bac, I've done this twice but always needed a helper to pull the material in the desired direction while I place the staple. Resting the chair (seat down) on a firm surface like the kitchen table spares either person having to hold it. To focus on ensuring the material is straight and even, I allow extra material, 3 to 4 inches below where the staples are placed. Then I use a pinching shears to cut the edges, and staple the extra material always present at the four edges down. To help with the seat edges, the most difficult part, make a pleat. Then staple the sides after you've done the edge, moving on to the next seat edge. I've done this with heavy cottons and silks to dining chairs but only with another's help who pulls the fabric taunt. I used an Arrow staple gun too, heavy staple which if placed wrong, is still easy to pull out. Looks great. Lasts a long time. Easily changeable. Good luck.

What size staples are you using?

I recently bought a Stanley Electric Stapler/Nail Gun model TRE550. I used 3/8" heavy duty (I don't think this stapler takes a fine wire staple) staples. The instructions said if you need more force to drive the staple into the wood, you needed your free hand to press down on to the head/crown of the staple gun. This is difficult to do if you don't have anyone to help you hold the fabric.
I ended up having to return the Stanley stapler to the store as it did not have enough power to go all the way into the wood and I needed one hand to pull the trigger and my other hand to hold the fabric.
The new gun that I purchased is a Maestri #7 electric ($160. not incl. tax & shipping). It shoots fine wire staples and I like it much better than the Stanley. I think fine wire staples don't need as much force to go into the wood as heavy duty staples. I can shoot with one hand and hold the fabric with the other. It costs a lot but I have several projects lined up (love seat, 2 sofas, wingback chair) and so felt it was worth it for me.
I may try to sell it when I'm all done with my projects. It will take me several months since I'm such a novice at this.
These two pics below were not taken from the exact same distance & angle.

Stapled using Stanley Electric
{{!gwi}}

Stapled using Maestri
{{!gwi}}

Laurie,

I know you didn't ask, but, with the type of projects you are doing it would be so much easier with a compressor and staple gun! I don't think it would be much more than your electric gun. Just a thought!

I've also used hot glue with success. Matter of fact, I reupholstered a chair completely using only a glue gun. It's not a project you want to do in a hurry if you want it to look professional. Hey, if you can paint an upholstered piece of furniture, why not hot glue upholstery fabric on to a piece of furniture? ;o)

There was a thread earlier this summer on tools, which I have linked below. I have done 7 chairs since June using the electric Arrow ET-155 that I bought on Amazon. I got an incredible deal on it, but the best price I see online right now is at Newegg.com, for $148.99, compared to the highest at Grainger at $315.25.

I thought a while about getting a pneumatic one and an air compressor, but since I do the work in my home office/sewing room, I liked the idea of a complete unit that I can hold in my hand and simply plug-in, and is quiet, compared to one run by a compressor.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hey home upholsters! Tools question!

We typically end up hammering the staple in completely once it's set in the picture like laurie posted.
Part of the problem is the cushion itself is making for a softer surface against which you are trying to staple. The harder the surface, the easier it is to get in.

We use a power shot where to get the staple in, you are pushing down on the staple part. So many of them are designed so you push down on the back end to make the staple come out...just exactly where you don't want the pressure to get a good shot.

I've used the PowerShot stapler with great success too. If you did decide to get the compressor setup though, it would probably be a great investment. I recently spray painted some outdoor wicker using my brother's compressor and a neat little paint jar that attaches to it. It worked beautifully, and cleanup is a breeze because the air goes in the paint jar, rather than the paint going in the tubes....

I agree with everything everyone has posted. It IS much easier if you have two people.

It also helps if, as you staple, you put the cushion upside down on the floor and kneel on the back. (When my son was small, I would have him stand on it.)

For your stapling pattern, you should staple at 12 o'clock, then 6, then 9, then 3. Then go back around and staple at 11:30, then 12:30. Then 6:30 and 5:30. You see the pattern? Continue this pattern, and the corners will be last.

