One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure: DIY Re-Upholstery
August 22, 2009 | By
I am a junk yard gypsy. I love yard sales, thrift shops, and dumpster deals. I snagged this eye sore of a bar stool at Goodwill for $5. It was in good, sturdy condition but was ugly as sin. As soon as I spotted it, I knew I had to have it. It reminded me of a foot stool my great grandmother once owned, but then disposed of. Personally, I think she got rid of it so that nobody would get stuck with this hot mess when she passed away. With just a little paint, fabric, and some basic household tools, I transformed this ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.
The Hardware:
• Second Hand Bar Stool
• The paint of your choice – Note: check your local home improvement stores for their “oops” paints as most of their cans are discounted down to $1.00 or less
• Paint primer if so desired
• Heavy Duty staple gun with staples
• Foam or batting five times the size of the top of your seat
• Heavy fabric of your choice, about half a yard for a standard size stool
• Sandpaper
• Flat head screw driver
• Old cloth or trash bag to cover your work surface
• Paint brush
• Scissors
Start by sanding down your stool. Remove as much of the old paint as possible. Make sure you remember to sand down the feet and rails as well. Next, turn your stool upside down so that the seat is on the floor. With your screw driver, wedge the tip underneath the old staples or tacks and safely pry them up and out. Continue this process until all your staples and tacks are removed. Tear off the old fabric and the cushioning underneath. Toss it in the trash. Using the top of the seat as your size guide cut five pieces of batting or foam in equal sizes. Place them to the side for now. Start painting your stool. Prime the surface if you are using a light color or need a strong base underneath the paint of your choice. Three or four coats of paint should be sufficient. Let your paint dry before moving onto your next step. Note: if you want to give your stool an old, distressed and weathered look, take some left over sand paper and buff over the dried paint you applied. Be careful not to take off too much paint or you will end up with bare wood.
Now onto the reupholstering. You’ve already cut out your five pieces of batting or foam. Take one of these and use it as a guide to create the cut of fabric that will be used to cover your seat. It is important t
o add four inches of a perimeter to the actual size of the cushion as this will be tucked under the seat area. Once you have cut out your fabric, get out your staple gun and take your foam or batting pieces and sandwich them together, placing them on the seat of the stool. Make sure you line them up evenly. Drive a staple through the middle of the foam or batting into the wooden seat.
Now take your fabric and place it on top of the foam or batting. Smooth it out with your hands removing any creases and stretch it over each edge of the seat. Start stapling the fabric to the underside of the stool; about every half an inch, smoothing out and wrinkles or creases as you go. Once you are done, you may needs to take a pair of scissors and cut away any excess fabric.
You’re all done. Sit back and relax on your new haute stool!
A pastry chef gone indie craftster, Tiffany is the proprietor of SecondHandNews
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