Dream Home CraftsHome Décor DiyPlastic Chair MakeoverFolding Chair MakeoverMartha McgyverSchool DeskSchool LibrarySchool ChairsMakeover ArtForwardTurn a school chair from something cheap to sit on to a piece of art with this school chair makeover!I luuuuuuuuvvvvvvvv this project. There, I said it. It’s one of my favorite projects in recent memory…. I can’t take credit for the idea- I was inspired by a photo on my Pinterest board (and you can see the original post here.) I guess all of that time on Pinterest actually paid off! It’s so easy to do a fabulous makeover on an old metal folding chair- you probably have one in your basement or garage right now that’s just waiting for a little luv. Anyway, we had this ugly chair- I mean, it was hideous. It was headed for the trash heap. Here’s what you will need: First, I flipped over the chair and found the tabs on the underside of the seat that were attaching the chair pad to the chair. I loosened the tabs with a screwdriver and removed the chair pad.
(If the chair had rubber tips on the legs, I would remove those, too.) I placed the chair on a large scrap of cardboard outside. You definitely want to do your painting in a well-ventilated area. The key to getting a beautiful paint job is patience. I worked on this project over the course of several days (but it only took a few minutes each day). It really is best to do a lot of light coats of paint- don’t try to rush it, because you will get drips & runs which are really not pretty. Here’s what I did- I would go out and give it a quick coat of paint, wait a little while, then go back and try to hit the areas that I missed. You need to paint it from lots of different angles- front, back, sides…. I would let it dry for several hours, then, because it was so humid, I would bring the chair inside to help “cure” the paint in the air-conditioning. Then the next day, I took it back outside and did a couple more coats. When I felt that I had done a good job covering the front, back, and upper side of the chair (don’t worry about the seat which will be covered with the pad), I allowed the chair to dry overnight to make sure it was good and dry.
Then I flipped the chair over so I could get the back side of the legs and underside. When it was good and dry, and I was sure that I had the chair completely painted, I added the bottoms to the legs (which I purchased at the hardware store, since my chair didn’t have any to start with.) To cover the chair pad, I cut the fabric about 2″ larger than the pad which I removed in the first step. I wrapped the edges of the fabric around to the bottom of the chair pad and glued it in place. (I did not take a photo of this step, because the pad was, in fact, nasty, and I didn’t see any point in making you a witness to it.) The fabric I chose was my favorite pear print from my Fruitful Hands collection for Henry Glass Fabrics. I replaced the pad on the chair and it was done. It’s perfect for extra seating when you have guests- of course, it’s so cute that you might want to find a place for it in your office, bedroom, or den, and not just save it for your guests….If you like this chair makeover, please share the idea by using the buttons below!
Sharing is caring :) Ugly ChairsChairs DiyTable ChairsGarden ChairsPatio ChairsCool ChairsDining Room ChairsDining RoomsChairs PrettyForwardI want to get some of these old chairs, redo them and have them around for extra seating - so much easier than the big bulky chairs and more fun too - An easy way to revamp any tired old chair! Thanksgiving means turkey, cranberries, guests, and extra seats at the table. As we prepare for the holiday, we decided to purchase a set of folding chairs to create additional seating for our guests. The chairs are super sturdy and comfortable, but they're not the most stylish kids on the block, so we decided to spiff them up using rivets, a staple gun, and some extra fabric we had lying around the house. Check out the tutorial below! Our chairs' vinyl covered seats were attached to the metal base with rivets. This ended up being a great feature because our finished chair had no screws to poke your heiny. 1. Remove each chair's pad from the metal base.
We removed the rivets from our chairs by using a hammer and a glazer bar (a pry bar or chisel will do too). We ran out and purchased a rivet gun and a set of rivets for less than $25. To get the other half of the rivet out from under the chairs' cushions, we simply removed the staples from the corners of the chair and peeled back the vinyl just enough to fish out the rivet remains. 2. When we first ordered the chairs, we were planning on spray painting them. However, once they arrived, we liked the slate color and decided to skip this step. However, there are some great tutorials that show major transformations using paint. Check out this one from Design for Mankind for some inspiration! 3. Select a fabric to cover the chairs' seats. A heavier fabric will serve you best. We had several yards of a cotton-canvas grey and white chevron on hand (it's a medium weight fabric that's perfect for upholstery). 4. Attach the fabric to the cushion using a staple gun. If you're using a patterned fabric like we did, be sure the fabric is correctly aligned before covering the cushion.
We attached the fabric right over the existing vinyl cushions, then cut away any fabric that blocked the rivet holes. When recovering a chair, it's best to save the corners for last. 5. Once the cushions were recovered, we treated them with a round of Scotch Guard to protect them from stains and make cleaning them a little easier. 6. Using rivets, reattach the cushions to the base of your chair. We simply fed the rivet in through the original holes and used the rivet gun to fasten it in place. It was a breeze! This simple DIY project added a little more personality to our set of folding chairs. We think our Thanksgiving guests might actually be excited to sit in the "extra seating" during dinner! Any plans for the long weekend? I’m planning a little get together to soak up every last bit of summer and to celebrate my mister’s birthday. In preparation for our guests, I added a splash of paint and pattern to some dull folding chairs. Who says functional can’t be fun?
Here’s a peek at the transformation… MATERIALS // folding chair, screwdriver, drop cloth, spray paint (2 cans per chair), fabric (20″ x 20″ piece per chair), scissors, staple gun and staples STEPS // 01 REMOVE EXISTING CUSHION Using screwdriver, remove existing cushion from chair frame and set aside. 02 PAINT CHAIR // In well-ventilated area, place chair on drop cloth and wipe down with damp towel. Using slow side-to-side movements, apply two thin coats of spray paint (refer to paint can instructions for drying time between coats). Let chair dry overnight. Tip: If chair is dark color or smooth finish, apply primer before painting with desired color. 03 RECOVER EXISTING CUSHION // Lay out new fabric and place seat cushion face down. Trim fabric along edge of cushion (approximately 3″ from edge). Once cut, attach fabric using staple gun. Begin by stapling at the center of each side and then at the corners. Tip: If using a patterned fabric, be sure to align to your liking prior to stapling.