How Do You Upholster the Back of a Dining Room Chair?

Upholstering a dining chair back means handling two separate panels: the padded inside back you lean against, and the outside back that conceals every staple. This guide works through both, starting with careful stripping and photographing of the original construction, then checking foam, webbing and wadding before any new fabric goes on. It explains the centre out stapling sequence that keeps the weave square, how to notch fabric cleanly around back posts, and the three standard ways to finish an outside back panel including cardboard tack strips and blind stitching with a curved needle. There is guidance on choosing fabrics that cope with hands and walls, using two complementary fabrics, and recognising the deep buttoned or sprung backs that are genuinely better left to a professional. Finishing details such as piping, contrast outside backs and simple buttoning are covered too, along with how to keep the finished chair looking right over the years....