A few simple chair makeovers!

I usually have several chairs piled in my garage waiting on a makeover. The reason they get "piled" is because most require, at the very least, a smidge of sewing. My LEAST favorite thing to do! (Okay, root canals are pretty bad, but at least they give you drugs!) I usually wait until I have 2-3 projects that need sewing before I drag out the sewing table and get it all done at once!

Right now I still have two of the mid century dining chairs waiting to be refinished...no sewing needed, but they are small and tend to get pushed aside...time and again.

And honestly, I had intended to refinish these and keep them but that plan didn't work out so I refinished and sold two of them!

I have a mid century lounge chair I desperately want to refinish and reupholstery, but I bought it to keep so I have no doubt the selection of an appropriate upholstery will take months!

I did manage to get two chairs finished over the last few weeks.

The first is a simple little maple chair I picked up at Salvation Army.

A "tired and tattered" little thing to say the least.

I decided to go simple...a little chalk paint and distress on the frame (followed by a coat of poly to seal it) and drop cloth for the seat. This is the first time I have used gimp for trim, but it turned out nice. I just hot glued it over the gathered skirt.

I didn't even bother to make a back cushion...I like the look of the wood slats!

This cain chair was a tad more complex. Naturally I completely forgot to take a "before" picture until I had already started deconstructing it! But I have no doubt you have run across them in thrift stores and garage sales...a dime a dozen and pretty much what they are worth in their current state! The real gem is finding one with all the caning in tact!

I really was at a loss as to what to do with this chair...until my daughter suggested I do it in blue and gold! Actually, she suggested teal, but I found this blue and white material I really loved! She was right about the gold...it is all the "rage" right now and becoming very popular!

After removing the seat and all the upholstery, I primed the entire chair with Kilz, sanded and wiped it down with tack cloth. Then I sprayed it with white spray paint! After that had cured well, I taped off the legs and sprayed them with metallic gold spray paint. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to keep the tufting on the back but I sprayed the buttons and reused them. They didn't really turn out "gold" like I had hoped...more a "brownish" color, but honestly, close enough. I used metallic gold bias tape to make the piping and the double welting (Here is a tutorial on making piping out of bias tape!) A simple little process, but again, it does require hauling out the sewing machine (ick!)

Again, I could provide a step by step tutorial on "reupholstering" these simple little chairs, but there are dozens of tutorials on line (including video tutorials) that are ten times better than anything I can do. And every chair is different, so find a tutorial that makes sense to you AND has a chair similar to what you have! This is the very first chair I ever tackled. Knowing what I know now, I can do better. I can honestly say that I learn something new every time I tackle a project like this and regardless of the little imperfections here and there, they always end up WAY better than what I started with!

I tend to be a tad on the OCD side when it comes to projects...but I have learned that nothing is ever going to be perfect! And again, as my very wise Daddy use to say "You'll never notice it on a passing train!"

Which reminds me...Happy Father's Day Daddy! It has been twenty years (this month), but some days it seems like we just talked yesterday. I wish you were here to see all the things I have learned to do. All because you taught me that working with my hands (and my head) and making something out of nothing really can be rewarding! I know you would be proud! Thank you.... and I miss you!

Happy Father's Day to all the great men out there who are blessed with kiddos!!! Be the man you want your son to be and be the man you want your daughter to marry ;)

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When the mouse is away...

This has been a week of MAJOR work so I will have lots of goodies to share. I had tons of projects piled up in my garage. I even skipped a potentially awesome auction this weekend because I knew I did not need to haul anything else home until I cleared out some projects. Even though I know I put a huge dent in it, there is still so much to do.

Saturday and Sunday I painted outside. Brian (affectionately, the mouse) went out of town Monday so I rolled out my handy-dandy "sewing cart" and went to work on a few sewing projects! Seriously, I LOVE this sewing cart!!!!

I know it looks fairly organized in the picture, but truth is I had stuff strung all over the dining and living rooms for three days...compressor, staple gun and staples, fabric, piping, pillow stuffing, etc. When I project, I go all out. That is one reason I waited until Brian was gone for a few days...because the house was a disaster (I NEED A SHOP!) and I stayed pretty focused.

Painting and reupholstering. For me, they are time consuming projects because I firmly believe in doing it right, even if I do plan to sell the piece! Whether I am keeping it or selling it, I treat it the same. Maybe that is why it is so hard for me to step out of my comfort zone and go bold on some upholstery projects.

When I rehabbed this side chair and rocking chair a few weeks ago, I picked a very nice and neutral pallet and meticulously painted and reupholstered them. Only to have the person who bought them ask how much I would charge to REupholster them...go figure!

Completed this week..six throw pillows, four upholstered chairs, three wood folding chairs, two antique oak school desks, one small table...if I had a partridge in a pear tree I would have painted and stuffed it!

