Refreshing Patio Chairs: Stapled Cushion How-To

Lora Bloomquist
by Lora Bloomquist
5 Materials
$75
4 Hours
Easy

Patio chairs looking tired? With a little bit of spray paint and this DIY stapled cushion how-to, your outdoor furniture will be summer ready!

Outdoor furniture gets tired-looking after a few years, unfortunately. Summer’s coming…time for a makeover! With a little bit of spray paint and fabric, your old metal patio chairs and seats can look fresh and summer-ready in no time! Some would call this reupholstery, but it’s way easier than that!

Get your DIY skills on for this Refreshing Patio Chairs: Stapled Cushion How-To.

These cushions looked great when I did them a few years ago, but rain and sun have taken their toll. If you want, you can take the old fabric off, pulling all the staples. But you can also leave it on and simply put the new fabric on over the top, like I did. Keep the foam cushion if you can; styrofoam is not cheap. If needed, add a little more for some extra cushion.

But before you start the seats, refresh the chair frames. Lightly sand old metal chairs with 120 grit sandpaper to loosen any chipping or flaking paint. Then spray paint with several light coats, drying thoroughly. Paint undersides first, lining chairs up, then turn right side up. Drying in the sunshine works well.

Get a good paint + primer; I love Rustoluem's Ultra Cover, 2X. Whenever I’m using spray paint, I always attach a trigger. It helps save your hand and finger from cramping and helps you achieve more even coverage.

When the frames are drying in the sunshine, you can work on the cushions!

Stapled Seat Cushion How To

Some may call this reupholstery, but this is way easier. All you need is a fabric scissors, some pretty outdoor fabric and an electric staple gun. Here are the step-by-step instructions with pictures to put new stapled seat cushions on your chairs. An electric staple gun makes this job easy.


Once your stapled cushions are all done, you can pop them on your freshly painted chair frames, and enjoy refreshed outdoor chairs! Time to enjoy the deck and patio!

This stapled chair seat process would also work on any indoor chairs you have, too. Maybe your dining chairs could use a refresh with new fabric, too?


For more refreshed & repurposed outdoor-inspired projects see HERE.


For a full Summer Porch Tour, see HERE.


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Lora Bloomquist
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Frequently asked questions
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3 of 4 questions
  • Jud88910011 Jud88910011 on Sep 03, 2023

    (Cont’d) Never used an electric stapler, will it be better than a regular desk stapler? Thank You!

  • Jud88910011 Jud88910011 on Sep 03, 2023

    Do I staple down into the cushion or do I staple the fabric to itself, like pinching it together and then stapling? Do the staples wiggle loose after people sit on the cushions?

  • Jud88910011 Jud88910011 on Sep 03, 2023

    Sorry for all the questions but I really like this idea and can’t wait to do it! Is an electric stapler the same as a staple gun and would a staple gun work? Thank You!

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3 of 15 comments
  • P P on Mar 25, 2023

    if using outdoors be sure to cover underside of wooden seats with waterproof material! we re-did our seats but humidity & rain splashing back up onto the underside caused the plywood underside to rot out!

  • Katen Katen on Jul 03, 2023

    My seat cushions are cushions I place over mesh chairs. I replace every year or so as I get tired of same old same old. They are removable so get washed as needed. Could you reinstall wood seat, after spraying with polycrylic (best stuff ever for outdoor wood) and make separate seat cushion and just add ties on four corners to tie to frame. If you choose, add zipper to remove for wash, or in my case, pick up to drain out water after the never ending rain!

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