Learn how to update and recover an old folding table and chairs.
updated 10/20
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How to update an old Folding Table and Chairs
Pull out your old card table and chairs and clean them really well. I just use a clorox wipe (or you could use warm soapy water and a rag) to clean all of the surfaces.
Remove the seat and the table top. I did this by turning them upside down and unscrewing the screws. They kind of were stuck because of the age, but I eventually removed them all.
I spray painted the frames of the table and chairs with black spray paint. I used several light coats to keep the paint from running. I used almost 2 cans of this spray paint.
While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I recovered the chairs and table top. I somehow missed taking pictures of this step, but here's the process.
- Buy Fabric. I bought about 3 yards of flannel backed plastic topped oil cloth fabric from Walmart. You could also use a table cloth made from oil cloth.
- Lay the fabric out and put the table top upside down on top of it.
- Staple the fabric to the backer board of the chairs and table. Unfortunately I did this at my kitchen table and used staples that were too long. (Can you see where this is going?) Yes, I stapled the table top to my beautiful kitchen table. (cue tears!!) I dug the staples out (sniff, sniff), bought shorter staples and tried again.
- I pulled the fabric taught, and stapled as I went around the table top.
Once I was done stapling the fabric, I put the recovered table top back into the table frame and screwed it back in. Then I repeated with each of the chairs.
And that's how easy it is to Recover a Folding Table and Chairs. Now we have not new, but improved extra seating for Thanksgiving!