The BIG chore is always the upholstered chairs. My first mental block is the fabric choice. I want something that will appeal to a lot of people, but is unique and interesting as well!

I dropped a little tease about this chair here!

Again, note the grass...dormant...that tells you how long this chair has been stuck in limbo!

When I pulled the back upholstery off this old chair, I found layers of old fabric...including a really cool piece of hand stitched quilt someone had used as padding at one point. I am always amazed at the history these old chairs reveal!

Several of you were fired up about the prospect of PURPLE! Truth is, I'm a tad too boring and conservative to actually paint the entire chair purple. I bought purple paint, but in the end, I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

But purple is the "color of the year" (or so the ads at Lowe's say!) so I wanted to use a bit on this chair!

I chalk painted and distressed the frame an "off-white" and then covered the back and seat (yes, I had to make a seat!) with this awesome fabric!

Since the fabric had purple in it, I went with purple trim! Aren't I just a wild and crazy gal!

So many other projects completed and I will share a few "before and afters" over the next few weeks. I made a large note and stuck it on the table to remind myself to take pictures before I hauled anything away!

Unfortunately, I don't have the space right now in my booths...so now the question becomes, WHAT DO I DO WITH ALL THESE STINKING CHAIRS!?

I guess I could throw a party...Lord knows there would be enough seating for everyone!!!

AWESOME RECIPE PERFECT FOR GARDEN VEGGIES!!!

I haven't shared a recipe in a while but I tried this totally awesome CRISP CUCUMBER SALSA and it is TOO. DIE. FOR! And it is low cal for those who care!

&nbs… — Photo and recipe curtesy of ***tasteofhome.com***

Usually I try a recipe verbatim and then mix it up a bit to my own tastes. This recipe has cumin and honestly, I'm not a fan...so I was certain I would change it after the initial try.

Nope. Not changing a thing (except I added a little more tomato.) It is wonderful and perfect for chips or on a salad.

Give it a try...this is a perfect time of the year for fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and there isn't a better way to prepare them! (Okay, sliced with salt is pretty awesome!)

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Bedroom makeover...part 2? 3?

I don't know how many times I have griped about my master bedroom. So this past month I began chewing away at a few little things I dislike.

It is my favorite room in the house AND my least favorite. My favorite because it is an awesome room...big, bright, cozy. Least favorite because after 13 years, I STILL haven't decorated it the way I REALLY want it.

I blame it on the furniture.

Ornate, heavy, dark, veeeery traditional! I paid entirely too much for it, so I can't bring myself to get rid of it. One bad thing about furniture...no matter how much you paid for it, chances are you are only going to get pennies on the dollar.

There are a few pieces I would never get rid of...my dad's walnut chair and my grandparent's old trunk. The rest of it...honestly, if I had unlimited funds, it would all go.

But I don't...so it won't. The next best thing is to change it up a bit with a little bit of paint!

I featured the beside tables and the high boy here!

The next big project was the bed!

Honestly, this set would be perfect for a chalkpaint and distress treatment. I painted it with Kilz and sanded it and it was so cool looking. But alas, that is not my "thang" so I just went with my go-to Valspar Dune color.

I did finally paint the top of the Duncan Phyfe drum table...bye, bye beautiful mahogany!

I still need to do some kind of little vingette around this table...in time!

I'm not real thrilled with the bed. I had originally planned on painting all the raised part of the head board and just leaving the inset stained but Brian talked me into just painting the top scrolly part...which is really the part I disliked and it seems the paint just highlighted it. (See, I take his advise!) Oh well...it is different and that will do for now!

I also picked up this darling little antique fan at an auction. I'm not really into "froo-froo" stuff just sitting around and eventually it will probably go to one of my flea booths. But I like the color and retro style and it looks kinda cool on top of the highboy...for now! Until I have to dust it!

Now that all the furniture is painted, I REALLY want to install hand-scraped laminate flooring. And I really want to reupholstery the big chairs. Someday!

I found this AWESOME color chart on Pinterest....

I have some white and tan in the throw pillows and bedding but the majority of my white is a little more "off-white" and my walls are more of a "cream" than a tan. I can live without the grey...I like black better. But the blue is the color of my fireplace wall and I am itching to throw the cranberry color in there somewhere. Maybe in the upholstery on the chairs or a large rug on my new floors!

The paddle fans? Hum...might have to do a little a little paddle fan treatment!

So much I WANT to do.

That is one thing one has to understand about home decor. Unless you have A LOT of money and can afford to have a professional designer come in and do it top to bottom (my choice would be Candice Olson!) the best approach is a little bit at a time.

Don't be afraid to buy used and do a little work to make it your own. As much as I disliked this furniture when it was all stained and matchy-matchy, I'm kind of digging it now! Still want something different, but I like it a lot more now than I did two weeks ago! The floors will come in time and I know someday a piece of upholstery fabric for the chairs will "speak to me" ...someday.

