Scavenger Chic

DIY French Chair Makeover

• By Joan
• October 27, 2017
• 12 Comments

I was visiting my sister last week.  She’s laid up with a broken foot, she had had surgery the day before and was in need of a rootbeer float.  Besides in pain, she was rather bummed that her flea market  and thrift store fix would have to be put on hold for several weeks. I had no plans on thrifting that day but sis told me that her local thrift store was 30% off that day and since it was on my way home, what the heck? If she couldn’t go thrifting she could live vicariously through me.

I left my sister, leg elevated, ready to nap and I was off to her local thrift store where I immediately spied this little cutie. His legs were sturdy.  He was just a little smelly but at  $15.00 he definitely had potential.

I haven’t done a makeover with this style chair before,  (French perhaps?)  but I thought I was up for the challenge.  

This is a medium skill upholstery project.  Putting a new cover on a seat would be an easy upholstery project.  This would be more mid level since there is some precision but no sewing involved, and couches and any chairs with detached pillows would be more advanced.

When hubby got home, I showed him my find.  He was totally unimpressed. Go figure.

Remove all staples and tacks.  This is the part that takes the longest, there are tons of staples.

If you’re going to attempt any kind of upholstery I would strongly suggest using a Staple Remover .  Don’t discard the old fabric just yet, you’re going to use it as a pattern for your new chair cover.

Take pictures as you go.  The pictures will give you a good idea how to put your chair back together.

The foam padding was in great shape.  That’s one thing to look for when you’re thinking about upholstering a chair, foam can get expensive.

Whether you are painting or varnishing, finish your chair before attaching the fabric.

The legs were sturdy but the arms were kind of wiggly.  To firm up my arms I predrilled holes then added screws where the arrows are…actually the lower screws were attached from the bottom of the chair, not the sides.  This is where there is a benefit to painting, the screws can be countersunk, filled with wood putty and painted over.

Lightly sand the edges to bring out  the  beautiful lines of the chair and the wood carvings. 

If the piece you took off has extra fabric for a seam allowance, you can use that piece as a pattern to cut your replacement fabric.

If there is no seam allowance, cut your replacement fabric slightly larger than your original fabric.

Iron all your fabric.

Start with the back of the chair.  If there is a pattern on your fabric, make sure it’s centered, right side up and the pattern is facing outward.

Pull the fabric so it’s firm but not so tight that it puckers.

I did end up replacing the back foam because the original had ripped in a vicious game of tug of war with a staple.

I have a manual staple gun but for this project the Pneumatic Stapler can’t be beat.

Edges are turned over.  Start in the middle and work your way into the corners.

Note: If you are using a heavy weight upholstery fabric you  will still need the extra 3/4″ but you won’t want to fold it over.  After stapling, you’ll have to trim off all the excess close to the staples.

Use hot glue to add decorative trim to hide all the edges and staples.  The fabric and the trim were both from Hobby Lobby.

The back coordinating fabric was also from Hobby Lobby.

You can find  DIYs for the chicken coop coffee table here and the recycled post lamps here.

Hope I inspired you not to pass up that next stinky chair you find.

Have a great weekend.

Shared at DIY Salvaged Junk Projects,

Metamorphosis Monday, Wow us Wednesday,

Talk of the Town,

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