How to upcycle a Skruvsta Chair – an IKEA hack

Ikea Hack – Skruvsta Denim Chair Upcycle

I have been called the denim whisperer, because of all the things that I make with old jeans. From sunglasses cases, magazine racks and pocket organisers. I just love upcycling with old denim. So when my office chair was in need of a makeover then this Ikea hack had to involve denim.
 
 
This isn’t my first denim chair upcycle, in the past I’ve upcycled a dining room denim patchwork chair and footstool with old jeans. I’m sure it won’t be my last either.
 
 
Upholstering in denim is a lot easier than it looks, especially with a bit of staple gun magic.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 
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What I used for my denim chair Ikea hack

• Ikea Skruvsta office chair – However, this tutorial should work for most upholstered chairs.

 

• Between 3-4 pairs of old jeans

 

• Scissors

 

• Electric staple gun

 

• Sewing machine with denim weight needles

 

• Denim thread

 

• Pins

 

• Squared pattern making paper

How to Upholster the Ikea Office Chair in Denim

1. First you need to make a pattern. Use pattern paper to do this. If you look at the Ikea Skruvsta chair, you can see that the cover is sewn in six different sections. I pinned the pattern paper to the chair and marked out each section on the paper.

 
 

 
 
 

2. I then cut out the paper pattern for each cover piece on the chair. The left and right panels of the chair where just the mirror image of each other, I only cut out one pattern for both. I then just flipped the paper pattern over when cutting out the opposite side.

 
 

 
 

 
 
 

3. To make large pieces of denim, cut your jeans up the inside leg seam. Flatten out and then stitch the legs together so that you end up with one large piece of denim fabric.

 
 

 
 
 

4. Pin your pattern paper to the large pieces of denim. Allowing for a seam of approximately 1cm cut out your 6 pattern pieces.

 
 

 
 
 

5. Pinning right sides together, sew up the three outer back pieces together and then the three inner pieces together. Then sew these to sections together.

How to fit your denim cover to you chair.

1. This is where the staple gun becomes the star of the project. Staple guns let you cheat with upholstery and makes it easy.
    

 

2. Place your newly made denim cover over the chair. Making sure the newly sewn seams in your cover match up with the seams in your chair, pin the cover to the chair along the top. This will hold it in place whilst you staple the cover to the chair.

 
 

 
 

3. Pull the inside of the cover taut and staple to the inside seat of the chair. This may look unsightly but don’t worry as the chair cushion will hide it. You can never have too many staples holding it in place.

 

 
 

 
 
 

4. Turn the chair over and repeat with the underside of the chair. Pulling the cover taut as you merrily staple away. Don’t forget to take out the pins at the top when you have finished.

Making the seat pad cover.

Draw around the seat pad onto a large piece of denim allowing for 1cm seam allowance and cut out. Repeat so that you have 2 identical denim pieces. Pin and sew right sides together leaving an opening for the pad. Turn the denim right sides out, squeeze in pad into the cover and stitch up the opening.
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
This project only took me a couple of hours and I love this Ikea hack of my office chair. This method can be used to reupholster any chair in denim.
 
 
If however you are going to upholster something like my dining room chair seat then you may want to use upholstery tacks instead of a staple gun or both.
 
 

 
 
 
If you like the “SIT DOWN” cross stitch pillow in the picture, click here for a free pattern and tutorial.
 

Other Ikea hacks

This is one of my most pinned crafts my Ikea Hack map table.
A cool upcycled waistband denim rug to go with the chair. (This is a no-sew denim project).
Or perhaps a giant world map denim floor cushion to match too!