We got this rocking chair for $25 thanks to craigslist, because we loved the simple shape and the low back and the rich chunky wood. Plus I’ve been dying to add a rocker to the new house’s living area (since I feed Clara all the time while hanging out in the public part of the house, as opposed to retreating to the nursery or the bedroom). Plus she loves rocking at John’s mom’s house, so we thought it would contribute to good quality time with the bean. But this rocker is obviously lacking a bit in the seat and back cushion area. No worries, we just figured we’ll reupholster it.
Until we realized that we had no earthly idea how to attack the double sided back cushion. As for the seat, we’re planning to remove the boards that make up the bottom, add a foam cushion, staple batting around the back to hold it down/smooth it out, and reupholster that the same way we’d do any removable chair seat (and then screw it back in from the bottom). But the back has us stumped with a capital um.
If you remove the fabric you can see right through the chair. In other words there are two upholstered panels on each side that were probably stapled and then trim was used to cover the staples, but we’re not sure if we should add some structure so it’s not just fabric that supports a person’s weight against the back. That seems like it could sag over time, right? Any ideas? We’ve seen that seat-belt looking stuff that you can weave to create support and we’re wondering if we need to do something like that for the back (so people can lean on the chair without feeling like they’re falling into a hole) and then somehow attach two more fabric panels on either side of it (you know, for a seat-belt sandwich?). Can you tell we have no idea what we’re doing?
Somebody help us!
Meghan says
For the backing I would remove the old material and put some slates in with foam on the front side so you can lean back without going through the chair. Then pick your material and staple it on both sides of the chair just over the foam (staple into the wood just a little bit up from the foam) Then to cover the staples use ribbon or some type of trim (even a small cord would work) and glue it over the staples to hide it (using fabric glue). It’s super easy and looks great! I have done it to an old chair of mine before.. alas I don’t have pictures to show.
tarynkay says
It looks like you could replace the back with more batting and fabric. I don’t like you’ll have support issues, so long as you use actual upholstery fabric- like Maya said, it looks like the chair lasted quite a while that way. Anyhow, I would cut the batting and fabric into two squares, one for each side. Lay the right side (the side you want to show) against the top and fasten it to the wood. Then flip the batting/fabric over your fastening job. It’ll be finicky work, but you can probably fasten the bottom edge and side through the other side. Is this making sense? For the back, just tuck it in and glue gun it down. I agree about the foam cushion for the bottom, too.
Rebecca says
I picked up two chairs with a lovely shape for $50 off Craigslist and also realized I have no idea how to reupholster them. When I walked into Goodwill three days later, I saw a copy of Reupholstery at Home for 60 cents! Serendipidy, hooray! Good luck with your project. I’m sure you’ll find a solution. A local tech school in my area offers reupholstery as a continuing education course, and I wonder if you could find something similar. Or check out a book at the library, which is how I figured out how to do a lot of my DIY projects. I like the idea of restoring the upholstery, so the chair looks the same, only better!
Jenn says
I’m curious to see what the back of the chair looks like and if it’s possible for you to upholster a piece of wood but leave a lip of wood (where it looks like a cushion attached to the middle of a piece of wood) to attach it to the back of the chair, pushing the upholstered cushion section through the hole and letting the lip catch on the back (does that make sense?…it was a little cumbersome to type). But if there’s no way to make a piece of wood added to the back look seamless, then that wouldn’t work.
RLB says
Or, you could resell this and recoupe your money, then find a more traditional rocking chair that you won’t have to spend so much time and money fixing. Just a thought if the backing is causing you too much angst.
Ami V says
oh, my, gosh – you have to do a step by step tutorial when you actually finish this (like you did with the dresser). granted, i’m being selfish – I bought a chair back in March, which has the exact.same.issues -it looks just like yours, and i have NO clue what to do with it – its been sitting in my basement since then with half the fabric pulled off. I would love to see how you solve this mystery!!
Ashley says
I think what you need to do is basically make 2 wood frames the size of the hole. Cover the frames with fabric, folding over and stapling to the other side of the “frame” Cut batting or foam to fit inside, then use fancy tack nails and glue to keep the frame to to chair.
Laurin says
Here is a great old school tutorial in pdf format that you can download and print out for an excellent starters guide to upholstering. While not all of it is applicable for your rocker, it might give you some ideas, and has great pics and easy step-by-step instructions. You found a great chair! Good Luck! xoxo
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/agrs46.pdf
Hillary says
I’m not an expert, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night. Um, I mean, I’ve checked out a few books on upholstery from the library and used them as guidance to re-do some pieces in my house, but none were as far gone as that rocker. I think you are right — I would weave some upholstery webbing in the gaping hole in the back before doing the back cushion. Then a thin layer of foam, batting, welting, and fabric? It would take me a bit of time to figure out what order it all goes in.
