Chair Re-do

i snagged these two matching green chairs at a goodwill in virginia five years ago. they had a horrible floral print fabric on the seats, but i LOVED the color. so i just redid the cushions. today i decided it was time for a re-do for these chairs. i tend to re-do these chairs every 6 months or so. i could use oil cloth and just wipe them down, but something about sitting on plastic is no bueno to me. instead i just buy some funky upholstery fabric and go to town. the previous fabric is from ikea, and this fabric i'm using today is from the remnant section at a local fabric store here in minne. all you need for this project is a staple gun, foam, batting, and fabric, and the chair(s) of course. :)

first, i had to rip out all the old staples. this is the most time consuming part. it took a little while. my grandma who is an amazing seamstress gave me a grea tip the first time i re-upholstered these chairs. she said to buy the best quality foam for the cushion, and to wrap the cushion in batting. this way, it's easier to wrap the fabric around the corners. and the corners won't be so square.

next, i just took the old fabric put it on top of the new to make a little pattern. what i love about this project is that there aren't any hems, sewing, or worries, you just cut what you think is right and it will turn out fabulous.
and then the fun: stapling! i actually like this part. i start on the bottom end and do the top and bottom, then the sides and last, the corners. it's easiest to do the corners last and you can cut the corners at a 45 degree angle to give you less bulk when you staple.

and wa-lah! happy saturday to me!