This latest project was a long time coming. A couple years ago my husband and I bought a dining room table and chairs from a thrift store in Pennsylvania. The set was cute and at a good price. The only thing I was not crazy about was the fabric on the chair cushions. So the other day I purchased some home decor fabric from Joann Fabrics for $7.00 a yard. The new fabric totally transformed the set!
BEFORE
AND AFTER!
I am so happy with the fabric. I wanted a fabric that was thicker so that it would be able to withstand all of the sitting. I actually contemplated purchasing an outdoor fabric since it is created to be super durable, but I did not want the chairs to feel like lawn furniture when you went to sit on them in shorts. So the home decor fabric was the answer. It is the perfect blend of durability and comfort. I also wanted a fabric that was on the lighter side to pop against the dark metal of the chairs. The fabric I chose gives off a fresh country french vibe.
HERE IS THE OLD FABRIC UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL
So to recover the chairs I started out by removing the seats and removing the muslin fabric on the bottom side of the seat. The muslin fabric was in good condition so I decided to reuse it, otherwise you could just purchase some new and cut it to size. After removing the muslin, I laid out my floral fabric and traced around the cushion, leaving 6" of extra fabric on each side. After cutting out the fabric I then started the long process of stapling the fabric to the cushion. This is the method I used.
Step 1. Pull the fabric on one side and hold tight with one staple in the middle. Then do the same for your three remaining sides.
Step 2. Once all of the four sides are security with the one staple you have insured that the fabric will not shift on you. Then pick one of the sides and staple the rest of the way, but stop when you get to the corners. I stapled once every inch. Then staple the rest of your three sides. MAKE SURE THAT THE FABRIC IS TIGHT AS YOU GO AROUND. THE TIGHTER THE BETTER.
Step 3. Now your fabric should be stapled all the way around except for at the corners. To do the corners, gather the fabric tightly and smooth out the fabric as much as you can on the topside of the cushion. you want all of the gathers to be on the bottom of the cushion as possible. Then secure the fabric with more staples.
Step 4. For the last step add on the muslin to the underside of the seat and secure it with more staples. The muslin covers the bottom of the seat and gives it a finished look.
Place your cushion back on your seat and "Wa la"!!!
I am going to love eating at my table now. Hope you all can find something in your home to recover because the finished product is always so rewarding.
Blessings.
