How to reupholster a chair

Who doesn’t love a good curbside rescue?!  A friend and I were driving to have dinner when I saw this dumpy chair in my periphery, pulled over and heaved it into the back seat.  I knew it was a good find by how heavy and solid it felt.  With a little love and a lot of hot pink, it has been transformed into the perfect accent for my stepdaughter’s recently made over bedroom.  Check out my first rendezvous with chair reupholstering!

Supplies:

  • Old chair
  • Primer
  • Acrylic paint in color of your choice for chair frame and cushion stenciling
  • sand paper medium grit
  • canvas drop cloth
  • stencil
  • stencil brush
  • paintbrush

How to reupholster a chair

Chair Makeover

Instructions:

  • Turn chair over and remove screws holding the seat down.  Remove seat from frame and take off fabric and padding.  Depending on the condition of the padding, you can either replace it or reuse it under the new fabric.  Here it is after I took off the fabric.

Chair reupholstering

  • Lightly sand the chair and wipe away the debris with a damp, lint free cloth
  • Primer and let dry per instructions.  I left mine to dry overnight.  You could just spray paint and skip the primer step, but I wanted to take my time with this one.  It was worth waiting.

Paint wood with primer

  • While that was drying, I cut the fabric from a canvas drop cloth I picked up at Lowe’s for $5.  I just put the seat form on top of the fabric and traced around it, allowing about 5 inches all around to account for the padding.

Chair reupholstering

  • Using a plaid stencil I picked up at Michaels, I stenciled the cut piece of fabric.  I used spray adhesive and a stippling brush.

Chair reupholstering

  • I painted the frame with Martha Stewart’s new craft paint in Raspberry Ice and sealed with Krylon spray matte finish.
  • Cover the seat with the newly stenciled fabric by stapling one side over the padding and seat form, then pull it tight and staple the other side.  Finish by stapling all around , tucking in the corners like you are wrapping a present.  That is it!

How to reupholster chair

Chair reupholstering

How to reupholster chair

What do you think?  Not bad for a curbside find!  I can’t wait to submit it to the new site, Roadkill Rescue!

Picture of Johnnie Lanier
Johnnie Lanier

Founder of Saved by Love

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What do you think?

16 Comments:
September 16, 2011

The best! Makes the chair even better when it’s free and on the curb!
Adorable.

September 16, 2011

Very nice – thanks for making the process so simple. I’m hoping to tackle some furniture makeover projects soon but just feel so overwhelmed but it all!

wow, that looks so great!! LOVE the fabric you used for the seat and I love that you did it pink! How fun!!

September 17, 2011

I LOVE it!! It’s amazing what a little paint and fabric can do! Hopping over from Tatortots and Jello!

mylifeasamrsh.blogspot.com

September 17, 2011

That’s a gorgeous chair. I’m really enjoying your blog.

September 18, 2011

So cool! Free is always fun because we tend to be fearless with it. Great do over!

September 18, 2011

Ack! Lovin’ the pink!! Super fabulous!

September 18, 2011

Very nice redo! I love curbside finds too!! I have yet to makeover a chair, but this post gives me the needed steps and inspiration!

September 21, 2011

I love the hot pink! LOL, totally makes the chair. Good score:)

September 21, 2011

You did a mahhh-velous job! I love it! I’ve never had a curbside find, I’m jealous! (Probably doesn’t help that I live in a town with about 8 people ;))

September 22, 2011

Ummm honestly this is awesome!!! I love your color and fabric choices!

I love this. I’ve been thinking of doing this with chartreus. This has great impact in a room…..it’s a chair “drama queen” because it definitely adds a little drama to the room. Cant’ wait to try it! Thanks for sharing!

September 26, 2011

Caught my eye on Tip Junkie! Gorgeous!

September 27, 2011

I love, love it!! Because it’s pink of course!! I’m amazed at the things bloggers pick up on the side of the road and redo!!
Thanks again for linking up to Show & Share!!

February 19, 2014

Hey! I loved this so much I made one of my own! Thanks for the inspiration! I also sited you in my blog post about my chair.

http://www.allthingsbee.com/2014/02/personalizing-your-beauty-space-diy.html

One Trackback:
September 20, 2011

[…] Hot Pink Chair September 20, 2011 By Beckie // Johnnie from Saved By Love Creations was cruisin’ along on her to way to a girl’s night when she spotted this ugly old dining chair […]

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