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    Home » Repurposed Furniture » Chair » Reupholster Rocking Chair

    Reupholster Rocking Chair

    Published by Gail | Published August 23, 2011 | Updated June 24, 2021
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    Yesterday, I showed you how to repair and stain an antique rocking chair.

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    Today, I’m going to show you how to  reupholster rocking chair.

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    I used the seat to make a pattern to cut the foam.

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    Using a serrated knife is really the only way to cut foam. (a lot of people used electric knives, but I don’t own one)

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    This is where it gets a little funny. Jan and I both thought the front board should be covered up because it was in such bad shape.

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    I sent Jan these photos to see which way she’d prefer the front board to be covered.

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    We both agreed that it would look better to cover the skirt individually and then the cushion separate. You can see some cotton batting in the left corner. I don’t have pictures, but I put the cotton batting over the foam cushion.

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    This chair is huge, and it about whooped my behind! I was so sore from crawling around the living room floor.

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    I pulled and tugged on that leather so much. I don’t have any “in progress” pictures. If you’ve ever battled with something like this before, you know that you get so caught up in the “fight” that you forget to pick up your camera till it’s almost over.

    Not pictured - To attach the seat to the skirt, I used 4 “L” brackets, one on each of the four sides.

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    This chair is so large and wide that it was nearly impossible for me to move it around by myself. It’s so wide, that it wouldn’t fit through the bedroom door without turning it over on it’s side. Jan and her husband really love their new chair.

    EDITED TO ADD: (Jan’s comment from below)

    Hubby loves, loves, loves this chair. A little story about the leather. Hubby had bought it to reupholster a Dukes of Hazard car he had purchased 25 years ago. Unfortunately, the car was stolen last year and all hubby had left of it was this leather.
    So this rocker really means a lot to him.

    gail

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. C

      March 20, 2013 at 2:14 am

      You did it again! Looks awesome 🙂

      Reply
    2. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper

      August 31, 2011 at 12:29 am

      that looks to me kind of like an intimidating project, but you make it look so easy!

      Reply
    3. Cassie @ Primitive & Proper

      August 31, 2011 at 12:29 am

      that looks to me kind of like an intimidating project, but you make it look so easy!

      Reply
    4. Full Circle Creations

      August 26, 2011 at 2:00 pm

      Love it!

      Holly

      Reply
    5. Full Circle Creations

      August 26, 2011 at 2:00 pm

      Love it!

      Holly

      Reply
    6. Emmabearscloset

      August 25, 2011 at 3:47 pm

      I KNOW THIS IS OFF THE SUBJECT BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PICK YOUR BRAIN...I HAVE SOME LEFT OVER DRAWER FRONTS..WHAT CAN I DO WITH THEM? ITS JUST THE FACES OF THE DRAWER..THE REST OF THE DRAWER AND I JUST COULDNT THROW THEM AWAY

      Reply
    7. Heidi@TheCraftMonkey

      August 23, 2011 at 10:13 pm

      so cool! great job! Boo for stolen cars!

      Reply
    8. Suzanne@Meridian Road

      August 23, 2011 at 9:05 pm

      Wow! What a great looking chair! I love the leather, and the way you recovered it looks so good~very professional.

      Reply
    9. Corn in my Coffee-Pot

      August 23, 2011 at 6:14 pm

      A massive chair like this deserves nothing but leather.
      I LOVE it! ...great job, Gail!

      Pat

      Reply
    10. Cousin B

      August 23, 2011 at 4:52 pm

      I LOVE this chair! When I saw it, it reminded me of one I use to have and gave away because I was redecorating....Ugh! Now, I'm ready for it again! You did a fantastic job, and thanks for sharing the part abut hubbies car. That makes it even more special.

      Reply
    11. Good Time Charlie

      August 23, 2011 at 3:40 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for the great tips. Martha's got nothing on you! Thanks for sharing. -K

      Reply
    12. Becky@Beyond The Picket Fence

      August 23, 2011 at 2:40 pm

      It turned out beautifully. I hate cutting foam, it gives me the chills. I use an electric knife and grin and bear it.

      Reply
    13. Sandi @ The Primitive Skate

      August 23, 2011 at 2:29 pm

      Amazing transformation! You did an awesome job, Gail! Glad they like the chair.

      Reply
    14. I Play Outside The Box

      August 23, 2011 at 2:28 pm

      That turned out beautiful Gail...wish it was mine. Ü

      Reply
    15. Korrie@RedHenHome

      August 23, 2011 at 1:17 pm

      I'm so glad they love the chair, especially the husband! Mostly husbands don't get too excited about furniture 😉

      Reply
    16. Terri

      August 23, 2011 at 12:47 pm

      That color leather compliments the stain beautifully...the rocker turned out GREAT!

      I know what you mean about that whole "recovering" business...you pull and tug so many ways...a person could definitely use at least one more hand during this process!

      Hilarious story about the leather...well, it was funny to us, but probably not to him, lol!

      Reply
    17. Proper Prim

      August 23, 2011 at 12:40 pm

      Gail you did an amazing job on that chair. I have the perfect spot for that in my living room...lol

      Hope you are having a great day.

      Hugs, Deb

      Reply
    18. Rose @ Confessions of a Curbshopaholic

      August 23, 2011 at 11:47 am

      It came out great! Leather must have been tough to work with, but the end result is soooo nice.
      I love your solution to covering the broken up front piece. Very clever.

      Reply
    19. Jan

      August 23, 2011 at 11:42 am

      Hubby loves, loves, loves this chair. A little story about the leather. Hubby had bought it to reupholster a Dukes of Hazard car he had purchased 25 years ago. Unfortunately, the car was stolen last year and all hubby had left of it was this leather.
      So this rocker really means a lot to him.

      Reply
    20. Sue

      August 23, 2011 at 10:59 am

      Awesome make-over Gail! I once recovered our old dining room chairs in faux leather, even if it's better to clean, I would use fabric the next time (I hate sticking to chairs in the summer ;o)).
      Have a great day, looks like we will have another cool one with rain.
      Sue

      Reply
    21. Susan

      August 23, 2011 at 10:50 am

      The chair looks amazing!

      Reply
    22. Sewandthecity

      August 23, 2011 at 9:22 am

      Oh you are so clever! The chair looks fabulous!

      Reply
    23. Amanda

      August 23, 2011 at 8:45 am

      The chair looks fantastic, can hardly believe its the same one! Fantastic job

      Reply
    24. Toqua's Crafts

      August 23, 2011 at 7:45 am

      The seat looks WONDERFUL Gail!

      Seeing your recover reminded me that my grandmother's chair had dark brown leather on it. Funny how different things remind of things from our past.

      Have a GREAT day!

      Reply

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    Hi, there! I’m Gail Wilson, the author and mastermind behind My Repurposed Life. I’m obsessed with finding potential in unexpected places and believe that with a little hard work and imagination, any old thing can be made useful again—myself included! I hope you’ll enjoy the journey and pick up a few tools along the way… literally!

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