I always tell my kids...it's a good thing we don't have a lot of money...think of all the great things we would never have learned to do had we had the money to pay someone else to do it!

Seriously how much personal satisfaction could one get from having a bazillion dollars and being able to design, built and decorate your "dream" house without concern for costs?

See what paint fumes do to you....

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Mid century chair SCORE!! And a Duncan Phyfe chair repair!

SCORE! Seriously, major score!

Okay, so they don't look so hot right now and they didn't look any better piled on a trailer at the auction, covered in gunk and spider ick!

Which is a good thing because nobody knew what they were...which means SCORE for ME! Baumritter mid-century dining chairs! Oh my!

I know they look rough right now, but let me work my magic on them!

Truth is, mid-century furniture hasn't really hit the big time here like it has in other parts of the country and honestly, we don't see a lot of it around here. But occasionally I can find pieces here and there.

I love them...everything about them. The grain and color of the wood after it is refinished (usually walnut or teak), the clean lines, the incredible construction! I love the entire process of restoring these pieces because I know they will take my breath away when I am finished. I also know it is next to impossible to find solid walnut and teak furniture these days.

So...what is my hard-fast rule? If I bring one in, I have to take one out. So sacrifices have to be made and the sacrifice is going to be the rest of my antique Duncan Phyfe chairs! I have already sold 2 and have four left...two painted side chairs and two caption's chairs.

Last year I featured the chair I had to repair. I was so proud of myself. I glued and sculpted the chair back that was broken and then painted the two side chairs, which kind of goes against my grain but they turned out beautiful. I didn't paint the caption's chairs....

The repair lasted all of about 6 months...and then the back busted again. CRAAAAAP!

So this time I decided to "rebuild" rather than repair.

This would have been SOOOO much easier had I just gone and bought a scroll saw. But oh no...I figured I could do this with my jig saw and Dremel. And I did...but next time I am going to buy a scroll saw!

First thing I had to do was deconstruct the chair to get to the "broken back." Fortunately, these chairs are constructed with dowel rods and the top pops right off...okay, you have to beat on it a bit and chip the paint...but it eventually comes off.

Then I had to find a little piece of wood the same thickness as the back...3/8". I figured that wouldn't be a big deal. It was. I ended up finding some 3/8" pine, but it wasn't wide enough...so I had to do the ole' clamp and glue thing to create a piece wide enough.

This is no big deal...truth is, most large wood slabs, and even smaller ones, are nothing but smaller pieces of wood glued and clamped together...most table tops are constructed that way!

After I let the piece sit for a day or so, (I was busy priming, sanding and painting my bedroom furniture...can't wait to finish and share!) I used wood filler to fill any gaps in the joints, sanded the piece smooth and traced the broken piece onto the wood...

....then I cut it out with a skill saw and dremel.

This is not a job for the faint of heart, impatient people or someone who has had more than 1 cup of coffee. You have to go slow and use a light, steady hand. I actually cut on the outside of my mark and then used sand paper to sand down to the mark.

This process would have gone a bit quicker had the wood not split a time or two. It never split at the glued joints, just on the grain, which meant I had to glue and clamp the split and wait! Grrrr.....

Anywho, after hand sanding and sculpting for a few hours, I had a piece that was pretty darn close to the original! Then it was just a matter of priming, sanding and painting it.

I reconstructed the chair and hit the entire back with another light coat of paint and sealer.

Presto...ALMOST good as new! Can you tell which is which?

I can...the chair on the left is the repair. The big difference is the "lines" that are missing from the middle...after all the cutting and sculpting and sanding, I wasn't going to risk messing it up by trying to chisel lines in the wood.

And I will be honest...fitting it all back together was NOT as easy as it sounds...there was some additional sanding and grinding and even a few curse words! But in the end it turned out pretty good!

Also, I noticed the paint has "yellowed" over time. That is pretty common for "whites." Something to keep in mind when contemplating "touch ups." There is a good chance you will have to paint the entire project if the color has faded, yellowed or changed over time!

Now that it is repaired and I feel good that it will hold up, I plan on selling this chair and the matching one and the two caption chairs so I will have room for my mid century chairs when I get them refinished.

If I bring one in, I have to take one out!!!

Hopefully I will get that done before Thanksgiving...or we may all be sitting on lawn chairs!

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Precious little metal "ice cream" chairs before and after!

I bought these pathetic little chairs at an auction last fall....

...neglected for who-knows how many years in an old outbuilding. Rusted, rotten...so sad.

Then they were neglected for months in my garage because of the "rust issue" I just had no desire to tackle. But I did...and truthfully, it is not that big of a deal (check out how to deal with rust here)....

Then they sat in my garage for ANOTHER month.

