fabric
Reddit
reddit.com › r/upholstery › can i reupholster right over fabric without removing staples?
r/upholstery on Reddit: Can I reupholster right over fabric without removing staples?
October 27, 2024 -
I am attempting to reupholster kitchen table chairs. They are in good condition, it’s just that the cream fabric is stained. Can I just put the new fabric right over without taking out the staples and having to re-do the slip cover?
Top answer 1 of 10
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It will look fine, the only reason you run the risk of something not looking good over old fabric is if the new fabric is tighter than the old causing folds on the surface of the old fabric. Usually we would put at least a layer of dacron over top the old fabric to give it some space and a little more plush. There's nothing wrong with just going right over the top of the old if this is your own dining chairs. If it was a customers chairs I wouldn't but for your own go right ahead. The advantage of going over the old also is that the foam is compressed already to the shape that it should be from the fabric being pulled over it. So instead of worrying about how tight to make the new fabric or how to work the foam into a nice rounded shape, you just go right over top.
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Let me ask you this, would you put clean clothes on over dirty clothes?
Videos
18:00
HOW TO REUPHOLSTER A CHAIR | THE LOOK FOR LESS - YouTube
06:31
How to Reupholster Dining Chairs - DIY Tutorial - YouTube
12:04
Arm chair revamp, no sewing!! easy tutorial - YouTube
14:07
Let's give this girl a makeover! Chair Makeover that is. - YouTube
Reupholstering - Can I leave the old fabric, foam, stuffing ...
06:33
How to Reupholster a Chair - YouTube
Bigger Than the Three of Us
biggerthanthethreeofus.com › home › how to reupholster dining chairs, with video tutorial
How To Reupholster Dining Chairs, with Video Tutorial
February 18, 2023 - Yes, you add upholstery fabric for dining chairs right over the original fabric if the original fabric isn't too thick. I talked about this more in depth in the video and have reupholstered a chair without removing the fabric before.
Southerncrushathome
southerncrushathome.com › how to reupholster a couch (without removing the old fabric)
How to Reupholster a Couch (Without Removing the Old Fabric)
April 28, 2022 - The easiest way is to flip the bottom of the couch over and use a flathead screwdriver or heavy-duty drill to remove the existing tack strips or screws. Once you remove the old screws, you can easily lift off the couch seat to reupholster.
The Spruce
thespruce.com › how-to-reupholster-a-chair-seat-1313553
How to Reupholster a Chair: Step-By-Step Guide
August 26, 2025 - Pressing around the perimeter of ... this step if your fabric doesn't have a pattern. ... Turn the new fabric right-side down and put the old seat cover on top as a pattern....
Home with Marieza
homewithmarieza.com › reupholstering a chair with a back
Reupholstering a Chair with a Back
May 27, 2025 - My initial plan was to cover the seat and back without taking the whole chair apart. I soon realized it wasn’t possible because the bolts holding the seat and back together must go through the fabric. Trying to work around them would result in a poorly executed job. Once I removed the bolts, it actually simplified the whole reupholstering process. Be prepared; removing tack nails and staples is a tedious job! It’s going to keep you busy for a while. Older chairs usually need new foam for the seat or, at the very least, a little extra foam.
Erin Spain
erinspain.com › home › blog › my lazy girl’s guide to reupholstering chairs {a tutorial}
My Lazy Girl's Guide to Reupholstering Chairs {A Tutorial} - Erin Spain
January 13, 2022 - There’s no “true” way to be lazy when reupholstering, but I at least eliminated the step of totally removing the seat cushion and all of the old fabric. ... I’m going to show you how I upholstered these cane barrel chairs (which I posted about here), using the easiest method I could ...
Facebook
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How to reupholster a chair without removing arms and legs?
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Hearty Sol
heartysol.net › home › how to upholster a chair the easy way!
How to Upholster a Chair the Easy Way! - Hearty Sol
February 2, 2023 - I decided that for this piece I would not need to take the existing upholstery off of the chair but instead place the fabric right over the top of the old stuff.
Thriftyandchic
thriftyandchic.com › 2013 › 08 › how-to-reupholster-chair-seat-when-it.html
How to reupholster a chair seat when it won't come off — Thrifty and Chic
Working on the folds and tucks first on the arms and the back. Once I got the folds in place, I then folded the fabric under (I purposely left about an inch allowance around the whole thing for the fold), and used a staple gun to secure the ...