Good luck! Can’t wait to see the finished product.
Christy says
I have done a crazy 70’s rocking chair that had a back like that, not fabric but the woven grass stuff. It came out good but you have to take your time with installation so you don’t have exposed staples.
I suggest doing a support in the center and securing it with staples. Then make your fabric and batting combo for the prettiness. Secure with stables and use some decorative trim or piping to hide the staples. I used hot glue and staples for the trim on mine and it looked great.
Melissa says
I would definitely go with some sort of tufted back (see headboard make-overs for instructions) and then a smooth backside. This seems to be in keeping with the age and style of the chair.
bethany says
So, I understand the seat belt material… and I think you’re on the right path there. I have a chair that has a wood (visible) frame, but has cushioning on the front and back with vertical straps on the inside. Everything was attached to the frame with nail heads (or you could staple it and cover with trim). But the woven seat-belt-like straps were what gave it that support while still being comfortable. I think the tricky part would be how to attach the straps? Maybe you can staple them somewhere to the frame? Hope that helps!
Brittany@HairyBabies says
hmm um i have no idea but i’m really looking forward to seeing what you guys come up with! i’m sure it will be amazing.
sheila b says
What if you used a piece of wood like beth mentioned and then nail the piece back on and then used some really cute fabric nails around the edges to hide the other stronger nails. other than that i am clueless also…. Cant wait to see
Catherine says
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGOsDtS7Lfw
This one looks like the best view of how to do the back. You actually don’t put much weight on the back of a chair while sitting, but I’m sure you could add more strength by stapling in some webbing. Plus, don’t you just love the fabric they used?!
Good luck :)
Debra says
I found a site where a woman reupholstered an antique rocking chair and she used pieces of fabric (like the weave you were talking about) and it works great. Here is the tutorial http://firefliesandjellybeans.blogspot.com/2009/09/rocking-chair-reupholster.html
Angie says
You can, and probably should, add some webbing (the seatbelt stuff…) but you don’t need much. Maybe two pieces in each direction. You want to staple it into the front side so you aren’t just pushing the staples out every time you lean back into the chair.
On the back, a layer of polyester batting is all you really need under the fabric.
On the front, I would use a thin foam pad wrapped in upholstery cotton. It shouldn’t need much padding to make it comfortable, since the chair has a nice shape.
If you don’t want to use trim, look for metal “tack strip.” It’s a long flat piece of metal that looks like it has spikes…you put the spikes through the edge of your fabric so that they’re poking out of the right side, then you flip it over and pound it into the chair…. If you go that route and that made no sense….email me. lol I’ll explain better. Otherwise you can just use staples and cover them, or use upholstery tacks with pretty heads. :)
Hope that helps you a little!
Audrey says
I have no idea, I’ll be honest.
I agree with Beth that you could probably screw something in place from underneath, but I’m not sure how you’d hold the top part in place without hardware showing…
Maya’s probably spot on with her suggestion to redo the chair the same way it was already done, with upholstered panels with batting between them to make it comfy – I wouldn’t be overly worried about it sagging, especially not sooner than you decide you want to mix it up and change the fabric you originally chose :)
I really wanted to comment on that video though – I can’t believe you guys got me to waste more than five minutes of my life watching that bizarre song! Well played, you.
PS: the video of Clara laughing is the cutest thing ever. Hope the solid food adventures are going well!
Renee says
You could use jute webbing on the back to add support. That’s what I used to create a seat for a bench when we replaced the wicker seat. (http://thisistotalbs.blogspot.com/2010/10/extreme-makeover-garage-sale-edition.html) You just staple it to the chair frame like you would any batting and fabric. There are lots of “how tos” out there for using jute webbing if you google it and I got mine at Hobby Lobby for 99 cents a yard.
Christa M says
I have no advise other than to look for a youtube video ;) but I’m sure weeding through the thousands of reupholstering videos is just not within your schedule….I am eager to see how this turns out. I’m sure it will be fantastic! Good luck!
Robin says
Here’s something that kind of demonstrates the concept of the webbing I mentioned. But it’s used in the seat.
The back of this chair is different from yours, but I noticed that the upholsterer used a fabric attached to the frame, then placed padding on top of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGOsDtS7Lfw
(I had to turn off the music though.)
I found this by browsing there. YouTube suggests other videos I might like based on what I’m watching and that’s how I found this one.
