Old Rocking Chair IdeasDiy Rocking Chair RedoRocker RedoChair RevampRedo ChairsChairs MakeoverChairs ChairsDiy Redo FurnitureFurniture PaintingForwardRocking chair, refinished with a bright paint color and a new seat cushion and pillow. I'm going to keep this idea tucked away in case I come across an old rocking chair. Rocking Chair Makeover UpholsteryReupholstering Rocking ChairDiy Upholstered Rocking ChairRocking Chair Slip CoverHow To Make A Chair SlipcoverSlipcover EasilySew Slipcovers UpholsteryCouches SlipcoversFurniture SlipcoversForwardMake a rocking chair slipcover easily - even if you are a novice sewer! This DIY tutorial is meant for beginners and shows that sewing isn't so scary after all! Perfect for a nursery or bedroom corner!Touches UpholsteredUpholstered Rocking ChairsDiy UpholsteredChair DiyDiy Rocking Chair MakeoverDiy Rocking Chair CushionGlider Chair MakeoverMakeover FunitureChair Cushions DiyForwardDIY Les Touches Upholstered Rocking Chair. A custom upholstered rocker for $100 that looks just like Brunschwig & Fils'.
A complete step-by-step tutorial.Dollhouse ChairsDollhouse IdeasDollhouse FurnitureDollhouse StuffJane S DollMini DollshouseMamie Jane SKids ChairsSet ChairsForwardWish I had this time out chair when I was little :) Porch Chairs DiyPaint Chairs DiyChairs SeatsOld ChairsRocking Chairs MakeoverDiy Chairs MakeoverYellow Rocking ChairRocking Chair DiySale RockingForwardMaking over furniture is so easy with the HomeRight Finish Max! This rocking chair looks gorgeous in this yellow color! Instead of spending money to replace a worn or scratched rocking chair, you should consider refinishing it. To preserve the original piece of furniture, whether a family heirloom or an antique-market find, you can refinish your chair with a few basic tools and novice woodworking experience. Warning: Paints, varnishes, and thinners all contain chemicals that are potentially harmful. Always wear gloves to avoid direct skin contact, which could cause burns and other reactions. In addition, wear a respirator or painter’s mask when working with these products.
Always work in a well-ventilated area. Step 1 – Prepare the Rocking Chair If the rocking chair has metal bolts or brackets that you can undo, take the chair apart before refinishing it to avoid getting paint or primer on these parts. However, if your chair if firmly built and you can’t remove these parts, use painter’s tape to cover them. If there are any damaged areas or parts, fix or replace them now before continuing. Step 2 – Apply the Stripper Using a sponge, apply paint or varnish stripper to the rocking chair. Coat all surfaces you want to finish evenly. Allow the stripper to set for 5-15 minutes so that it can loosen the finish. Step 3 – Remove the Old Finish Use a drill with a circular wire brush to thoroughly clean the rocking chair’s surface. If necessary, clean the brush with paint stripper periodically. Wipe down the surface as you go with a soft rag to make sure you haven’t missed any spots. Step 4 – Sand Until Smooth
Fill any holes or round out splintered corners, and then sand all surfaces with fine-grit sandpaper. A 220-grit sandpaper is ideal. After smoothing out all areas, wipe the surface down with a clean, damp sponge. Step 5 – Apply New Finish Spray on the finish in smooth, long strokes, holding the can approximately 6-10 inches away from the rocker. Allow the first coat to dry for at least one hour, and then apply a second coat. Let dry before sanding. Step 6 – Finish the Chair Finally, lightly sand the surface of the rocking chair. Then, apply a third coat of finish. You may apply additional coats as desired to refinish your rocker. To finish the look of your updated rocker, consider purchasing a new pillow to place on the seat. Or, repair your old rocking-chair cushion.Joy's Rocking Chair Redo Before & After: Joy's Rocking Chair Redo An Apartment Therapy reader, Joy, very kindly sent us in her own before and after photos of a chair modernization makeover that is really well done.
She writes: I saw the post on rockers, and I was excited because I recently revived an old rocker that I found at my local thrift store for only $3.99 … I loved the shape and color of the wood, but wanted something that would be both contemporary and comfortable. I found some charcoal geometric fabric (Dwell Studio for Robert Allen) and got to work ripping off the worn out 1970's yellow and orange striped velvet! Here are the before and after shots. The whole project was really inspiring and so I was excited to see from the post that rockers are making a comeback! Looks great — thanks Joy!If there's one thing all 21st century wood-workers can claim, it's remarkably good fortune. We have the tools to make the most tedious job effortless and the trickiest joint flawless. And, anything from glue and lumber to paint and hardware is as close as the nearest home center or only a mouse click away on the Internet. But most of all, we have our legacy of woodworking--hundreds of years of design and wooden construction from which to draw inspiration and on which to base our craft.
