Ok, so maybe just the seat cushions. My expertise is limited to things that are easy.

Remember my $40 set of 4 antique dining chairs I found on Craigslist?

I’m not too keen on the seat fabric so I thought I’d switch it out. I was having a wee gathering at my house so, naturally, I decided the night before that I needed to buy fabric at JoAnn’s and stay up until midnight reupholstering the seat cushions. Emergency trips to the suburbs for fabric rarely end well but, hey, beggars can’t be choosers. I took something cute enough that I can enjoy it for approximately 58 days — at which point I will likely go through this entire process again. Lucky for me The Scientist is a very good sport.

Recovering chair cushions in the middle of the night is quite simple to do.

SUPPLIES REQUIRED

• Fabric
• Batting
• Screwdriver (electric or otherwise)
• Staple gun (or industrial stapler)

STEP 1: Turn the chair over on a flat, sturdy surface. I used my dining table.

STEP 2: Remove the seat cushion. They’re usually screwed in. Using an electric screwdriver is especially fun at midnight!

STEP 3: Cut a piece of batting to the shape of the cushion, leaving at least 2 inches extra around the perimeter. Center the cushion on top and, pulling the batting taut, staple the batting to the back of the cushion.

STEP 4: Cut the fabric to the shape of the cushion, leaving a weensy bit more room around the edges than you did with the batting. Pulling it taut, staple the fabric the same way you did the batting. EXTRA CREDIT: Fold the corners like a present. The neater you are, the easier it will be to screw the cushion back on the chair.

STEP 5: Screw the cushions back on the chairs and enjoy!