Tips to Upholster Outdoor Furniture

Written by: Canada Foam By Mail

You can create your own custom cushions for your outdoor furniture sets with some tools and a simple chair. Reupholstering is a fun art project that is great for people who want that vintage look without spending a lot of money for it.

You can even reupholster custom using a natural latex mattress topper cut to fit the proper dimensions. Read on for tips to revitalize your backyard by reupholstering furniture with custom foam shapes.

Tools

There are a few tools you need to get the job done:

  • Staple gun – You need to be able to secure the fabric over the foam. You can staple the fabric to a wooden board that will act as the seat.
  • Saw – A small X-acto knife will do the trick. You need something big enough to grip in your palm, and sharp enough to cut into fabric. You don’t need to saw, it’s like cutting bread.
  • Pliers and a Hammer – Basic tools for getting rid of the staples inside the chair.
  • Optional Supplies – Paint and glue are handy to keep around for this project. You may not need them depending on what you do, but a touchup can help complete the look.
  • Dremel saw – if you need to cut foam or boards into a shape, this is an important tool to have.

Assemble your tools and get ready to rip out some of the old internals of the chair.

Measure the Seat

Before you start the process, measure the surface area for the seat cushion you plan to replace. You need to measure the seat of the chair, and make sure that you have the dimensions for the cushion all plotted out.

Gut the Chair

This is the most time intensive part of the reupholstery, because you need to remove everything in the seat of the chair. You can use pliers to remove any staples that may be stuck in the original board of the seat, and you should remove any springs as well. Springs used to be the standard for outdoor furniture, but you would need to replace each spring and tie them down again to get the same support. You also need to make sure that all sides of the cushion are cleaned of debris and loose nails or staples.

Putting Everything Together

Cut the foam to match the shape of the seat, then layer the fabric over the whole setting. You should have fabric on bottom with the foam sheet above it. Then you lay the wooden board over the top and staple the fabric onto the board to secure it. You can order upholstery foam from Canada online to save some money, or you can reuse old foam from other projects. Make sure you use one piece of foam, rather than trying to shove multiple pieces into an arrangement. Once the fabric is secured, you can place the seat and you’re ready to enjoy your new chair!