Sometimes, though, there's a chance to do more than take from our past--we can give something back by rescuing a piece that's seen better days. We had the opportunity to do just that when we discovered this 50-year-old Windsor rocking chair. Even with broken joints and a ruined finish, the chair's classic lines made it an irresistible candidate for restoration. Although the specific procedure we used to bring our rocker back to life might not match your restoration project, there's a good chance many of the techniques will be relevant.Exposure to the elements had ruined many of the glue joints in our chair, but surprisingly, some were still sound. Two failed joints in the seat had left one of the seat boards hanging free, and most of the spindles were no longer securely held in their sockets. We decided to leave the solid seat and leg joints alone, but we disassembled all the upper spindle joints.To remove a stubborn seat spindle, bore an access hole in the seat bottom to meet the spindle tenon (1).
Use a centerpunch and hammer to tap out the piece (2).At the arms, use a nonslip pad to help twist the spindles free (3). Remember to label the pieces for easy reassembly.To restore the failed seat joints, first plane the mating surfaces to provide a good fit (4). Remove only as much material as necessary to avoid affecting the shape of the chair and the fit of the spindle joints.To glue the seat pieces together, first make a clamping caul by tracing the seatback edge on 2 x 4 stock (5). Cut to the line with a sabre saw or band saw.Then, apply glue to the mating surfaces, and use bar or pipe clamps to hold the seat together while the glue sets. Use two waxed 1 x 2 cauls at the top and bottom of the seat at each side to keep the pieces aligned (6).To repair endgrain cracks in seat-joint lines, glue thin, tapered maple wedges in place. Use a syringe to apply the glue (7).To make very thin wedges for fine checks, tape the wedge to a scrap stick and feather its edge with a file (8).With the seat repairs made, scrape away all old glue from the sockets and disassembled spindles.
Be careful not to enlarge the holes or reduce spindle-tenon diameters.Before applying a finish remover, plug all of the spindle holes with corks (9). Packages of corks of various sizes are usually available at hardware stores. Use a hacksaw blade to trim the corks flush (10). Protect the spindle tenons from the finish-stripping operation by wrapping them with masking tape.We used 3M Safest Stripper to remove our chair's finish. Following the manufacturer's instructions, brush on the stripper in heavy coats and allow it to penetrate the old finish (11). To apply stripper to the spindles, bore oversize holes for the spindle tenons in scrap stock to create a convenient benchtop spindle-holding rack (12).Remove the softened finish by gently scraping with a putty knife (13). Be careful not to gouge the wood surface. Clean the curved surfaces with a flexible stripping pad (14). To clean small grooves in the turned spindles, use a piece of twine that you've coated with dampened pumice (15). Use a small brass-bristle brush in recesses (16).
Remove any remaining residue with stripping pads and soapy water, followed by fine stripping pads and clean water.When the wood is dry, lightly sand the chair with 220-grit paper to remove any raised grain that can result from the application of water. We used a 3M sanding sponge on the turned members (17).Remove the cork plugs from the spindle holes and use a belt sander to carefully level the seat repairs (18). In the concave area of the seat, use a curved cabinet scraper to remove any marks or dents (19). Finish sand the seat with a random-orbit sander (20). With the sanding completed, dry assemble the chair to check the fit of all the parts.We used Titebond Extend wood glue for the spindle assembly because of its long open time. First, apply glue and attach the spindle and arm components to the seat (21). Then, temporarily install the back cross-member, or splat, to keep the long spindles in position while the glue sets.To complete the assembly, apply glue and install the back spindles in the seat.
Spread glue on the spindle top tenons and in the splat tenon holes with a small brush (22). Install the splat starting at one end and gradually tilting the other end down as you engage the spindles (23).We used Behlen Solar-Lux American Walnut dye-based stain to color our chair. This is a fast-drying stain, so add 10 percent Solar-Lux Retarder to slow the drying time and help prevent lap marks. Working on one area at a time, apply the stain by wiping it on with a padded cloth (24).For a durable topcoat with just the right sheen, we finished our rocking chair with three coats of Deft Semi-Gloss Clear Wood Finish, applied following the manufacturer's instructions (25). Note that this is a lacquer finish. You must use the product in a well-ventilated area.Packages of corks of various sizes are usually available at hardware stores.Following the manufacturer's instructions, brush on the stripper in heavy coats and allow it to penetrate the old finish (11).Be careful not to gouge the wood surface.