Easy DIY reupholstered bench tutorial

Reupholstered bench easy DIY tutorial

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Here is an easy DIY reupholstered bench tutorial. This project really was so effortless to do and very cost effective. I found this bench at a garage sale for a few dollars and couldn’t pass it up. It has turned wood arm rests and the legs gives it a graceful elegance.

All it needed was a little TLC and would be an easy bench to reupholster. It would look great in my daughter’s room.

After I took the bench home I noticed how rickety it really was. Although, it only needed was a little wood glue to secure the joints. This dainty piece of furniture had tremendous possibility. It deserved to have a new life breathed into it.

We love a good D.I.Y. project to spruce up our home. You can see some of our projects that require a little more skills here and here. If you are a beginner upholsterer, this type of project would be a great place to start.  Also, these instructions would apply to any bench or chair seat.

Reupholstered bench tutorial

Supplies needed:

• Upholstery staple remover or flat head screw driver may work also
• Quilt batting
• Electric carving knife aka turkey carver
• Upholstery foam – I used 2″ for this project
• Fabric of your choice
• Pneumatic staple gun or heavy duty staple gun
• Scissors
• Hot glue
• Iron
• Sanding block
• Spray paint (Color of your choice) or you can also brush on paint
• Wood glue
• Clamps

I removed the seat and took off layers of fabric it had been covered with over the years right down to the original fabric.  Then I realized that it was a true antique not a reproduction, because it was stuffed with hay which most of it had turned to dust.  Synthetic materials weren’t used for upholstery stuffing until 1920’s.  Before then upholstery were stuffed with natural material like horse hair or hay. Being that the wood was in good condition, I was tossed between painting the wood or staining.

After removing the seat, I glued the joints of the frame and used clamps to secure till it dried.

Sand the furniture to get all of the glossy finish off so that the finish will have a good surface to adhere to. I decided to go with painting the frame. Spray painting the wood seemed easier to get into to he groves of the turned wood.

I had chosen this beautiful brocade fabric which went perfect with my daughter’s room.

Unfortunately, I was to excited with the project that I forgot to take pictures of the process. This happens to me every so often.

So, I’ll have to explain step by step, no problem.

Here we go…

After removing all the stuffing from the seat, I traced the foam to the seat. I then cut the foam to the size of the seat using the carving knife. Gluing the foam to the seat base will keep it in place to wrap it with batting. Make sure to pull the batting tight and staple underneath. After that, tuck and fold the corners neatly before stapling. Cut off the excess batting.

Wrapping the seat with cushion and upholstery fabric

 I laid the fabric upside down on the floor and then centered the bench top on the fabric.  Cut the fabric with extra on all four sides to wrap and staple the fabric around the top and onto the underside of the bench.  

I pulled the fabric on one side and used a staple gun to put several staples to hold the fabric in place.  Repeated with the other sides, but left the corners open. Started with one corner then pulled the fabric taut near the top of the rounded corner. Tucked and folded the fabric so it is flat across the corners. Holding the first fold down, I grabbed more of the corner fabric and kept it flat and stapled. I did the same to all the corners. Lastly, I trimmed excess fabric so there no unwanted bulkiness. That can create difficulty in attaching the seat to the frame.

Lastly, I attached the top to the legs after wood was completely dried. I think it looks great and it is a fairly easy project.

You can place an upholstered bench anywhere you need extra seating. It can add a beautiful accent to your space by using fabric to match your decor.

I hope this will encourage those of you thinking about giving reupholstering try.

Thank you for visiting! Have a great day!