4 How-To: Arm Chair Rehab, Part 3

Here we go! Back to the (not so much of a) how-to for my most recent furniture rehab. Let’s rewind to where I last left you.

This guy, as you see below in his originally sad little state…

…had been stripped…

…and stuffed…



…and then I took a two week breather to find the perfect fabric. Sadly everything I loved exceeded my budget by more than a penny or two—remember, I prefer to hang out on the frugal side of life. Especially when I could very well screw up this project entirely with my let’s-wing-it-and-see-what-happens attitude.

Finally while digging through bolts upon bolts of clearance fabric, I stumbled upon the perfect find for a measly $6 a yard. Nailed it! Four yards later I was home and ready to do some serious damage with a pair of scissors and a staple gun.

Now here comes the part where a few of you are going to most definitely be very disappointed with me. Remember the time I said that I learn the best by taking things apart and putting them back together again…well that’s exactly what I did here. Using the hundreds of photos I took during demo and keeping the old fabric scraps as semi-patterns. I slowly pieced this bad boy back together again, starting with the seat, then the (front part of?) the back, then the arms, then the (back part of?) the back. An excellent description, I know.

Once the seat and back were set, I used decorative nail heads to secure the arms.

Hint, hint: These guys are not the most durable. They bend, they break, and they will bring you to tears if you attempt to use a hammer alone. Use a drill bit one size smaller than your nail, and pre-drill your holes. Not only will the nails slide in easily with just a tap or two of the hammer but will be more evenly spaced and give a much cleaner finish.

Once the finishing touches were set, I could check this bad boy off the Rehabilitation Station list!

 

I know this was the most pathetic excuse for a how-to ever to grace this little blog of mine, but I promise you friends, next time I tackle a full blown reupholstery rehab, a complete step-by-step how-to will be in tow. Hopefully this at gave you a smidge of a feel for how reupholstery works…and if not, at least I have a new chair out of the gig!