I was trying to keep this as a surprise for Grant, but being that he won’t be here for 2 more months, I couldn’t wait and spilled the beans already. For me, doing stuff myself is kind of a way of life. I love the challenge of seeing something cool and knowing that there’s a possibility to do it myself. Here’s an easy DIY guide to making old, nasty thrift-store chair, personal and magical, because they’re “made” by your own hands!
1. If you’re not re-doing your own chairs, you can find cheap chairs at a consignment or thrift store – When looking for chairs, make sure they’re made of real wood and that they have parts that can be removed, ie. cushions. In this case, I will end up sanding the chairs down and re-stainging them eventually, but for now, I’m just fixing the cushions.
2. Have tools on hand –
– Screwdriver (power or manual)
– Staple Gun (preferably a heavy duty one, but crafting guns work too)
– Sizzors
– Fabric (I happen to have lots of fabric in storage, so I just used one that I liked. You’ll want to make sure that the fabric has some “stretch” to it, so it doesn’t pop the staples when someone sits on it.)
3. Remove the old cushion from existing chair frame – It can be a little tough, depending on where the screws are located, but it just takes a little elbow grease and you’ll get it off of there. (You can also replace the cushion entirely by buying new foam, but the chairs I got had pretty good foam already.)
4. Measure and cut the fabric to fit the seat cover.
5. Using your staple gun, staple the edges with the least curve first, then work your way around the cushion. Try to avoid stapling the spaces where the screws have to be re-used, or you’ll have a mess on your hands.
6. Re-Screw the screws into the the seat cushion connecting the seat to the chair. You may need to buy longer screws, depending on how much fabric is used.
7. Be stoked. The best part of this process is that you can completely change the look of your old chairs in an afternoon!
Hi! My name is Stephanie. I'm married to a great guy named Grant and am mom to two beautiful little boys, Remington and Desmond, and two pugs, Stella and Cioppino. We live in Los Angeles, and my husband has recently transitioned from full-time touring musician, to law student. I work full-time to support us, while also taking care of our sons as if it were the only thing in the world that mattered, because really, it is.
Being Mrs. Arnow 