How To Make Over An Office Chair
Do you remember the post I did when I first started blogging about how I transformed my not so pretty home office chair with fabric. Well that office chair makeover – now needs a makeover. I had covered the chair with the black and white prints about 6 years ago.
The back fabric cover held up great – the seat was very thin fabric that I stapled on. It actually wore better than I thought, but it was time to give it a decorating facelift to go with the new color scheme in my craft room… aka my studioffice.
Office Chair Cover: Before
This black and white check office chair cover served me well for many years… but it was getting a bit worn. Good-bye black and white chair.
Office Chair Makeover: After
Hello summer fresh color! I found a woven cotton throw rug at HomeGoods for $7 and used that to make a cover for the back. The green fabric on the bottom is from JoAnn’s.
How to Cover an Office Chair Back Cushion
I used cotton fabric on the seat of the chair and a cotton rag rug for the seat back.
I have even used a colorful beach towel to makeover an office chair. So don’t feel you can only use fabric yardage from a fabric store.
supplies needed:
- Woven cotton rug that is a little wider than the chair back
- Thread
1. Fold rug in half, with right sides facing each other and sew a seam along each side.
2. Turn rug to right side and slip over the back of the chair.
How to Cover an Office Chair Seat With Fabric
supplies needed:
- Fabric – wide enough to wrap around and under the seat cushion on all sides.
- Staple gun and staples
1. Lay fabric on a work surface right side down. Center cushion on top of it. Start on the front of the cushion – pull the fabric up and around the seat and then turn over the raw edge and staple. Repeat on each side of the cushion, making sure you keep the fabric taut and straight if there is a pattern on it.
Turning over the raw edge of the fabric before stapling will keep it looking finished.
2. Work on each corner next. Gather and pull all the fabric on one corner together.
3. Pull the fabric around the corner taut and then staple, pull taut – staple. Keep working your way around the corner until you have all the fabric tight and stapled and no bunches or pleats.
If you do have a pleat – just pull a bit and it will go away. If you are working on a square seat, you can fold the fabric in the corner gift-wrap style and then staple. Cut excess fabric off and then fold over the raw edges and staple them down. Repeat on the other corners.
It should end up looking something like this.
Attach to chair. All done – smooth and taut so when you sit on it the fabric doesn’t move.
How to Paint an Office Chair a New Color
When you want to change the color of an office chair, the easiest way is using spray paint.
Since the bottom of my chair was mostly plastic I used Rust-Oleum spray paint for plastic. It has a subtle sheen and I am very happy with how it adhered and covered.
I placed a drop cloth on my deck and sprayed the chair outside. I left the cushions on at first, but then removed them so I could get all the crevices of the chair with paint. The cushions come off easy with a screwdriver.
I first used the primer since I had it, but it is really for using on plastic when you don’t have special plastic paint. On the label of the Rust-oluem Plastic paint it states that it does not need a primer.
I sprayed one coat of primer and let it dry and then over the course of the afternoon – I added about 4 light coats of paint until the black was all covered.
Reassemble the chair to reveal a brand new look.
Now that my chair is done I will be moving on to the other projects that I want to complete in this room – shelves – file drawers – rug- and electrical cord management. I am eager to get them started.
If you would like to see the tutorial on the first cover I made for the chair you will find it here:
Also, here is a photo of the work station side of my studioffice. You can see the white and pink office chair. It was once black and red. I spray painted the base white and covered the seat and back in white and pink cowhide fabric.
- High Gloss Paint Makeover for My Office Desk
- How to Hide Cords and Wires on a Desk
- Craft Room Tour: Studioffice Changes
