Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Making Over A Garage Sale Chair

Making over my little seven dollar chair was easy, the hard part was deciding on the fabric, more on that later. Painting it green was an easy choice for me because I won't get tired of it any time soon.


This is how I found her...


My husband cut a seat out of 1/4 inch plywood with a jigsaw; he used paper to make a template first. Then I traced the foam and cut it to size. The foam I used was one inch thick wrapped with three layers of batting.


I primed and painted two coats of dill pickle using sample pots from Benjamin Moore. Then I sanded the edges with a sanding block. I was happy with the color at this point but wanted it to be a bit more dramatic...more fall like instead of spring.


So I used burnt umber acrylic paint mixed with a little water. I wiped it on with a damp rag and then wiped off any excess. If I didn't like the way part of it looked, I used a damp rag to remove my mistake and started over.

 My paint store had all their color samples on clearance for a dollar. The paint went a long way; I used less than two little pots for this project.



I wish I had a few more of these chairs...even the back is pretty.

(I still need to attach the seat)


I started out with a totally different fabric, but I couldn't stop thinking about the other one I found at a different store. I went back for it and decided to take it home, just to see. Well I loved it, so instead of ripping this one apart and starting over, I asked my sweet husband to cut a new piece of wood for me...He did.


 Now I can change it out whenever I get the urge.



                       

35 comments:

  1. Gorgeous redo! I love BOTH fabrics you picked out----how sweet of your husband to cut another so that you can switch back and forth! And I'm happy to know about the ceramcoat trick. Thank you!

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  2. i like both fabrics as well, but the one you went with has a nice pop of color. i have also cut out tons fo plywood seats, and the one trick i have learned is that you shoudl cut the foam a little bigger than the seat so that it is more comfy to sit on. i have found this helps protect your bum and thighs nicely. :)

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  3. I remember when you first showed us that chair. I love how it turned out. Both fabrics are great and isn't your husband sweet to make two seats for you! I know exactly how that is though- when you can't stop thinking about that certain something and have to have it.

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  4. She's perfect now!
    Great job...
    xoxo~Kathy @
    Sweet Up-North Mornings...

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  5. Brilliant to have two different seats! You did a great job. I love the fabric choices.

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  6. Such a cute chair! Love the fabric choices!

    Heather

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  7. Love this! And love the fact that you can change the look on a whim:o)
    Angex

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  8. i love both fabrics. and i love the green. the chair that i have that is similar is still underneath the house getting dirtier as i type.

    ~janet

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  9. well done!
    i have two chairs in my basement that need this kind of TLC...
    thank you for the inspiration.

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  10. love at first sight!!!

    thank you BM for those little sample bottles!

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  11. I love it! The green color is very soothing. I did a similar paint treatment on our dining room chairs and I love them. I adore both fabrics, but can definitely see why the 2nd caught your eye. I think it's great you can change them out. I see them both working for different seasons actually! Great job.

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  12. It looks Great!! I love the green...great choice. Made me laugh that you had him cut out two seats so you could switch it...so something I would do too....now there are two "abused" husbands (as mine refers to himself) in the world...LOL The chair turned out Awesome!

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  13. Your chair is really pretty! I love how you described the glazing process to give it age. I am always afraid of the dark glaze..but I am working up my nerve.

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  14. Both are very pretty, but I especially love the brighter one. It just sings!
    Christa

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  15. Looks great {I love green too!} - you & hubby are quite a team! I love both fabrics and think that is brilliant to have both!

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  16. Both fabrics are gorgeous, but I can see why the one with orange was calling to you. The chair is so pretty! Well done. I finally got started on my mantel (in your honor). xoxo

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  17. Pinapple room: Yes, my husband is "abused" too, but I think he likes it.

    RLG: Thank you! See, the fabric IS orange, my husband kept calling it red!

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  18. Looks so great!! I like both of the fabrics, but that second on does have a little more umph

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  19. Well we all like both fabrics, so your critics are happy out here. Ilike the one with the bright pink flower.

    Makes me want to paint my chair today

    Janice

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  20. I bought 4 chairs almost exactly like that (in fact it might be EXACTLY the same chair) at a yard sale for $25 each. My mother told me that was a steal! When I moved, I didn't have a place for them anymore so my mother took them. She replaced the cane seat with the cutest Pierre Deux fabric on cushions with ties - now I wish I had my chairs back. ;)

    The green is beautiful (half my walls are different shades of green at my house) and all of those fabric choices are great!

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  21. Great work!
    Love the flower and the green;)
    Lovely greetings...

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  22. Nice find, and it looks beautiful now, love both fabrics, they really bring the chair to life. :)

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  23. You are soooo good. I wish you could come out here and help me with a few chairs. One of these days ifyou want some vintage french linen I will send you some :) did you see our Metis launch?? thanks for stopping by to see the mag layout!

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  24. Both fabrics are pretty but the blue, green, and brown one is my favourite. Fun that you can swap them out at a moment's notice. :)

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  25. Love how the Burnt Umber transformed the look! Both fabrics are great!

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  26. oh WOW. I love it! So you really just painted the green on with a rag? It gives it an awesome worn finish. Great job!

    ♥ angelawambaugh(dot)blogspot.com

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  27. Hi Angela, I painted the chair with a brush then used a rag to wipe the acrylic paint on and off. Hope this helps!

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  28. I have the same chairs! Mine were my grandmothers and they haven't been stripped. They are stained brown with that high gloss on top. I have always thought I would like to paint them...lucky you that yours was already stripped. :)

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  29. Beautiful! This is similar to what I'm wanting to do with my headboard. Garage sale finds are such fun.

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  30. Great chair! I love the shape of it and I like both the fabrics you did.

    From Nester's : )

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  31. what a great find. love the end product. i'm a real sucker for chairs...i definitely would have come home with this one, too. beautiful job!

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