Chair Redo With DIY Stenciled Fabric

I was out doing some junkin’ at my local Goodwill store & found 2 of these chairs for a whopping $1.50 each. What inspired me about these chairs was the clean lines and metal frame. I knew once I gave these chairs a modern update they could be used in any room of the house. I envision them as a beautiful addition in the dinner room or a perfect pop of color in my office. Chairs are some of the easiest furniture to redo & get creative with. The fabric I used to recover the chairs was on a bolt I was given a while back for free. At the time I had no clue what I would use the fabric for. By itself it is not very attractive but with the stencils it makes it super chic. The techniques I will show you here can be applied to numerous furniture redo projects. The ideas are really endless.
 

STEP 1: Deconstruct the Chair

TOOLS: screw gun or screw driver, Staple remover, container for screws, seam ripper

I used a screw gun to remove the seat cushion and back. Don’t forget to put your screws in a secure place so you don’t lose them. I took the seat back and removed the staples from the bottom so I could slip the covering off. I repeated the same thing on the seat cushion. I am going to use the seat back covering as my pattern for cutting the new fabric so I turned the covering inside out & used my seam ripper to separate the front from the back. On the arms of the chair there is 2 wooden pieces which I unscrewed as well.

STEP 2: Cut Chair Fabric

TOOLS: ruler, scissors, fabric chalk

As I said prior, to cut the fabric for the seat back I used the covering I removed, laid it on my fabric, traced around it, & then cut it out. For the seat cushion I measured the size of the seat, then added 5 inches to all 4 sides, & cut it out of the fabric.

STEP 3: Stencil the Fabric

TOOLS: table covering, painters tape, cut pieces of fabric, stencil, stencil brush, acrylic paint, paint tray, old fabric scrap, hot iron, & ironing board.

This is my favorite part. I love stenciling on fabric. It is so easy. Make sure you cover the surface you are working on with something because we are working with paint which can seep through the fabric. I use a very large piece of cardboard to protect my table. Lay the fabric face up on the cardboard, place your stencil on the fabric, tape it down, & use the paint and brush to fill in the stencil. Repeat this process on all the fabric pieces. When you are done stenciling let the fabric dry completely. Once it is dry place the fabric on your ironing board, cover it with a piece of cotton scrap fabric, & iron it with a very hot iron. The hot iron sets the stencil so the paint will not come off. You do not need to use fabric paint for stenciling. I use Martha Stewarts Acrylic Craft Paints & the stencil s. I love her stuff! I also use tons of other stencils again and again from books I got off Amazon. I have listed them below for you. The books don’t just have stencils but great ideas for projects.

STEP 4: Reupholster Chair with Newly Stenciled Fabric.

TOOLS: sewing machine, power staple gun, scissors, & iron

First I took the front and back pieces for the seat back & used my sewing machine to put them together with wrong sides facing. I turned it right side out & ironed down the seam. Then slip it over the seat back, fold the bottom edge and staple. For the seat cushion lay down the fabric wrong side up & place seat cushion right side down onto fabric. Then pull fabric tight & staple all around.

STEP 5: Sand & Paint Wooden Arm Pieces

TOOLS: sand paper, Rustoleum spray paint, soft cloth

I took the wooden arm pieces and lightly sanded them to scratch up the surface so the paint would go on easier. After sanding I wiped them down with a damp cloth to remove any dust and residue. Then I spray painted them with several light coats of Rustoleum spray paint. I love the Rustoleum paint it is really durable & easy to clean.

STEP 6: Put Chair Back Together

TOOLS: screw gun or screw driver, cleaning stuff

The finish is almost upon us. Before I reassembled all the pieces of our newly remodeled chairs I cleaned the metal frame using Windex, a magic eraser, and micro fiber cloth. It made it shine just like new.

 



Cheers! xoxo