French Chair Makeover: How to Reupholster a French Chair

This step by step tutorial series will show you how to upholster a French chair DIY. You will learn how to reupholster an old French Bergere chair with fabric you love and can cherish in your home. Learning how to reupholster a French chair DIY can bring new life to an old favorite. So I truly hope you enjoy this French chair makeover!

Before: French Chair Makeover

Awhile ago I knew nothing about how to upholster a French Bergere chair, in fact until a few months ago I knew nothing about what a French Bergere chair even was. But when I saw this French Beregere chair it was love at first sight! And all of a sudden I was on a a fun new journey of learning how to upholster this French Bergere chair beauty.

The journey of upholstering this French chair actually started a year and half ago. I was searching on marketplace when I saw a beautiful set of ladies and gents’ chairs. And the price couldn’t be better FREE!

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So I messaged the seller, and drove the 1.5 hours to go get them. I loaded them up and decided I might as well stop by my favorite Restore shop along the way. Well that’s when I saw it…..sitting on the floor. I actually looked around because I figured others would be racing to get it. But surprisingly it didn’t seem like anyone else was seeing this beautiful French chair?

I was even more surprised by the price….$10.

Seriously! Sold! But then came the harder question. Where would it fit in my car?

Looking back an easy solution would have been to leave the other two chairs. Since I didn’t end up re-upholstering these and load this French Bergere chair. But instead I pretty much used up every inch of my SUV and shuffled the cargo around to fit but still be safe.

Deciding to Upholster my French Chair

Soon after I got these chairs a lot happened. I found out I was expecting, which means a repulsion to being anyway near our garage for nine months. And then 2020, enough said.

So I had plenty of time to think about how I wanted to upholster this French chair. I went back and forth between whether I really wanted to re-upholster the chair or leave it as was. The French chair did already have some charm and was in fairly good condition. And someone did say, “Are you sure you want to re-upholster it? You might ruin it.”

But since I had purchased the chair to re-upholster it. I stayed the course.

Finally Upholstering the French Chair

Now that my baby just turned one, I told myself it’s now or never. And I got to work.

And if you have never upholstered anything before, I will say re-upholstering a French chair or any chair for that matter is work. It is if enjoyable if you are eager to learn something new. It is easy to make a few mistakes and does require patience.

But in the end it is very rewarding to be able to use a chair that you upholstered yourself. If you are interested in upholstering a French Bergere chair or really any other chair I have created a series of tutorials for you.

Here are the Steps to Upholstering a French Bergere Chair DIY:

• Step 1: How to Prep a Chair for Upholstery
• Step 2: How to Make a Pattern for Upholstery
• Step 3: How to Sew a Cushion With Piping
• Step 4: How to Put a Zipper into a Cushion
• Step 5: How to Sew the Piping for the Chair
• Step 6: Re-Upholstering the French Chair

French Chair Makeover: After

It took me three weeks to rip apart, study and re-upholster this beautiful French chair. And I had fun with it by choosing a fabric I really liked. Not just something popular or that I had seen before.

This was the first time I used a compressor with a staple gun. But my husband helped me get started, and now I am super comfortable with it.

So I was reminded again that every new skill I learn equips me to do something else. It is too easy to be intimidated by something and get stuck. But every time I try something new and finish a project it empowers me try something else.

And I couldn’t be prouder of how my chair turned out!

I also learned from my mentor Miss Mustard Seed that it can be fun to add a surprise fabric on the back of your chair. So I used a different type of ticking fabric to finish up the back of the chair.

So if you have a chair or stumble upon a chair you love, don’t hesitate to give upholstery a try you just might find something you love to do! Next Post: How to Prepare a Chair for Upholstery.

God bless and much love to you!