How to Fix a Broken Chair Seat

Cindy Rust
by Cindy Rust
2 Materials
$5
1 Hour
Easy

Broken chair seats are part of the adventure when restoring thrifted and vintage furniture. Here is a quick and easy fix for a broken chair seat.

fun memories

This adorable youth chair was gifted to us. Isn’t it so sweet?? Think about how many meals were enjoyed at the family table by a toddler sitting in the sweet chair!


The spills, the wriggling, the laughter….. this little chair had a lot of use!

The seat of the chair is showing the use too. Most chair seats are made from individual boards that have been joined together to accommodate someone’s bottom. In this case, a little toddler’s bottom.


Over time those boards can loosen and the joinery can become weak. And we just can’t have that, now can we??

easy beginner repair

This is a simple repair that any beginner can do! Some repairs can be more involved, but when the repair is just a broken chair seat, the repairs are simple and quick!


The joinery in the chair seat had loosened over time. They are just waiting to split open!


Let’s fix that broken chair seat together!

supplies

The basic supplies needed for this broken chair seat repair are:


  • power drill
  • counter-sink drill bit attachment
  • wood glue like Titebond III
  • metal mending brackets (optional)
  • screws
  • hand-made wood mending bracket
  • furniture bar clamps (not pictured)

useful tool

This is a close-up of the counter-sink drill bit attachment that lives on my DeWalt power drill. It not only drills the hole for the screw, but it also cuts into the wood so that the head of the screw recesses into the surface. This makes for a finished look without the head of the screw sticking out!

quick video tutorial

I thought a YouTube video might be the best way to show you how to do this simple broken chair seat repair.


This is what I will go over in the video:

  • description of the repair we will make to the broken chair seat
  • supplies and tools
  • how to make custom wood mending bracket
  • how to use counter-sink drill bit attachment
  • attaching custom made wood mending brackets
  • how to use a furniture bar clamp


Certainly not the best photo I’ve ever taken but in a pinch it will do!


Once the repairs were finished, the chair was thoroughly cleaned and then painted in Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint ‘Farmhouse White’. Since the chair was vintage, I felt it called for a bit of distressing. Then it was sealed in MMS Hemp Oil.


This broken chair seat is no longer a problem!

A toddler could sit at the dining table with the family with security that the chair seat won’t fall apart! Can’t you see this adorable youth chair in a corner of a room as a plant stand?? I love using furniture pieces in ways that are creative and out of the ordinary!


a freebie for you!

Thanks for stopping by for this tutorial! Hopefully, you can see that tackling a simple repair like this broken chair seat is doable!


I say, head to your local yard sale or thrift shop and look for a broken chair seat to repair!!

Show me on Instagram or Facebook what you find and how the repair went by tagging me! I would love to know this tutorial was helpful for you!!


Follow along on our reinventing journey by joining our email.

Promise, I don’t share your email with a soul – that’s between you and me! Hey, I’ll even send you this fun list of ideas to reinvent for your home!


join the journey!

You can also find us on Instagram and Facebook. We love sharing behind the scenes of many of our projects! Come over and join the fun!


Pin any image you see for future reference! When you find a broken chair seat, you’ll have this post to help you repair it! Follow us on Pinterest while you’re there!


Suggested materials:
  • Titebond Wood Glue   (Lowes)
  • DeWalt Power Drill   (Lowes)
Cindy Rust
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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