One of my favorite activities is visiting second-hand stores in search of hidden treasures.
This chair originally looked pretty forlorn, collecting dust in a small thrift store I happened upon during one such expedition. When I asked the price, the storekeeper told me it hadn’t been priced yet. I offered to pay $5.00, and to my surprise she said yes! She seemed delighted, as if she’d made the better deal, but learning to look past the shabby and envisioning my make-over, I knew that I was the one getting the bargain.
I started my chair re-do with the removal of the chair cushion and sanded the wood, determined to get it smooth – but stopped when my arms gave out and I called it good enough.
Then I applied the stain. I wanted grey to match my bedroom.
I was disappointed that the stain covered the detail of the design, which I’d so admired, so I hand painted the decorative section with some charcoal colored latex paint and a small paintbrush. While it was drying, I started ironing the half yard of upholstery fabric I’d purchased.
I kept the existing foam pad and covered it with the pretty new fabric .
When re-covering a pad like this, start in one corner and pull the fabric very tight as you go, using a staple gun. This is the easiest part, so don’t be afraid of it. If you’re unhappy with the result, it’s a cinch to pry out the staples with a screwdriver and try again.
And for around $10.00, I now have a cheery little corner in my bedroom to hold a stack of freshly folded laundry or to sit and tie my shoes!
…just another example of craftiness making the world a prettier place!
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