I finished! I’ve had this chair for a month. Here is the re-do in pictures:
Before pictures. Notice how much the seat sags.
The bottom of the seat (after I got through a layer or two) – it was all broken.
About 2,000 staples later, I had just a frame, then I put a new seat in (I got instructions from my mom over the phone and she mailed me a tool I needed).
I used the original foam (I was surprised at how expensive foam is!) I used cotton batting to replace the thin foam around the frame that was too damaged to use. I took my mom’s advice and bought an electric stapler. I HIGHLY recommend it if you’re planning to reupholster something.
I took (mental) notes when I took the seat apart. One of the things was that the seat had to be completely finished in order to put staples in the back. Just in the area where the fabric (or batting) tucks behind the seat.
The back was trickier. There were two long pieces of metal with teeth all down them that hold the sides of the back on. I had to wrap the fabric around them and hammer them into place. I should have taken pictures of that part.
To spray paint the bottom, I had to go to the park (I have no outdoor space). This was my little set up – using everything in my car to keep it from blowing away!
The finished product! I think it turned out pretty well for my first attempt :)
Even though the chair only cost me $5 from Craigslist, the supplies added a bit to the price.
Chair $5
Cotton batting, just for seat and upholstery tacks for seat $12
Material ordered from Canadian company Tonic (because I’m too picky for any of the fabric in stores here) $35 – with a lot left over
Sandpaper, spray primer, spray paint $10 – also used for another project
Total $62 and that includes extra material and supplies for another project.
