something old is new again
A few years back I snatched a pair of these chairs from the dumpster outside my apartment. They were in fair condition… the legs needed to be detached, sanded and then reattached with some super-strength Gorilla Wood Glue. The seats were also a bit torn, but I put some pillows on top, and they were good to go.
A couple months ago I was out to lunch with some friends from work, and we walked past a reupholstering shop. They were having a vinyl sale, so we popped in for a peek. For $22 I got (a little more than) a yard of teal vinyl with the kitchen chairs in mind.
Since the seats were still in fair condition, with only a few minor rips and tears, I decided to take a short-cut by placing the new vinyl right over the old, eliminating the need for new padding.
The steps are outlined below… click on a thumbnail to view the full sized image.
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- You will need: vinyl, sharp scissors, screwdriver, staple gun.
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- Flip the chair over on a soft surface, like a rug, and unscrew the seat.
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- Cut a piece of vinyl a few inches wider than the surface you want to cover.
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- Place the vinyl, color side down, on the rug. Wrap the vinyl around the surface along a straight edge.
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- Staple into place, flipping the seat back and forth to make sure it is smooth.
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- After the first side is stapled on, flip the seat and gently stretch the vinyl to the opposite side. Flip and staple.
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- I like to start the second side near the corner. Corners can be tricky, keep flipping back and forth to make sure vinyl is taught.
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- For corners: pinch and tuck the vinyl in an accordian style, securing each tuck with a staple. It may not look neat, but no one looks at the bottom of your seat!
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- After you have a few key staples in place, you can trim any excess vinyl that is getting in the way.
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- Keep going, but remember… Do not staple over the screw holes!!
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- It’s okay if the bottom looks haphazard, so long as the top of the seat is smooth.
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- Screw the seat back onto the chair and you’re done… I love it! It’s like a brand new chair.
recreate an old frame
A few years back I scooped up these old frames someone left on their stoop for give away. They’ve been gathering dust in the corner for a while now, so I decided to follow my own advice… use or or loose it!
Here is what I did:
(click on an image to enlarge)
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- Start with an old frame. Clean thoroughly.
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- Think design! I thought I would collage/layer a picture I drew with some fancy paper.
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- A couple of paper choices…
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- Using a craft knife, cut out any pictures you will use.
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- Ooops, extra step: After it was cut, I decided I wanted to color my picture.I would have colored BEFORE I cut, had I known.
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- Before getting messy, layout how you want your picture to look. Next, tape the edges of your frame with painters tape (or masking tape).
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- Apply a thin layer of glue to the background picture & press firmly into place. Cover entire area with a thin layer or Mod Podge.
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- Allow to dry completely, add your next image layer, then apply another coat. Make sure to press firmly into place.
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- Allow to dry overnight.
