How to Reupholster a Rocking Chair: A Step by Step Guide

Do you have an old rocking chair or plan on getting a used one from a friend or garage sale? Is the fabric worn out or do you simply want to refresh your beloved rocker a bit? You might have wondered how to reupholster a rocking chair to make it look great again.

In this post we check practical tips and techniques to successfully reupholster your rocker. Possibilities are practically limitless and you might be surprised on the great results you can obtain. You can also check out our post on how to paint your rocker to fully renovate your rocking chair!

Because there are so many reupholstery methods and techniques, we decided take a general approach on the matter. You should be able to apply most of these reupholstery steps on most furnitures.

From there you can add or adapt specific steps for your rocker. Nevertheless, we tried to include particular steps that apply to most antique, vintage and modern rocking chairs.

The overall reupholstering process consist of three major phases, each with several steps.

By changing the padding (type, placement) and fabric (color, texture and pattern) you get practically a brand new rocker at a cheap price. The combination of these elements makes endless design possibilities.

Plus, since you are reupholstering, you might as well varnish the wood or add coatings to metallic parts. That way, besides looking pristine its ready to last much more.

You can even achieve a great mix of antique design with modern colors and patterns that looks really original and eye catching. Ready? Let’s make an awesome job on your upholstery project!

On the right is an example of an originally reupholstered and painted Thonet antique rocker.

Evaluate to What Extent You Can Reupholster Your Rocking Chair

Your rocker’s model, materials and overall condition will determine which renewing method you can use and to what extent.Also check if you need to clean your outdoor cushions before considering changing fabrics.

Most rocking chairs either have padded cushioning (fixed or loose). If that is not your case you can always add or learn how to make removable cushions.

Some of the most common upholstering methods and techniques include the use of strings to join fabric sides, visible upholstery nails, drop in seats and panels, buttons, among others.

We cannot cover them all in a single step by step guide but we did try to include different techniques and scenarios in some of the steps.

A Doable DIY Rocking Chair Reupholstery Project

You should not have any apprehension on how to reupholster a rocking chair. It is a relatively simple DIY project that does not requiere any heavy or expensive equipment, tools or materials.

The overall upholstery project should not cost much (under US$100), as tools and materials are relatively cheap to find. Plus it’s actually a relatively calm and comforting activity to do on any given day.

Needed materials for reupholstering a Rocker

Enough fabric (Tip: wait until you take out flat all the pattern in order to calculate total fabric needed, plus add 10-15% more or add 2 inches to the sides of the new fabric layout)
A staple gun or stapler
A flexible tape measure
Fabric scissors or more classical fabric shears
Sewing thread in same color as fabric
Thread snippers and seam rippers for cutting threads
Upholstery foam, Dacron polyester or cotton batting andfoam cushion
Pliersandtack puller (if needed)
wood paint
Wood glue
Upholstery magnetic tack hammer and tacks (if needed)
Dust covers for chair underside (if needed)

How to Reupholster a Rocking Chair Without Damaging Old Fabrics and Padding

1 – Carefully Remove the Staples, Tacks, Fabric and Padding

Assess the way the fabric is attached on your rocker’s structure. The previous upholstery method dictates the tools you need for detaching the different parts on your old chair.

Check the underside of the seat, back, chair base or other areas. Carefully pull the staples and/or tacks, in order to avoid damaging the wood.

Upholstered fabric is often attached with a dust cover, which you will mostly replace as it’s a rather delicate material.

By removing the dust cover you should see the inner attachments and settings from where you can easily remove the old fabric.

Then remove each old upholstery part together with the respective padding (foam, batting) that goes with it.

You might need to unscrew the seat or back panel of some traditional wooden rockers, on which the upholstery is attached. They are usually supported by some plywood sheet.

Upholstered back panels are a little less evident to remove, as both sides are visible and details are much more cared for. But if you observe closely, you should be able to spot staples, stitchings, nails or some sort of fabric arrangement that covers these. Just remove them gently with a plier or another appropriate tool like a flat screwdriver to pry it out.

2 – Label Each Removed Part

If you have more than one side to reupholster make sure to label each part in order to avoid mistakes when placing them. A good way to label is marking the chair side initials as SL (side left), FLP (front low panel), S (seat) and so on.

Some upholstered rocking chairs have interior padded parts intended to protect the internal structure.

Therefore sometimes you might need to take out the batting in order to continue removing the rest of the upholstery materials.

Just remember to put it back, usually you will be able to keep using it as it should have minimum wear.

At this point you might see internal damage on the wood or metal, such as broken parts, rust or maybe even mold! Do not worry, seize the opportunity to repair these issues. Items found in a garage sale or tend to

Whether it be tighten loosen screws or adding new ones, glue loose parts, replace broken ones and so on.

So as you see is not just changing fabrics, but no worries our reupholstery guide should allow anyone to do a fantastic job!

Now is a good time to paint on apply protective coats on metallic or wooden parts. Whether it’s just to interior parts or to the whole frame of the rocking chair, technique is practically the same. For more, check out our post on how to paint your rocking chair.

You might need to peal off or sand the old paint first to give the wood a smooth surface.

Also, check the sturdiness of the rocking chair’s wooden frame to see if it needs wood glue or extra.

It is advisable to take notes, pictures or shorts videos of the way the original upholstery was setup. In case some fabric parts are stitched together, undo the sewing to separate them.

3 – Evaluate the Need to Change the Padding, Batting or Other Parts

Gently take the padding and batting out, label it and join each part with the removed fabric from that same side.

If the rocking chair is old, you might need to change the webbing, used traditionally to support seat and back panels. They tend to stretch and even break after a long period of use, specially the older traditional ones in jute.

