I picked up this arm chair last spring at a yard sale for $10. The frame was in great shape but the fabric was torn, the seat sagging, and it needed a fresh look.
The webbing was all rotted and broke. Some of the strings that tied the springs were broke as well.
It had the original grass in the seat and back.
I gutted her. It took forever to remove all the staples in the frame. I retied the springs, gave it new webbing underneath, and sewed the springs to the webbing underneath by hand. I lightly sanded, primed, and painted the frame.
I used the old pieces of fabric as a pattern and cut my new fabric. I reused the old sheeps wool along with new stuffing, burlap, and batting. I took many pictures of the demo and put it back together the same way it was with some new materials. Then I used my upholstery gun and stapled the fabric and added trim.
I bought an upholstery gun on Amazon for $20 or $30 (can't remember) almost a year before and never used it before this chair. I love it because it hooks to my air compressor and is so easy. It shoots them in with no effort. So worth the money! I have since used it several times on other projects.
This project was many many hours of labor over several days. This is only the second chair of this kind I've upholstered. I have done many other small projects like seats and benches. I'm getting a little faster as I learn. I've had this chair done for six months and just today added the trim to hide the staples. It feels good to finally have it 100% done!
I love this chair. So fresh and updated!
I bought the fabric at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon. It ended up being $5.40 a yard and I used 3 yards. With the fabric, trim, 1/2 box of staples and the $10 I paid for the chair I have about $35 into it and hours and hours of labor.
Now if I could motivate myself to recover this chair in the same fabric I'd be set. I picked this chair up last summer at a yard sale for $3. The nice thing is it was already stripped and staples removed. I painted it, added new burlap to the back and added webbing underneath. I would love to add springs but I don't have any or know where to get some cheap. I may just add foam. Maybe in a year she'll be done. Ha.