Renee says
I just noticed that this might be the seat belt looking stuff that you were referring to. I think that would be my first plan of attack since if it doesn’t work it was cheap and staple holes will be the only lasting damage.
Allison says
I’ve done the back of a chair once. It was similar to your chair. The old construction held up a long time. I reupholstered mine the same way it came off, with just fabric, foam, batting, and a piece of cardboard backing. Most of the persons weight will be supported by the wooden frame. It’s more durable than you think. Also, putting a wooden board back there would not be nearly as comfortable. It needs to give a little. As long as it is a strong weave and attached properly, it will be fine. Don’t complicate it. People have been making chairs like that for a long time.
katie says
Hi Friend,
you can add a piece of poster board if you want to go the cheap route…but really I think to answer your question…there are two potential ways to tackle it – one side can be upholstered by pulling the fabric through the ‘hole’ and the other side can be upholstered like you mentioned with staples and some trim. OR you can use tack strips. call me if you have issues. heehee :)
xo -kb
Miriam says
I am in the middle of a reupholstering project myself. I was so proud of myself when I found fabric online, ordered the samples, poured grape juice on them, etc. etc. Ohh the fabric was yum and (ahem!) only $40 for all 8 chairs. OK, so the fabric is hiding in a closet for a few weeks (read: months) already and so I took the plunge to JoAnn’s for the foam. Holy moley! $146 for the 8 chairs. I asked them how they cut it, the employee leaned in real close, lifted up a smallish looking saw and said: We go to Target and buy an electric knife for $10. So I am going back to JoAnn’s with a 40% coupon this weekend. I am soo much more excited about this project now that I KNOW I’m way in over my head!!
Can’t wait to hear other (more constructive) comments.
Colleen says
ironically, I bought a pair of antique chairs with the same issue only it wasn’t just an empty void. I pulled off the fabric and lo-and-behold it was just flimsy cardboard that separated the backing from the front and back. So I had Handy Husband cut the same size of plywood (we were simultaneously finishing out our garage and had some left, so it came in handy). I then added thick batting on the side you’ll sit against and stappled the fabric around it to the back side. Then I cut thinner quilt batting the adequate size and used a little glue to tack it to the other side. I then stappled it as close to the edge of the plywood as I could.
I slid it through the empty hole thing and used some appolstry glue/staple combo and covered it with some contrasting coloured decorative round stuff (I have no idea what the technical name is) to hide the glue/marks/uneven/staples. They look pretty good.
Abby says
Could you use that seatbelt stuff with some heavy duty staples and then upholster two panels to make a sandwich for the front and back and attach those with nail heads?
heyruthie says
this is one area where I’ve both DIY’ed *and* called in expert help. the deciding factor? how comfy i want it–because, you see, the bottom part of the chair probably had springs, or was hand-tied, or something comfier (and springier) than foam and batting on wood. one chair, I just DIY’ed it, like you described. another chair (that we use more often) we had a craftsman re-do the seat portion with a new hand-tied system. and honestly….it’s a LOT comfier. as for the back, you can do it with 2 different “panels” that you recover, and then attach with staples and gimp (sp?–trim, anyway.) enjoy! it’s a beaut!
brianne says
I always look for videos on you tube, sometime seeing someone do it is easier than explaining it. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Katie says
I am a big fan of Sarah’s House on HGTV. She often sends out pieces to be reupholsetered, and in watching the clips they show, it looks like the upholsterer has some sort of tack strip that gets folded into the fabric, then pounded into the wood part of the chair with a rubber mallet. So you are still able to attach the fabric, but instead of seeing all the staples, you get a nice folded and finished edge of fabric. I don’t know if my explanation gave you a good picture of what they did or not. Good luck with this project! I have always wanted to tackle something like this myself but haven’t had the guts yet!
jeff_williams says
For the foam on the seat use your electric carving knife to cut and shape it. For the backing you will need some sort of fill. It looks like it had cotton sandwiched in the middle. You can use decorative nail strips or individual tacks (like on leather furniture) to attach the fabric on the back of the chair. You could also use tie through buttons to keep the fill in place.
heather s. says
I bought a chair last year that I upholstered myself. (http://athomewithh.blogspot.com/2010/02/chair-makeover-story.html) What I did was cut fabric for the back (that you see when looking at the back of the chair) and stapled that to the chair frame so that the fabric was visible in the back. I then wrapped the back support with new batting, laid the fabric on top of it and stapled to the frame. I then covered the staples with nailhead trim. The back support for my chair was simply a piece of cardboard that was slightly curved to match the shape of my chair. The cardboard had batting on top of it to provide cushion. Surprisingly the chair back is very sturdy with the back fabric stapled to the frame and then the cardboard support.
