Darling DIY – How to Reupholster a Chair with Old Clothes

Darling DIY – How to Reupholster a Chair with Old Clothes

How to Reupholster a Chair with Old Clothes

 

It seems as though everyone has been bitten by the DIY bug these days! There are so many fun ways to turn trash into treasure and make your old items into something new and exciting. If you have been wanting to give a great DIY project a try but just were not sure where to start, this is the perfect one to get your feet wet! If you have an old chair and an old shirt, you have all of the the makings of a fun and frugal new chair you will be proud of and guests will marvel over. Below, you will find everything you need to know about this darling DIY, and in no time you too will learn how to reupholster a chair with old clothes. Yep, that’s right! For this project you get to skip the fabric store and use old clothing items instead. Don’t think it is possible? Take a look at how truly charming your finished project can be.

How to Reupholster a Chair with Old Clothes:

First, let’s take a look at what you are going to need. The majority of these materials can be found at your local thrift stores or garage sale. Or, perhaps you already have all of these items right in your own home!

When choosing a clothing item to cover your piece with, you want something that is colorful and clean. Look for fabric with a little bit of a stretch to it as well. For the piece shown, I used a women’s size large shirt that was a cotton blend. It was covered in a French botanical print that was romantic and perfect for this chair which we planned to put in a bedroom.

Supplies Needed:
* Old chair. Choose something solid and stable. Cosmetic condition does not matter since you will be fixing all of that! Our pictured was a $5 thrift store find.
* Shirt, skirt, or sweater in a pattern and color of your choice.
* Staple gun with staples (you can snag a great deal on one here)
* Paint and paint brush
* Sandpaper, mid grade
* Screwdriver

Directions:
1. First, remove the screws from the underside of your seat cushion. Set the screws as well as the cushion aside. If the cushion has any odor, now is a good time to give it a good spray!
2. Paint your chair. This is optional. If you want a new and fresh color, lightly sand your chair so the paint adheres well. Apply two coats and allow plenty of drying time in between. Spray paint or roll on will work, the choice is up to you.
3. While your paint dries, take the clothing item you choose. Cut it along one seem so that you can open it up into one large piece of fabric. Smooth it out flat with your hands. Iron if needed.
4. Place the cushion face down on the fabric so the good side of the fabric will be facing out of course. Begin pulling the fabric towards the center of the back of the cushion. Staple into place. Continue pulling tightly so the fabric will lay smooth on the seat. Add more staples as needed to secure.
5. Once your cushion is covered, place it back on the chair and screw into place until secure.
6. Once your cushion is attached you are all done! You can distress the paint by rubbing it gently with the sandpaper for a more antique look, or leave as is.

As you can see in the example photo, old clothing makes the perfect upholstery fabric! It is a great way to turn something old into something new and fresh. So the next time you are scouring thrift stores, take a look at the shirts and skirts in a new and exciting way. They may not look great on you, but they might be able to dress up a chair or other furniture piece quite nicely.

So gather your supplies and see what you can whip up! This is a great project that can be tacked over a weekend and for just pennies. Now that is a fun and frugal DIY worth trying!

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