An HGTV

Aug 02, 2023

Looking for the ideal tablecloth that complements your dining room or kitchen can take some time. When you finally find one, it's all you want to showcase in your home. However, seasons change, as do home décor, but what do you do with your favorite tablecloth? You can store it in a box somewhere until it's time to bring it out again, or you can repurpose it. Tablecloths make exceptional seat covers without needing to spend a dime. HGTV recommends sprucing up your barstools or kitchen table chairs with your favorite tablecloth instead of purchasing expensive upholstery fabric.

Tablecloths are available in many retailers, made in various prints and patterns at an affordable price. Upholstery fabrics are sold by the yard, which can be anywhere between $30 to $60. This means that to recover your dining chairs can cost between $150 and $600, while barstools range between $60 and $250. Alternatively, you can purchase a couple of tablecloths for less than $100 and use them for seat covers instead. Or, if you already have a spare tablecloth, you won't have to spend time or money finding another one.

Repurposing your tablecloth as seat covers is a fun, DIY project that can be completed in a day or over a weekend. If you don't have a tablecloth, thrift shops always have excellent choices for a few dollars. You'll also need a screwdriver, a staple gun, staples, and scissors. This project covers four square dining table chairs with a 60-inch round tablecloth, however this will vary depending on the size of the seats you're covering.

Start by removing all of the screws connecting the seat to the chair's base. Lay out your tablecloth and fold it in half twice to get equal measurements. Next, place one seat in the center with the underside facing up. Cut the fabric around the seat, leaving enough space for the tablecloth to wrap over. You can remove the original seat fabric if it's too thick or leave it if it's thin enough for the staples to attach. Then, staple the middle of each side, pulling it towards the center so that it's tight and flat on the front. Add some extra staples to the corners — to fold each corner, pull the fabric to the center, fold the sides over each other, and staple in the middle. Finally, screw the new seats back into the bases and admire your finished work.

Transforming your seats with a tablecloth gives them a fresh look, however, adding a vinyl cover to each seat is an excellent way to take it up a notch. HGTV suggests adding clear vinyl covers to make your seats stainproof. Dining seats are prone to messes, so it's better to be safe than sorry — having kids eating at the island or dining table is bound to cause a few juice spills or food stains. The clear vinyl cover allows you to effortlessly clean messes with a damp cloth instead of removing and replacing the entire seat cover with a new one.

Applying the clear vinyl is as easy as attaching the fabric cover. Follow the same steps, measuring out the vinyl, stapling the sides first and then the corners. You want to work slowly with vinyl and pull it as tightly as possible to prevent wrinkles and air bubbles. Since you'll add an extra layer on top of the fabric, removing the original seat fabric is best so that the staples fully insert and the seat doesn't look thick with too many layers.