Sorry, its hard to describe without seeing the pics.
Lauren says
Oooh! I’m excited for the outcome and really hope you all plan on posting the how-to on this change when its all said and done. I’ve come across a fair number of chairs similar to this but walk away because I’m stumped at where to even begin even though in my mind I see the beautfil after image of what it could be.
Looking forward to an after pic and breakdown!
Jeri says
So glad you posted this, and anxiously awaiting the responses. I’ve had a similar chair in my attic for about 10 years (yikes!) that I love but can’t use due to the exact same problem, and am too cheap to take it to a professional.
Heather M says
You might want to take a look at this post: http://decoriadore.blogspot.com/2010/04/thrift-store-find.html
She found a few different examples from other blogs, so you’ll get a few different “how-to’s” on one page. Good luck!
laurie eller says
i’m working on a chair like this right now, almost done. here’s a photo of it so far…
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs828.snc4/68874_1655994648100_1484111849_3154833_4452595_n.jpg
the sides are completely open and i had to put batting between the layers. i did add more padding and also an extra piece of fabric (in a white/blue ticking, has a bit of substance to it) and then added my decor fabric on top. the tricky part is the trim. i made my own piping (which is NOT difficult, just time-consuming) and there are tons of vids on youtube to help you along.
good luck! i am sure that when you are finished, it will be great. oh, by the way, here’s a before of my chair. i got her for 22 bucks. :)
http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash2/hs159.ash2/41292_1581561067307_1484111849_2993497_2049842_n.jpg
good luck!
laurie
Amy says
I need upholstery help too! but I have a big armchair that would look silly with those stretchy covers because the pillows are detached. I’d like to do it myself, since I got the thing for $50 and nice leather armchairs sell at Homegoods for $300, I don’t want to pay to have it done. Plus, my dog thinks it is his bed. If anyone has links to DIY sites or books, please share!
cate s. h. says
I just took an upholstery class and refinished some chairs with a similar back design.
-Pull out all of the old fabric, padding, staples. There should be some sort of lip or channel to which you will staple all of the replacement fabric/straps/batting.
-staple the new back fabric, keeping it taught
-staple some straps (the seatbelt stuff you mention) You can get nylon or jute cheaply at a fabric store
-cut a piece of foam to the shape of the hole (1-2″ thick?)
-wrap the foam in batting to make it fluffy
-hold it against the straps (you can use spray adhesive to keep it in place, if you want)
-staple your front-facing fabric snugly over the batting/foam. Do this carefully, keeping the “pull” consistent all of the way around. Staple the heck out of it.
-trim the edges of that fabric very close to your staples.
-hot glue some trim or welting/piping over the staples
Voila…you’re done.
(keep in mind if the new back fabric is light in color or if it’s thin, the straps may show through)
:)
Heather says
Hi guys!
I’ve never left a comment before but I enjoy your blog!:}
I have done quite a bit of upholstery for myself so here goes…. on the back remove old fabric- place your new fabric on the inside of the chair right side facing out-staple or tack around the edges as tightly as possible – place a thin layer of batting staple(just a few to hold in place)-at this point you put a layer of burlap stretched tightly- staple in place- then put a thicker layer of batting this will be what you see on the front- then place your front fabric facing out over that last layer of batting and staple in place. You can now cover the staples with gimp/braid(that is fabric glued in place) or grosgrain ribbon with decorative tacks to hold it in place. It should be a firm back now because of all the layers you have just put on(provided you kept the outer layers tight and smooth. You can also in place of the burlap use jute upholstery webbing although that is a little harder to get tight and smooth(you need to use a web stretching tool). I’ve taken many chairs apart and several have been made just like this one and sit very well! Hopefully this helps! Can’t wait to see the finished product!
Heather
KatyB says
I would not use the wood on the back. You would have to use thin wood and it could splinter when someone leans back. Not what anyone would want to hear when relaxing. You could have some weight paranoid guests on your hands. Professionals sometimes use heavy cardboard.
Personally, I would use jute webbing. You need to pull it really tight. It would help to have a stretcher, but they are really expensive. I have seen people make their own with a piece of wood and nails.
You might want to consider scrapping the wood on the seat as well. You could use the webbing on that and add to the comfort. You can also purchase a synthetic webbing that has some lycra, thus making it really comfortable. Or, you could really restore it and add the springs.
Upholstery is so fun and satisfying! Enjoy!
