Fun Chair Reupholstery Project

Sometimes when I get overwhelmed with all of the work we are doing around the house (or in life in general), it helps me to tackle a project that I can actually FINISH.  Just the other day I decided I needed a good dose of accomplishment, so I decided to give our tired old corner chair an update.

My first step was to remove the old welting trim and the floral fabric from the chair.  Before I had one of these I was able to strip furniture using just a flathead screwdriver and needle nosed pliers, but this tool has really come in handy for prying out the old tacks and staples.

Once the old fabric was removed, exposing the batting underneath, I cleaned the frame well to remove any dust and grime and carefully primed it with oil based Kilz primer.  Using a color I found on LGN, Behr's "Kiwi Squeeze," I painted two coats to ensure good coverage and prepared my fabric while waiting for it to dry.

On a chair like this I needed to use some kind of trim to cover the staples around the edges and to help create a finished look.  You can buy contrasting trim at any fabric store, or you can make your own double welting from fabric at home.  I was so focused on rushing through this project that I forgot to take any photos, but here is a great image showing how double welting is made using your sewing machine.

It's helpful to use your old fabric pieces as patterns for your new material, but with a chair as simple as this one, you don't really need to worry about it too much.  I positioned the new zebra fabric where I wanted on the chair and carefully snipped the fabric at the corners to provide space for the chair's arms.  Then I stapled it all the way around and trimmed the excess fabric.  

For some reason this chair didn't have any padded arm rests when we bought it, but I thought it seemed like it needed them, so I pulled out some left over foam to create new ones.  As the final step I glued on the double welting around the edges of the chair cushion as well as the new arm rests, stapling in a few places to hold it all temporarily while the glue dried.

All in all, this chair makeover took about half a day to complete-- and the best part is, it's actually finished:)

xo

Liza