Take into account that the black stripped jute webbing is used for the chair’s back and the red stripped for the seat, as it is stronger. But because this material lacks elasticity, professionals usually add coil springs on top of it. This makes the whole process a little more complex…

Does your rocker use batting? If not, you might consider adding some when reupholstering, to add a little extra comfort. Just think on placing it on top of the padding foam.

Nowadays rubber webbing is very popular, easier to apply and elastic enough. Bear into account that you will need a webbing stretcher to tense it rightly.

4 – Iron Flat the Removed Fabric Parts

We recommend to iron the different patterns flat so they recover their full length. Stretched fabric areas will be looser but normally this does not affect total lengths of the piece. The measures between corners will usually remain pretty close as they were originally.

Reupholstering Phase 2: Measure, Cut, and Organize Parts

5 – Place the Patterns Flat and Organize Parts

Lay the new fabric flat on the floor or on top of large table. If you change the padding and/or batting place it together with the corresponding fabric pieces. It is important to organize the different parts used for reupholstering in order to work more efficiently.

Make sure you choose an upholstery fabric that respects the type of use, feel, pattern or other key elements needed to meet your goals on this reupholstery project.

Your fabric choice should account for interior or exterior use and also the use of cushions (extra fabric).

Place the patterns flat one next to the other on top of the new fabric, with sufficient space in between to allow for possible adjustments.

Delineate the detached patterns on top of the new fabric with a pen or chalk in order to cut the shapes into new patterns.

Don’t forget to add approximatly 1.5 inches to the sides for stretching and stapling/stitching.

6 – Remove the Padding and Batting If Necessary

Take into account that cotton padding tends to get uneven if not applied correctly with the right amount of tightness and distribution. Nevertheless, it feels softer and tends to hold the shape better over time than synthetic padding.

Polyester padding will loose its memory more rapidly but it is cheaper and easier to cut. Plus it will not absorb as much humidity as cotton, the reason why it is widely used for outdoor rockers.

Dacron is one popular example of a polyester type of batting. Often added on top of cotton batting or foam to soften edges, add exra soft comfort and fill evenly all areas.

If it results difficult to fully remove some fabric parts, thus getting incomplete parts, you can always measure the distance between sides with a flexible tape measure.

Don’t forget to measure back-front and left-right sides at their widest point and add close to 1.5 inches at both ends. This in order to include areas for stitching, sewing, stapling, gluing or nailing, required for rocking chair reupholstery.

In case you are planning on changing the padding and batting, take the exact same measures as the parts you are removing. You can always change the padding type, just make sure to select the right measures to obtain the desired comfort and looks.

TIP: Take advantage of the fact that you removed the fabric to change the rocker’s current padding / batting. Bare in mind that these materials tend to accumulate significant levels of mites, mold and other undesirable things. Plus, you surely will appreciate to gain some extra comfort.

Reupholstering Phase 3: Put Together All Parts

7 – Start Reupholstering in “Backwards Mode”

At this point you start placing the different parts, whether it be foam, padding or batting. It is important to follow the same order in which they were originally placed.

So the last parts you removed should be the first to be placed back on or replaced. Now is a good time to check the notes, pictures or videos taken earlier when removing the different parts.

To reupholster a rocking chair you need to place inside parts first. These are easier to place as you do not need to focus much on finishing looks (staples, tacks, stitching). Seat and back panels tend to go at the end, except of course, some exceptions based on the rocker’s design.

If the rocker you are reupholstering uses panels for the seat or back, try to secure the padding on top of it. You can always add a little wood glue for holding the padding on the panel while you place the bating and fabric.

Don’t hesitate to use the staple gun as you might need to secure parts tightly together.

For antique rocking chairs, it is advisable to re-use the old padding if it’s still possible. Add just the right amount of padding/batting in the paces that need it, not more not less. That way you avoid loosing the original shape of the padding.

8 – Choose The Reupholstery Attaching Technique and Cut Excess Fabric

Different upholstery methods require different reupholstering approaches. The most common of them consist of stapling the extra fabric on the back/side part of a wooden frame; this could be a panel or a fixed frame.

Smaller tacks where used for antique rocking chair reupholstery, but no worries you can use staples instead. In this step, make sure to evenly stretch the fabric throughout the whole area and distribute the same pressure on the padding.

Some professionals like to start stapling with the ‘cross technique’. That is applying a few staples at the center of each side to tightly hold the fabric.

Then, continue stapling the rest of the sides while stretching the fabric the same way as with the center staple.

Another common technique is using tacks, which can be ornamental.

While stapling, make sure you are folding the fabric the same way you found it when taking it out. Remember to leave 1.5 inches of extra fabric for proper handling and stretching. No worries, you can always trim the excess fabric once you are sure you will no longer need it.

Hidden stitching is also relatively common, specially when panels join other upholstered parts, to generate a sense of continuity.

When you are not able to use a sewing machine you will need to use a curved needle to attach the different fabrics and parts.

9 – Final Reupholstery Touches

Most upholstered parts (back, seat, armrest, etc.) in wooden rockers use a panel to hold the padding and fabric. In that case check if you need to change the back panel’s external material.

You can reupholster a rocking chair with the same fabric for all visible parts and use dust covers on unseen ones.

You can always work on some wood finish, if you did not do it before.

More antique rockers might require the use of more traditional materials when restoring them. But since you are reupholstering, feel free to give your rocker an amazing new look!

Remember to Check Varnishing and Paint Coatings

Now that you know how to reupholster a rocking chair, don’t forget to check the wood varnishing and paint coats. The rocker might show some signs of worn from prolonged use or small damages from the reupholstering process on the wood.

We do have a chair painting guide if you are interested in doing so! Feel free to check it out.

If you wish to increase comfort and renovate looks but do not want to reupholster the rocker, you can always add or make cushions or removable padding.