Ashley McCormick Photography says
Ok, so I know NO clue how to recover furniture, but that music video totally made my day. Wow. Talk about early 90’s fabulous… fantastic :)
Rachael says
I have no upholstery advice for you, but i just wanted to say that video cracked me up and got my Friday morning off to a good start!! I can’t wait to see how the chair turns out, I’m sure you guys have already gotten tons of great advice. Happy Friday!
Emily says
Lots of chairs dont have solid support on the whole back. Looks like this one supports the lower back and the upper back, so will there really be a lot of weight depending on the cushion area to hold it up? I personally dont think you need any reinforcement there… then again, I may change my mind if I could actually sit in it and see.
Cara says
I think you’re on the right path with the seatbelt material since it’s strong and supportive (and can be easily secured to the wood chair frame) but still “gives” when someone sits in the chair. Plywood seems too stiff and rigid – kind of defeating the purpose of a comfy rocker.
Have you seen the seatbelt-type material sold at fabric stores that has almost a burlap color and texture? I think it would be neat to weave a new chair back with that material and not even cover it with fabric. It would have great texture and a rustic chic vibe!
jo says
This is a beautiful chair. I’d love to be able to get my hands on a project like this! My thought is that if the back was not designed for webbing, you’re going to have a tough time getting the webbing tacked in and covering it up without a lot of lumps around the edges. I also think you may be underestimating the strength of well-chosen and well-secured fabric. If you do it right, I don’t think sitting in the chair will feel like you’re falling into the hole in the back.
If you want it extra-sturdy, I would try putting the batting in the hole, and on each side, before you put in the upholstery fabric, staple in some sturdy canvas, stretched tight to provide support. Over the top of that, then you put in your chosen upholstery fabric, and cover the edges with trim.
You can kind of see, in the original upholstery job, where there were two layers of fabric stapled on each side. If you can dissect and analyze the previous upholstery job, you should be able to get a better idea about how to do the next one. The best advice I’ve gotten when dissecting upholstery is to keep a notebook, and take notes on all the steps you did as you take the chair apart. Then, you follow those steps in reverse in putting it back together with new materials.
Good luck with this project! I can’t wait to see the results.
marilyn says
Looks like you’ve got lots of good tips! I mostly just wanted to say I love the chair. Can’t WAIT to see the refinished wood. I like heather s.’s example with the nail head trim! That would be a pretty way to attach the back — you wouldn’t have to worry about hiding the hardware if it was cool like that.
Sarah says
What a coincidence – I’m currently working on a huge reupholstery project! (Well, huge for me.)
http://room2think.wordpress.com/2010/10/27/how-to-reupholster-a-wingback-rocker-part-iii/
I’ve learned a ton from the book Singer Upholstery Basics Plus. I would suggest to do it the “right” way, put webbing in at least the back, if not the seat too. Apparently the jute webbing with the red stripe is for seats (it has less give) and the black stripe is for seat backs/arms. You will need some foam and batting, a tack hammer, and some upholstery tacks at the very least. Just put the foam on both sides, cover with batting and staple the batting loosely, then cover and staple the fabric around. I agree with the nailhead trim idea – you could even use a coordinating piece of matching fabric/trim to put the nailhead through.
Kate says
I’ve recovered a few things including an upholstered chair and a couch. The thing I’ve figured out is that taking something apart can help a lot. You become more comfortable and familiar with how these things are put together. I think the burlap strips would work, but you have to staple them in and I can’t tell how thick that wood is. They do make upholstery clips that may work, but I’ve never used them so not sure if they’re easy. I wouldn’t use wood for reinforcement, cause it would be too hard and stiff, imo.
Check out some upholstery suppliers. They make all kinds of stuff to make reupholstering easier. There’s these wavy, flat metal springs they make for upholstered chairs. Those may work, but I think the burlap strips are the way to go.
Another idea, if you got the metal tacking strip, you may not need reinforcement (depending on your fabric). Or you could line your fabric with something sturdy (denim, maybe duck cloth) and just skip the burlap. Good luck!
Oh, and FYI, it’s addictive.
andrea p says
What are you guys thinking in terms of fabric for the new chair? So curious! Great find!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Andrea P,
We have no idea about the fabric yet- just something durable and kid & dog resistant. And maybe something saturated- just to add a pop of personality. Everyone loves a bright happy rocker, right?
xo,
s
Jenn L @ Peas and Crayons says
I have no idea… but… “YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!” (yes, spoken like the one and only Rob Schneider.. haha)
Good luck guys!
xoXOxo