They are so darling and I knew I wanted to do something bright and fun with them...I just didn't know what. I get serious mental blocks on upholstery projects!

(I can always tell how long a "project" has been around just by the grass...in the "before" pictures my bermuda is dormant...now it is lush and green and needs to be mowed twice a week!)

So I went to the fabric store and found the brightest and most colorful fabric I could find!

Red for the frame...red is cheerful and fun and since the fabric had every color imaginable, it was perfect!

After dealing with the rust and giving them a good dose of primer (and of course the primer had to cure for a month while I mulled over colors), I sprayed the frames with red spray paint. I cut new seats and backs out of 3/8" plywood and covered them with new batting and the bright fabric .

Here is a little hint...if the "frame" where the back goes is 11", do not cut a new board 11", cover it with new fabric and batting, and expect it to fit. It won't.

The big button (almost) dead center in the flower was a fluke! The original back had a big button and I knew I wanted a button.

So this gives me the perfect opportunity to share how to make buttons for any project...chairs, pillows, headboards! Anything that has or needs a button...you can MAKE one out of any fabric!

Just buy a button kit...they have them at the fabric stores and most hobby stores. There is a template on the back for the fabric cutout and they come in all different sizes....

They are super easy to make! Just follow the directions on the back of the package!

TIP...put a dab of hot glue on the back of the front of the button before you hammer the back on and then put a dab of hot glue on the little U hook on the back of the button. A few times the back has separated from the front or the little U hook has come off the back...the glue just reinforces them a bit!

To attach the button, I measured and located the center of the board, drilled two small holes, threaded wax covered string on a large upholstery needle from back to front, through the front padding and fabric, slipped the button on the string, then threaded it back through and tied it off. Then I put a little dab of hot glue on the knot. Super simple!

I padded the back with a little batting and covered it with red fabric!

I love these little chairs...if I had somewhere to put them, I would keep them! Darling!

When I step outside my comfort zone and go with bright and colorful, I am never disappointed...maybe I should take that into consideration next time I makeover something I intend to keep!

And here is a little "upcycle" hint. I had an old outdoor chair cushion that was thrown in a pile of things I picked up at an auction. The fabric was crud but the batting inside was good. I took the fabric off and used the batting that was inside for this chair and saved the rest for future projects. Free padding!

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Nasty little chair makeover...PART I!

My INTENT was to get this chair done this week so I could feature it. The weather and a bum back kind of slowed me down. But I got it done...but I am still going to break this up into a "Two Part Series" because the work that had to be done was pretty extensive. If you just want to see the before and after, check out Part II and scroll to the bottom!

This gives me a great opportunity to stress the importance of TAKING YOUR TIME and DOING IT RIGHT!

The simplest little makeover takes time. You can't rush the process. Strip it properly, sand it properly, prime it properly, paint it properly! Otherwise you are wasting your time and money!

My newest project is very similar to a chair I did for Sis....it was one of my first "features" here. (I wish I had taken better pictures to show all the detail!) The paint part was a tad easier because it didn't have to be stripped first. But it was one of my first upholstery jobs, and the more experience you get, the easier it is. Okay, it doesn't get easier...you just know it is going to be a challenge.

One thing I have learned about upholstery...no two pieces are the same and ALL have their challenges. You learn to be creative, take your time, and use the proper tools...more on that when we get into the actual upholstery process!

I spied this pathetic little chair sitting outside an apartment...obviously it was being neglected and unloved! And then it was abandoned! So I tossed it in the back of my truck and brought it home. As with most projects, it sat and waited for inspiration (and time).

I know many tout the virtues of chalk and plaster paint. No sanding, no prep, no prime. But 1) I am old school and 2) the paint on this chair was literally crumbling off and I could scrape the white paint off with my fingernail!

I wasn't going to risk painting this chair only to have the old paint flake off! Besides, I have to have a nice smooth "template." So my best bet was to strip, sand, prime and paint.

First I had to remove the old upholstery. I'm not sure what is worse...a seriously botched attempt to "cover" the old upholstery or doing so and leaving the old upholstery intact. Which means I had to remove the 8,324 staples someone used to haphazardly attach the disgusting green fabric and the 6,352 upholstery nails (these are just estimates) used on the original disgusting fabric.

Regardless of what you are removing...good or bad...I always suggest taking TONS of pictures while you deconstruct. You THINK you will remember how something was constructed, but you may not. It is always good to have pictures to refer back to! When I took my first shot at reupholstering a chair I took hundreds of pictures as I deconstructed it...boy was I glad later when I got stuck on something and wasn't sure what to do! I just referred back to the picture of the original and I knew exactly what I needed to do!

After hours of pulling, prying and cursing, I was down to bare bones (both the chair and my hands!)

