A few weeks ago a friend of mine listed some random things that she was getting rid of and I managed to snag two of these little lovelies from her. From first glance, they were a little worn, but I just knew I could touch them up a bit! Seeing the potential of an item is key. Never write a piece off as trash; evaluate it and at least attempt something. The legs were in fantastic condition, the wood was nice, and they were incredibly sturdy. I have a great bar area and I was looking for some cute stools to spice it up, but that wouldn't be so plain or bland.
So.....I got these and well lets just say....I transformed them with $20 and one hour of my time.
Let me show you how I took these from shabby to chic. Here we go!
Step 1:
I am a fabric-a-holic, in particular, I really enjoy using duck cloth canvas. It is very durable and always has such a classic touch to any design. I went to my local craft/fabric shop and purchased 1 yard of duck cloth canvas in a cute chevron print, a rubber mallet, and 3 packages of decorative nails.
Step 2:
Lay the stool down flat on the seat on top of the back side of the fabric, and with light colored chalk or a colored pencil, gently and carefully trace around the seat. Then, after you have traced all the way around the seat cushion, move the stool and then with your ruler, measure 3-4 inches out from the line you have just drawn and faintly sketch a line again all the way around. This allows for plenty of fabric for you to nip/tuck and pull to fully cover the seat. Normally with upholstering, I remove the original padding and fabric. But, because this fabric cover was so neutral, I thought, what the heck! I am going to make this easier on myself and upholster over it. It is up to you though. Then, cut out your fabric.
Step 3:
Secure your fabric to the stool cushion by pinning the fabric all the way around the cushion.
Step 4:
After successfully pinning the fabric, using your rubber mallet, carefully begin to nail in the decorative nails about 1 inch apart along the bottom of the fabric as seen below. Do this until you have nailed completely around the cushion and remove the pins as you go. When you reach the corners, don't be alarmed! Tuck and fold the corners and then hammer them down flat (as seen below). Again, hammer GENTLY, as the decorative nails are not as strong as normal nails and you also do not want to scratch them.
Step 5:
Touch up the legs of the stool if you need to with a simple wood stain pen or wood stain and a small brush. I use one brand only- Miniwax! Lots of amazing colors and excellent quality! You can find this at your local hardware store such as Home Depot or Lowes in the paint section.
And VOILA! New stools in 5 steps, just like that!
Until next time,
XOXO
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