Also. Staple first, then trim the fabric after you are done. This gives you more fabric to grab as you go.

I have done projects like this in the past--
don't you find that the type of chair seat you are covering makes a lot of difference in how difficult it is to get the staples in
I think that MDF seats can be really difficult to add staples to because of the density of the material...
a plain piece of plywood or wood is often much easier to staple because that type of wood has a grain/flow to it and there is give...

Thank you for all the great advice!! After reading over all the responses, I decided to try using both staplers to staple into the MDF we are using for the base over which we are putting the foam and the fabric, to see if the MDF is the problem. I had no difficulty at all with either of them, but this was without any foam or fabric. Then I tried a layer of fabric alone and again, no problem with either stapler. I suspect the problems start once the foam in on the other side of the MDF, not allowing for a really firm base. My DH has been helping me with this project, so I do have the second person as several have mentioned. Any other advice is still welcome. I'll keep you posted on our progress. It would make me so happy to be able to post pictures of the finished project by next weekend.

Indeed it takes some strength to tilt the Arrow manual staple gun tight against the fabric and force a staple into the wood by countering the gun's bounce back with your own weight and muscles.

Pneumatic staple gun and air compressor is the way to go.
We have several guns from pin guns, staple guns and nail guns.

We upholster a lot, and do a lot of woodworking so to
us, its essential to have the right tools.

You will not regret this investment.

You could also consider using a smaller piece of foam--with minimal overhang on the underside...
maybe even glue it down first so that it doesn't shift when you are working with the fabric...
you don't need to have the same amount of foam underneath as you do material...
just anchor it so it doesn't shift, cut away what you don't need, add material and staple that...

kitch4me - You are right...a compressor & air gun would be optimal. The cost would have been a little more, but likely worth it. We have very limited storage space at our home, so didn't want to store a compressor. I am getting by pretty well with just this electric gun. After my projects are complete (and if I decide to continue upholstery for a long term hobby), I may decide to go with a compressor & air gun.

loves2read makes a helpful suggestion about the size (not thickness) of your foam. I just looked at my upholstery book and it shows a picture of the layers. The top layer shows the wooden seat, then the foam below the seat (sticking out maybe 1 or 1-1/2"?), then below the foam is a layer of batting (sticking out about 2-1/2" beyond the wood), last layer is the fabric (sticking out about 3-1/2 - 4" beyond the wood). So, as loves2read recommends...the foam is going to be smaller than the fabric. You don't have to staple through the foam.

P.S. Can anyone tell me how to resize my photos in Photobucket? I would like them to be about half as big (as what I posted above). I used to be able to do this, but Photobucket has made some changes.

I haven't done anything more with the chairs this afternoon, but just wanted to mention that I am not trying to staple thru any of the foam. It might be that I need to work with the stapler in the center of the seat, facing out, instead of with the stapler at the edge of the seat, facing the center. I also had the idea of renting a pneumatic stapler and air compressor for a day and did a little looking on line. If I go that route, it looks like I could rent something for about $40-$50. Again, I really appreciate all the advice and I'll keep you posted.

I've been using the heavy duty arrow for years (recovering right now)Just make sure you are using the heavy duty staples that come to a point.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1291242&cagpspn=pla

Having just used our heavy duty stapler to make a French Memory Board (pretty much the same technique as recovering chair seats), I remembered why I don't like using it - those things are always too big for my hand. Granted, my hands are on the small side, but why do the manufacturers figure that only people with large to extra large size hands use this equipment? Someday maybe I'll go on a crusade to promote appropriately sized tools. And that doesn't mean make them half as powerful and paint little flowers all over them!

"I need to work with the stapler in the center of the seat, facing out, instead of with the stapler at the edge of the seat, facing the center."

Oh. Yes. That way you can lean on the staplegun and get it pressed flat against the surface.