Once I got all the old upholstery off, I addressed the little "wobbles." This chair was in pretty good shape structurally but it is important to make sure all the joints are secure and tight. Glue and clamps! Don't move forward on a project like this until you make sure everything is in tip-top shape. You don't want to be glueing and clamping after you have a shiny new finish on!

Now it was time for a little strip job.

I used Citristrip jel to remove the multiple layers of paint! It actually took 2 applications. An old toothbrush on all the nocks and crannies. I used a mineral spirit wash to remove all the "goo." Then I let it all dry thoroughly.

I know stripping old finish and paint is a tedious, nasty, back-breaking process...and I have no doubt it is the reason someone came up with the idea of mixing plaster and paint. But again, my "old-school" mentality just won't let me move forward without properly stripping all the old paint off.

I don't paint over wallpaper, I don't tile over vinyl, I don't upholster over old upholstery. I just don't. Call me crazy.

Then I sanded....and sanded....and sanded! Getting all the old paint out of the grooves in the legs was not an easy task...but absolutely essential! This is exactly why I always keep old toothbrushes with my shop tools!

After sanding, I primed it with Kilz. I like Kilz for several reasons. For me, it is my personal preference after years of experience. Others swear by Zinsser. This is just one of those things you need to experiment with and do what works best for you! Regardless, I will ALWAYS recommend an oil-based primer!

Nine times out of ten I am going to prime a piece before I paint it. I am not willing to take the risk of "bleed through", I want a smooth finish and I want my paint to stick! On rare occasions I will not apply a primer if I am going to use chalk/plaster paint and plan to distress the piece. But even then I prime areas I suspect might bleed through or cause problems.

Anywho, after I got MOST of the old paint off and sprayed on the primer, I let it dry thoroughly. Then I sanded, and sanded, and sanded...again. I started with a 80-120 grit, and finished with a 220.

I like to sand. Or rather I like how the piece feels and looks after it has been primed and sanded. And in my opinion, "feeling" is the key!

Funny story...years ago I was feeling quite smug about the fact that I had not gotten all those nasty little wrinkles all my friends had around their eyes and mouths and on their neck. Until I put my readers on one day to pluck my eyebrows...and there they were.

Even though I finally broke down and got prescription glasses, I still don't trust my eyes to see all the imperfections...but I do trust my hands. As I sand, I "feel." If you can feel it, it will show through a coat of paint!!! Sanding transforms the piece and if done properly, it can mean the difference between having a piece that is beautiful and professional or one that looks like an inexperienced DIYer threw it together!

After priming and sanding, I used my compressor to blow the dust off and then tack cloth to get rid of all the little smidges of dust and debris! I know I harp on using tack cloth...I can not stress how important this step is!

My original plan was to paint the chair a "blush/salmon/coral" color and then upholstery it in black damask. I saw a chair almost identical to this one in those colors SOMEWHERE...and then I couldn't. What I could find was a lot of teal and damask...and since this is a piece that will be sold, I decided I had to go with what is obviously "in." A "pink" chair can be risky! Pretty, but risky!

So teal it is....

The trick to spray painting anything (besides the prep work) is to do 3-4 VERY light coats...let it dry for 30-45 minutes between coats. If you get a drip or run (which you shouldn't if you do LIGHT coats) let it dry OVER NIGHT and then carefully and lightly sand it with a VERY fine grit sand paper! Tack and then lightly spray it again.

After the paint dries I gave it a good coat of clear poly finish. Probably overkill considering the Valspar spray paint I use SAYS it is an "all in one." Again, I'm old school. You clear coat everything.

The key now is to WAIT. Wait and let the paint dry and cure for a few days. Upholstery can put a lot of wear and tear on a piece so you want the paint to be cured before you begin working on the upholstery.

And as you can see, this piece has some serious reconstruction to do before I can ever begin to put the fabric on! I'll make sure I take good pictures and share step-by-step instructions on how to reconstruct and reupholster this chair!

IF YOU WANT IT DONE RIGHT....TAKE YOUR TIME!

Stay tuned! Part II is on its way!

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Nasty little chair makeover...before and after....PART II

(If you just want to see the "Before and After" just scroll to the bottom!)

Okay, so the frame is stripped, primed and painted....(see part 1 of this makeover here)

Now comes the fun part! Finishing it up with the fabric!

Before we start reupholstering, this chair had to have a little "reconstruction."

This chair had a "spring seat." Some will have wood seats. Those are a little easier, even if you have to cut a new piece of plywood. But this one had springs and the twine holding them upright and in position had busted. And one of the nails holding the brace had popped out. So I had to reattach the brace and then restring the springs. Not a biggy, but something you definitely want to get right or the seat will be all wonky.

I used plain ole' twine to restring the springs and I removed the old nails and put in screws. Just personal preference and besides, if the string broke at any time, it would be a lot easier to remove the screws and start over than pry out nails.

