Having very little left to sit on, we snagged an old arm chair from the curb of the previous tennants and threw a blanket over it as a temporary arrangement. Sadly, one year later that 'temporary' chair was still in my living room. This weekend I rose to the challenge of resolving this issue.
As buying a new chair was not a viable financial option right now, I opted for the cheaper solution: $25 in bargain sale fabric!
BEFORE:
AFTER:
I even re-covered the damanged top of an ottoman to match. The floral-patterned fabric is a little busier than I had envisioned in the store, but I think it's a definite imporovement! My little Kitty Luca already enjoys it as his new napping spot.
Tools:
-5 Metres of Fabric (a little stretch goes a long way toward "forgiveness")
-Sewing machine
-Pins
-Staple Gun
-2 Days and patience!
Rather than stripping off the original upholstery, I made more like a close-fitting slip-cover. The pieces were made by pinning fabric to the chair itself, then measureing and cutting fabric the same dimensions (the seat cushion was re-covered separately). Ensuring the cover was well-fitted and taut gives it the finished look. Use a looser fit cover for a more shabby-chic appearance.
I also made covered buttons... Here I actually had to cut open the orignal fabric from the back of the chair to expose the frame. Then, using the longest strongest needle that "Michael's Crafts" had to offer, I pulled twine through the chair padding to attach the buttons to the front before stapling the bottom of the 'slip-cover' to the underside of the frame.
Voila!
For those interested, there are also numerous links for detailed HOW-TO's available online for both slip-covers and re-upholstery. Here are a couple:
http://www.mormonchic.com/crafty/wingback.asp
http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=JC&Screen=FLORAL_CHAIR
My next job is our hand-me-down love seat with threadbare seats... but I think I'll take a break before tackling that one!
No comments:
Post a Comment