Remove the seat pad. On a dining room chair they slot in, but if not, try using the end of a hammer to pull out nails. Remove the old cover and the tacks or staples holding it in place. Discard the old padding if it is damaged or inadequate. If you can't remove the seat you will need to pull and scrape off as much of the old padding as possible if it's damaged.
You will need
• Fabric (substantial enough to withstand wear and tear) • Foam seat padding (optional) • Something to remove staples or claw hammer to remove tacks • Scissors • Craft knife • Hammer and tacks/staple gun • Pencil or tailor's chalk If you need to make new foam padding, use the seat base as a template and cut out a new foam pad the same size.
Now cut out the cover, again using the base as a template, adding around 10cm to each side for turning in.
Place the fabric, wrong side up, on a flat surface, and position the seat base on top. Pull the fabric over tightly and put one staple or tack in the centre of each edge's side. Check each time that the fabric is straight. Now tack or staple each edge of the material down, leaving no more than 2cm between each staple. Pleat the corners by pulling in one side and tacking or stapling it down. Then do the other side. Then do the middle bit of gathered material. Trim the edges for a neat finish.
If you're worried about the bottom of the base looking messy, you can cut out a template of the base that is slightly smaller and tack or staple it on to the bottom. Replace the drop-in pad.