If your chair has springs and they are in bad shape or you just don't want to mess with them, they are easy to remove. You can measure and cut a piece of plywood to put down in the base of the chair. Then screw the plywood on the frame of the chair and proceed with new foam and batting.

After fixing the springs, I covered them with a scrap fabric I have in my stockpile (I buy sturdy fabric at garage sales just for this purpose) and stapled it to the top of the seat frame. You can also use muslin or burlap. This fabric holds the springs in place and provides a base for the foam. Again, this is not something you would mess with if you have or add a wood seat base.

Next, you want to measure and cut your new foam. I used 2" foam.

TIP: A few years ago I read a little tip about using an electric bread knife to cut foam. I happened to stumble across one for $1 at a garage sale. For years I have used a utility knife and scissors to cut my foam. Man oh man....I can not tell you how easy it is to cut foam with a bread knife...it is like cutting butter and your cut is as straight as a factory cut....total awesomeness! Why I didn't try this sooner is beyond me...typical "old school" stubborness. Live and learn!

After I cut the foam for the seat, I covered the foam with the scrap fabric and stapled it to the frame as well. Again, just to hold the foam in place and give it a smooth structure.

TIP: Many people try to reupholster using a manual or electric stapler. Forget it. I don't care how hard you try, a plain staple gun (manual OR electric) is NOT going to work. Old wood is just too hard for the staples to set well and you will spend half your time hammering the staples in...provided your hand doesn't fall off first. I STRONGLY recommend getting a small compressor and pneumatic staple gun. You won't regret it! It is one of items I highly recommend in my "Every Woman's Tool Box." Perfect for this kind of project!

The back of this chair is rather simple, but it needed new webbing and support. You can buy burlap upholstery strapping specifically for this type of project, but since I had some scraps of burlap on hand, I made some straps...I just folded it, ironed it and then stapled it place. Just make sure it is taunt. Then I covered the entire back with the scrap fabric to give it a little more support....

Then I covered the back of the chair and the seat and frame of the chair with quilt batting. I use plain ole' quilt batting you can buy at the hobby or fabric store. Just staple the batting to the underside of the frame.

I picked up several rolls of batting after Christmas for 90% off...80 cents each! It doesn't have the "loft" of quilt batting but it works great on places where you want more structure than loft, like on the back of this chair.

Now comes the fun part...actually covering the chair!

Before I began applying the fabric, I made sure I had the piping I wanted to use ready to go. I provided a little tutorial on how to make piping here but you may be able to find a better tutorial online. Use the one that you understand! I HIGHLY recommend using prepackaged bias tape rather than trying to make it out of the fabric you are using. Mainly because you have to cut your strips of fabric "on the bias" which means at a 45 degree angle across the width of the fabric...that takes a lot of work and a lot of fabric. Bias tape comes in a ton of colors! In this case I am using black pipping with a black and beige damask...nice contrast and super easy to make. You can also buy premade piping or trim, but honestly it is a tad expensive.

Speaking of fabric. You don't have to use upholstery fabric but you want to make sure you use a very sturdy fabric. In order for an upholstery job to look "professional" you will be stretching it very tight and stapling it and if you use a light-weight fabric it can easily tear. The least expensive is duck fabric...you can find it at Hobby Lobby or most fabric stores. It is the lightest weight fabric I would use. I have also used drop cloth fabric and it works pretty well!

I usually start with the back of my chair...only because in my opinion it is the hardest and I want to get the most frustrating part over first. Just my preference!

There are a few areas that are a little tricky. One is the arms...here is a little "picture tutorial" on how I deal with this....

To cover the "gap" created by cutting around the arms, I inserted a little "filler" piece. I just folded down and iron the side adjacent to the arm, put a little fabric glue on the back, and stuck it on the chair and stapled. Then I wrapped the front fabric around the sides and stapled it to the back.

I wrapped a double welt trim with fabric glue on the back around the arm and over the fabric where I cut it...and then stapled it to the back to secure it. Here is a great tutorial on how to make this welting. You will notice that the tutorial shows how to make it out of the upholstery fabric. Again, I recommend plain ole' bias tape! If you can sew a straight stitch, you can make this. If you can't, you can purchase it at the fabric or craft store! You won't need a lot for this type of project.

This may seem like a tricky thing to do....patience. Take your time and THINK. And if you stripped the original upholstery and took lots of pictures (like I told you to!) you will have a great reference on how it was originally constructed. It really isn't as hard as it seems! The most important tip I can give at this point (other than be patient and work slowly) is make sure you keep your fabric pulled tight before you staple!

Cover the front first and staple it to the back of the chair. After you have covered the front of the chair, you can add your piping by stapling it to the back of the chair, circling the entire edge.

