How to Recover a Seat in Leather Belts

Leather belts make a great eclectic and vintage seat cushion for a simple wooden chair. They add a masculine touch to the room as well as a designer look. This is a great craft project that can be accomplished in a matter of hours. Best of all it allows you to revamp an existing chair with affordable used belts. You can use your own leather belts or purchase used ones for cheap at a local thrift shop. The skill level for this craft project is fairly low and any one from a beginner to a more experience crafter should be able to easily complete this project.

To complete this belt reupholstered chair craft project you will need:

1 wooded chair with the seat removed
Lots of leather belts (maybe about 30 depending on your chair)
Upholstery tacks or a staple gun
Heavy-duty scissors or a sharp knife
Ruler

The first step is to remove the old seat of your wooden chair. This can usually be done by flipping the chair over and removing the screws from underneath the seat. Most seat cushions are attached this way. Set the seat aside for another craft project, because you won’t need it for this chair anymore.

Now, once the seat is removed from your chair you can paint your chair, rub it with stain, or revamp it anyway you want before you install the new seat made out of belts. Be sure to let any work you do to the chair dry before you start installing the woven seat.

Begin attaching the belts to the seat of the chair by working across the seat horizontally. Attach one side of the belt underneath the rim of the seat with an upholstery tack. Stretch it up and over the seat, across the opening and under the seat support on the other side. Cut to size and attach with another upholstery tack. You want to start this part of the project by working form the back of the seat forward. Place the first belt flush with the back of the seat area. As you move forward attaching the leather belts you want to leave about 1 to 11/2 inches between each belt. You are going to weave belts through this first layer of belts, so leave space between them based no how thick your belts are.

Once you have covered the seat horizontally from the back you want to start weaving belts in vertically front to back. Start at the left. Use an upholstery tack to attach the belt underneath the seat support like your did for the other belts. Swing it up over the first horizontal belt and begin weaving it in and out of the belts working your way towards the back. Once you have reached the back of the chair swing the belt below the seat support and tack in place. Use your heavy scissors to cut the belt.

Continue this process working form left to right until you are completed. You may find that once you have established how long your belts need to be that it is easier to cut them before installing them.

Always remove the part of the belt with the hardware. It does not play a role in this craft project.

For an electric look mix a variety of leather belts. Unique stitching, different leather colors, and aged belts look well working together in the seat cushion. You could also use up some belts that mean something to you to create a chair full of memories. This is a great craft project that can have many variations. Use what you have and you will be surprised at what you can create!

For a girly variation on this project why not paint the wooden chair pink or white. Use white leather belts to cover the seat. This is a great craft project you could complete with your daughter for her bedroom!