Looking for leather chair cushions? Learn how to make a seat cushion or leather chair pad with this simple tutorial. Plus, see a great round up of modern seat cushions if you want to buy instead of DIY.
I've always loved the look of metal chairs and the durability is great, too. One thing about metal chairs though is that they have a hard seat. When you don't have a chair that has padding, they don't encourage you to linger around the table.
I realized, a few years ago, that I could make a modern metal chair work for our family by making leather seat cushions. It's been a few years since I've made these cushions and, since then, have blessed other people with the leather cushions and chairs but I still love this project and wanted to freshen up the tutorial and share it with you.
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The seat pads are simple and effective, right?! Before we get to the tutorial, let's talk about the metal chairs.
We bought a set of 4 (because you can get a set of 4 for $150, or less) when we moved into this house. If you are new here, we moved to this house (3800 sq ft) from a 1400 sq ft house. We had basically no furniture when we moved here. So, these chairs were an affordable purchase that we could use in the dining room, kitchen or even living room when we needed more chairs. They are great chairs to move outside when we have extra people over, keep at the table (especially when we have playdates) and just to have as extras.
Shop metal chairs similar to what we have:
The not so great thing about the chairs is they have no padding. When our little guy was younger, I didn't want padding. It's just one more thing to get stained, right? But as he got older, I started craving a chair seat that was a bit softer.
Leather Hide Store contacted me to see if I wanted to try out some of their upholstery leather and I jumped at the chance. They have all different colors of leather, but I was particularly drawn to the brown leather options.
I knew I wanted a mid-toned leather for the chair seat and wanted something with a bit of flair. I wanted a piece that had some imperfections or would show some imperfections. Basically, I wanted it to fit in with our kid-friendly household without me being concerned if we scratched it.
Boy, did they deliver. Holy moly, now I'm all like #givemealltheleather. You saw a sneak peek of it on IG if you follow me. If you don't follow me - you need to! =)
Do you see the beautiful wear on that leather? I love it!
How to Make a Seat Cushion
Let's get to the tutorial. I will say that these are pretty simple to make (about 30 minutes per chair cushion). I'm a beginner when it comes to sewing so if I can do it, you can do it!
Supplies Needed For Leather Seat Cushions
- Chairs
- Leather Machine Needles
- Upholstery Thread
- Upholstery Leather
- Fabric Scissors
- Foam (I did a big post on affordable foam so definitely check that out!)
- Sewing Machine
How To Make Leather Chair Cushions
- Mark the template cut line
- Cut template for foam and fabric sizing
- Cut foam to template size
- Cut fabric ½" bigger than template on all sides
- Place outside of each fabric piece together and start sewing
- Sew three sides and half the fourth side
- Turn the fabric so the exterior is showing
- Check fit of the foam
- Using an upholstery needle, hand stitch the remaining side
Seriously, if you can sew a pillow then you can sew leather seat cushions for chairs. One thing to note though is that working with leather is definitely harder than working with thinner fabrics. I have an older sewing machine and it definitely struggles with the leather but it gets the job done. So, just FYI if you've never worked with leather before.
Honestly, I'd recommend giving this project a go but I understand if it's outside of your skillset or you would rather buy chair cushions. If buying a leather chair cushion is more your cup of tea, here's some great options:
Black Leather Chair Cushions
Brown Leather Chair Cushions
Like I mentioned earlier, this project was one that I did a few years ago. I loved it but didn't love how the white chairs worked in our space after a few years. I still think adding seat cushions to metal chairs is an amazing way to make spaces have more character, make the chairs comfier and make the overall aesthetic of the dining space be more welcoming. We still have black metal chairs in our vintage dining room and, last year, I added a fur seat cushion to those! It seriously upped the cozy factor in there. I could have added round leather seat cushions in there, too, but found the fur ones while we were traveling and just fell in love with them.
I hope this project was helpful! If you make some seat cushions, I'd love to see!
A special thanks to Leather Hide Store for providing the leather for this project. I'm thrilled with the quality and color of the leather. As always, I only recommend things that I truly love.
p.s. If you want more leather projects, here's a few of my favorites:
- DIY Leather Tassels
- DIY Leather and Wood Organizer
- DIY Woven Felt Basket with Leather Handles
- Leather Bench Seat
Pin for later DIY Leather Chair Cushion
Julia@Cuckoo4Design
perfect solution for a busy seating area with kids. Looks great too.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Julia! I'm thrilled with the outcome.
Emily @ Table & Hearth
They look amazing Ashley!!! The chairs are awesome to begin with but the leather you chose makes them look completely designer 🙂
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Emily! Those chairs are like the steal of the century. Plus, they stack! Gotta love that.
Anni
Love it! I'm always looking for easy-to-clean but still good-looking solutions and this totally fits the bill!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Anni. I hope they clean well. I have no idea how leather does. Maybe wipe it off?
Amy | Delineate Your Dwelling
These are gorgeous!!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Amy! I needed a good "win" and this one fit the bill.
Krista
It looks incredible Ashley!!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Krista! I'm so pleased with the result.
Kyla @HouseOfHipsters
So so good! I love how it turned out. Pinning this one!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Kyla! Pin away, I don't mind.
Brit | House Updated
Look so great Ashley! If only I could sew... 🙁
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Brit! What?! I'm shocked to hear that with all your skills! You could totally pick it up.
Kati
Wow! This looks so cool. I love the leather on the white chair.
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Kati! We really love them.
Marcus James
Hi there! I love these... I just purchased the same exact chairs and I love the cushions. Just wondering, about how much material (leather) was needed? I have a friend who is great at sewing, so I am going to enlist them...
Ashley Mayes
Thanks! I had a hide of leather which doesn't measure to yardage. I'd say you be safe with having 3/4 yard for each cushion.
Michele
Beautiful job! I love the leather you chose. I've been looking for this exact leather color to reupholster two midcentury Mrs. & Mrs. chairs that I paid $10 for both. They have the ugliest fabric on them but they are in impeccable shape otherwise. Can I ask which leather finish and color you used here? Thank you in advance!
Ashley Mayes
Thanks Michelle. I got the leather from Leather Hide Store (https://www.leatherhidestore.com/leather-for-upholstery). The leather was called Nevada Distress. Hope that helps! I bet that leather would look AMAZING on the mid-century chairs.
Vineta @ The Handyman's Daughter
Your cushions look like they were made for the chair (well, I guess they were made by YOU for the chair, but you know what I mean!) They look amazing!
Ashley Mayes
Haha, thanks! I did just see similar ones at CB2 but when I made these I couldn't find modern ones anywhere. Thanks so much!