You may have noticed that this chair has a really pretty curve. There is NO substitution for PLY GRIP. In order to upholster a chair, you have to have it. And you don't need a lot....just enough to go along the top of the chair because it is the only place you will use it. I can tell you craft stores do not carry ply grip. When I reupholstered my wing back I stopped in an upholstery shop and bought about 5-6' for around $1 a foot. When I decided to get serious and do a few more projects I ordered a large roll online from DIY Upholstery Supply. I got 100 feet for $14.00, plus shipping. This site is a great resource for all things upholstery!

In this picture you can see how I stapled the trim around the edge. Then I stapled a little batting at the edge of the trim. Then I applied the ply grip.

This stuff "bites" so be careful. It comes with little holes in it so that you can use upholstery nails, but I just use my pneumatic stapler and staple it on, making sure that the edge of the ply grip is pushed tight against the piping. You only apply it along the top of the chair and about 1-2" down the side. It is very flexible and very easily follows the "lines" of the chair...whether it is curved or straight!

I attached the back fabric along the BOTTOM first. I used upholstery cardboard tack strip to get a nice crisp line. Then I stretched the fabric to the top and shoved it into the ply grip with a putty knife. Start in the middle and work you way to the edges...keep the fabric pulled tight as you work it into the ply grip.

After you have the fabric pushed down into the ply grip, make sure there is no fabric ABOVE the depth of the grip...if there is, just trim it off. Then take a hammer or rubber mallet and tap the ply grip shut. I would STRONGLY suggest putting a piece of scrap fabric between the hammer and the chair as you tap it shut.

As I mentioned earlier, lighter weight fabrics can pose a few problems when used as upholstery. Duck cloth does fairly well with the stress of the tugging and pulling and stapling...but occasionally even it might have a little "tear." I had this happen on the edge of this chair back. A tiny bit of the ply poked through. The only thing I could do (besides start over and that wasn't happening) was dab it with a little upholstery glue to keep it from tearing any more...and then I used a black sharpie to "hide" the little problem. (Again, I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL!)

Before using ply grip, I strongly recommend spending a little time online googling as many tutorials as you can on how to apply it. You may be totally confused by my instructions...but completely understand another! It really isn't that difficult and seriously makes a huge difference!

"Professional upholsters" use metal tacking strip to fold over the outside edges on the back...not me. I just fold them over and use fabric glue. Probably not the smartest thing to do, but for me it is the easiest...and it holds!

After the top is done, I tackle the seat. In my opinion it is a tad easier. Just lay the fabric on the seat and make sure you have enough all the way around to staple it to the underside of the seat frame. You will have to cut slits on the corners to work around frame, but again, patience...take your time. And keep your fabric pulled tight before you staple. When working with a seat, whether it is a project like this or a simple dining room seat, it is always best to attach your fabric on all four sides FIRST...just put 2-3 staples in the middle of each side, and then start working your way towards the legs.

Also...PAY ATTENTION TO THE DIRECTION OF YOUR FABRIC!! Make sure it is all running in the right direction. I used this damask on another project and discovered that I had applied it "upside down" on the seat. And one time I worked real hard to get a peacock smack dab in the middle of the seat of a chair...only to discover that it was upside down. Frustrating. So check and double check before you start pounding in the staples!

After my seat was completely covered, I edged the entire thing with trim...then I added a simple black fabric to the underside to hide all the innards. I use a cardboard edging on the front of the chair just to get a nice crisp line and then folded the fabric and stapled on the sides and back.

Remember what we started with way back when....

And this is what we have today! Amazing....

Before and After....

This truly is a "trash to treasure!" Now you know why I wanted to rescue the poor little thing!

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FINALLY, a chair before and after!!!

I say FINALLY because as I have mentioned I have "upholstery block." I can pick paint, I can pick stain...but I have the toughest time picking out upholstery. Which is becoming a real problem because I have all these chairs in my garage that need upholstery work!

Anywho, I finally picked an upholstery for these little mid century style slipper chairs....

I was a little hesitant to go with something so "funky." But fact is, I don't think these chairs have a tremendous "value" so it was a perfect opportunity to do something fun with a style I love! When I found a "'50's Paris" themed fabric at Hobby Lobby, I decided to go for it. Who wouldn't love the Eifel Tower, 50's fashion and PINK???!!!

The legs were oak...sturdy but not my favorite, so I didn't have a problem painting them....a little primer and black satin spray paint. I added a little batting but otherwise they were in pretty good shape! And really comfy! The chair didn't originally have any piping, but I added a little black around the base of the seat.

I found a black and white diamond pattern fabric I am going to make little pillows out of of...eventually. I stuck my houndstooth pillow on there just to see how it would look...not so great, but I think the diamond pattern will look awesome!

Personally, I think they are pretty cute...we'll see if they sell...

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Primitive mahogany chair....

I am always finding nasty old furniture dumped around my trailer and dumpster at the apartments. But when I spied this little beauty sitting by the dumpster I knew it was something special...even in the deplorable state she was in!

