August 27, 2020

DIY: Re-Canvassing Vintage Deck Chairs

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My sister spotted these gorgeous Vintage Deck Chairs in my Dad’s Barn last Summer and I’m so glad she salvaged them for me! They had scraps of the original seat canvas BARELY holding on, but, the frames on them still seemed pretty sturdy. I have looked these chairs up on line and most of the ones I’ve found for sale run anywhere between $150 – $300. They seemed a bit intimidating at first, but, these are actually the simplest DIY I’ve tackled all Summer while we Update our Patio.

The canvas I used on these chairs was gifted to me by a family friend last summer, but if you are going to purchase fabric, you need about a yard per chair. You could certainly go for a pricey outdoor fabric like Sunbrella, but, you don’t necessarily need to. Any thick duck canvas should do.

To start off, you’ll need to figure out how your chair actually works! The hinged legs took a bit of playing with before I figured how to set the chair up and fold it back down. To measure out the amount of canvas you’ll need per Vintage Deck Chair, you need first to measure across the top and bottom rungs to find the width. To figure out the length, lay the chair out flat and measure the distance between the top rung and bottom rung. Then, add 6-10 inches (3-5 for the top and bottom respectively). You can always trim off some of this excess if you don’t need it.

Once you have figured out these measurements, add 1/4″ to either side and hem the two lengths to keep your seat from fraying. You will be stapling the top and bottom of the fabric directly onto the chair, so, you don’t need to hem these edges.

Here’s where you get to start stapling! The original staples I pulled out of the chair were 3/4″, so, that’s what I used for the new fabric as well. With the chair opened up to a seat, staple the top of your fabric onto the front with the length of the fabric feeding down and behind the chair. The print on your fabric should face out. After you place these staples, wind the length of your material around and over the top.

Unfold the chair so it once again lays flat, and wind the fabric around the bottom rung to match the top. If you have excess fabric, trim that off the end before stapling.

Open your chair up and gently sit down.. it’s nerve wracking the first time. And then, be amazed at how this chair feels like you’re sitting in a cloud. It is the comfiest piece of outdoor furniture on our patio and I couldn’t love it more.

I hit the canvas twice with Scotchgaurd Heavy Duty Water Shield to help preserve the canvas from rotting and we store the chairs in the garage when not in use.