Hymns & Home
hymnsandhome.com › diy projects › furniture makeovers › how to reupholster a dining chair seat: everything you need to know
How to Reupholster a Dining Chair: Step by Step - Hymns & Home
July 3, 2022 - If you can’t access the holes due to fabric being in the way, you can carefully cut little notches to expose the screw holes. Yay! How exciting! You just reupholstered a dining chair seat! It is entirely possible to just skip the part about removing the old fabric and batting and to put new fabric right on top.
PatternReview.com
sewing.patternreview.com › SewingDiscussions › topic › 72410
Resources for learning how to reupholster a chair sewing discussion topic @ PatternReview.com
I took a course years ago at a community college to redo a chair and I learned very quickly why it is so expensive to have someone redo furniture! The college (in Jacksonville, FL) had all the industrial machines and the teacher did beautiful work himself and ended up reupholstering a sectional sofa for us (his prices were less than a regular shop) and the pattern matching was impeccable.
Quora
quora.com › Can-you-reupholster-over-existing-fabric
Can you reupholster over existing fabric? - Quora
The side strips on the back panel and the decorative cloth beading around the cushions and arms. You have to remove the front cap from the arms, if the old piece has a skirt, you should cut it short or remove it completely. For a r...
Custom Gaming Chair
customgamingchair.com › home › how to reupholster a chair without removing old fabric?
How To Reupholster A Chair Without Removing Old Fabric? Custom Gaming Chair
June 22, 2023 - Start by removing any loose threads or debris from the old fabric. Then, using your scissors, cut the new fabric into pieces that are large enough to cover each section of the chair. Make sure to leave a few inches of extra fabric on each side to allow for tucking and stapling.
YouTube
youtube.com › ingrid in bosnia
PART 1 HOW TO REUPHOLSTER A DINING CHAIR WITHOUT SEWING STEP BY STEP GUIDE | TAPACIRANJE STOLICA - YouTube
This is my biggest DIY project ever that really tired me up after and even my arm muscle was so swollen and painful. We had a problem with our dining chair s...
Published March 31, 2020 Views 49K
Pinterest
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Pinterest
February 17, 2018 - BEFORE: AFTER: Using the same process as before (click here to see) I simply covered the old ugly fabric with new using a staple gun. As you can see I covered the wood "detail" on the wings of the chair with batting and then covered it with fabric.
Instructables
instructables.com › workshop › furniture
How to Reupholster a Chair : 15 Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables
October 26, 2017 - Be cognizant of where batting and foam pieces are – some of them need to be removed to get to where fabric was stapled in, and some (like in this picture) should be left along because there is nothing further to remove. Here is a tip: if you want your chair to be more comfortable, you can go ahead and add more batting or foam at this point.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/furniturerestoration › how to reupholster a chair
r/furniturerestoration on Reddit: How to reupholster a chair
October 28, 2024 -
Found this beauty on the side of the road (for free!!!) took her home and tried to clean her but the fabric started ripping. Has great bones and I love the style, how hard would it be to reupholster? Any tips?
Top answer 1 of 11
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It’s only hard if you don’t have any crafting/sewing skill or the tools necessary. It also depends on how good you want it to look when you’re finished. There are lots of videos online that will show you what to do. Community colleges often offer adult education classes in reupholstering and you can work on your chair with them.
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Save the pieces to use as a pattern, hopefully the inside is in decent condition. I dont think it will be real hard for you, get a good upholstery fabric. It's a beautiful chair.
Songbird
songbirdblog.com › how-to-reupholster-chair-while-trying
How to recover a chair: step by step DIY guide
June 20, 2023 - The slightly less old TNT bags were used for my second chair. Let’s get on with my guide on how to reupholster a chair. Screwdriver (works) or an Upholstery Staple Remover (works sooo much better), pliers · Hand stapler (works) or an Electric Staple Gun (way better), staples (order more than you’ll think you need) Bread knife (works) or an Electric Knife (easier to use) ... Durable fabric of your choice (measure the current material, add at least 20% and you’ll know how much fabric you need.
Better Homes & Gardens
bhg.com › decorating › do-it-yourself › fabric-paper-projects › diy-chair-upholstery-guide
Your Step-by-Step Guide to How to Reupholster a Chair
September 22, 2025 - Use fabric glue or decorative upholstery tacks to secure excess fabric to the back of the reupholstered chair. ... Cut a piece of black breathable fabric for the underside of the chair using the old piece as your guide.