When I found her, she was bleached grey/white and was pretty rickety. But I could tell from the construction it was a solid wood primitive chair and from some of the red "bleeding" on the underside, I suspected it was mahogany.

I brought her home and the first thing I tried to do was glue the loose joints. Problem was the wood was sooooo thirsty, it literally sucked the moisture out of the glue, so the glue wouldn't hold!

I knew I was going to have to "moisturize" the chair before I could get the joints to hold.

So I stripped off what little was left of the old upholstery and began sanding her down. As I sanded, the color in the wood really began to shine through!

I called a friend of mine, Caleb, who is kind of a "wood guru." He told me to try Danish Oil on her.

Man, oh, man.

Absolutely breathtakingly beautiful.

No stain in this picture....just oil!

The wood was so thirsty it took an entire can of Danish Oil...maybe 4-5 coats! But the natural color of the wood was amazing!

This is where I need to remind you that I think one of the most beautiful things on earth is wood....I just love the color and the texture and the grain. And the smell!

And it is one reason I have such a difficult time painting over wood....because once you do that you potentially hide something beautiful! Even some finishes can mask the texture of a wood grain...and I hate that!

So I am very careful when deciding what the best treatment is for any piece of wood furniture. Sometimes paint really is your best option. But not always...even if it is all the "rage."

I am sure there are a lot of people who, if they would have even given this chair a second look, would have immediately slapped a coat of paint on her. Because let's be honest, she was pretty nasty to begin with.

But the natural beauty of this chair was there...just waiting for someone to care enough to bring it out!

This is where I really wish I was a better photographer! I am just not doing this chair justice with the pictures!

After oiling and glueing, I set out to find the "right" upholstery. Again, this is a tough process when you are talking about an old chair. I wanted to do something that might resemble what might have been on it originally, but since I have NO idea what time period this chair was, I knew I couldn't even begin to guess. And my research online turned up nothing. I suspect this chair was hand made by someone loooong ago!

The upholstery I settled on is actually an old linen blanket I found at a garage sale. I loved the neutral color and simple texture. Again, I could have painted the piece and upholstered it in a bright, funky fabric....but she is a simple old chair and this is just one of those times I thought the piece needed "simple."

She now sits proudly in my flea market booth....waiting on someone to fall in love with her like I did! But it will take a very special person who will recognize her for what she is.

A VERY special chair steeped in a history we will never know, but will cherish and honor just the same.

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Rocker and pillows...

One thing I enjoy about doing a flea booth is it allows me an opportunity to work on projects I probably wouldn't otherwise if I were just doing for myself.

My first project today were pillows. I bought two large pillow forms at an auction a few weeks ago. I wasn't quite sure what to do with them until Debbie at Midtown Eclectic started decorating with some really nifty looking coffee bean burlap bags. Inspiration!!! They are pretty cool looking, but honestly, they aren't something I would curl up with to read a book...kinda scratchy! But they are neat!

This weekend I bought a precious little rocker at an auction...a lady told me it was a sewing rocker. Evidently it is a little rocker women would sit in and sew. I thought it was just a little "kid's" rocker. It is surprisingly sturdy but was in pretty bad shape cosmetically. (Did I take a "before" picture? Um...no!) It was painted white and had a red velvet upholstery crudely tacked over a busted cane seat. One thing I would like to do eventually is learn to cane...but until then I will just do the best I can upholstering!

First I removed the sloppy upholstery. I sanded the white paint and ended up with the raw wood showing on the edges. I kind of liked the look but the wood was a little light so I hit all the "raw" spots with a pecan stain. I used mineral spirits to get the stain off the white paint. After I 'aged' it by sanding and staining, I coated it with a clear poly to seal it. Then I recovered the seat with this pretty blue fabric. I had a little bit of fabric and piping left so I made a little pillow. Katie thinks it is "too much" of the blue fabric so I will probably try to find another fabric to make a contrasting pillow....maybe...some day when I have nothing to do...lol! It really doesn't need a pillow...I just like pillows and can't stand to waste a scrap of fabric!

Summer finally hit here today and it got a tad warm. After working on the chair and pillows I went out in the garage to tag some things I bought this weekend and it was rather toasty! I finally cried UNCLE and turned on my AC...only to realize after two hours that it was still 84 degrees in my house!!!! Guess I will be calling the HVAC guy tomorrow....curses!

I had to reinstall a sink and grout some tile at the apartments...tomorrow I have to install an AC, paint and finish some bath repairs...this is the time of year I try to hit it reeeeal early and finish up before it gets too warm! I'm trying to finish up some paint projects here at the house and I am saving the bigger upholstery jobs for when it is too hot to work outside....which may be this week!

Did I mention I'm not real fond of summer and the heat?

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