If you have ugly kitchen or dining room chairs that you just can't stand, then you are in for a treat with this easy DIY chair makeover. 

We purchased these dining room chairs about seven years ago or so at a yard sale when we lived in the city, however it wasn't until recently when we were passing them down to my step-daughter for her new place that my husband thought of giving them a makeover.  

 After moving to the burbs we purchased a larger table and no longer needed these chairs. Sadly they have been sitting in the basement for the last few years collecting dust and stains! But now with the help of a little spray paint and new fabric they have been given a whole new life...

Can you believe the chair on the right once looked like the chair on the left?! It looks so fancy now, I had a tough time parting with them...why didn't we do this sooner?! 

 DIY Chair Makeover Supply List: 

Spray Paint {We used Rust-Oleum® 2X Ultra Cover™ in flat black}

Fabric 

Allen Wrench {also known as a hex wrench}

Staple Remover Tool { We used an Alltrade® pointed prying tool}

Staple Gun

Staples 

Hammer

Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector 

Step 1: Remove chair seat using the allen wrench or screw driver depending on the screws used. 

Step 2: Use the Alltrade® prying tool to remove the staples on the underside of the seat. Note: Do not discard the dust cover, unless you plan on purchasing a new one. You can also reuse the foam from the seat if it's still in good condition or purchase new foam and cut the amount you need using the old piece. 

Step 3: Use the old chair fabric to measure the amount of new fabric you need. We purchased 4' x 4' of fabric from Walmart for only a little over $5 and cut it into four 22'' x 24'' squares. 

Step 4: Lay out your fabric square and place the foam and seat backing on top. Align the fabric evenly and pull the overlapping piece to the underside of the seat and staple it down. {You may want to use a helping hand for this part. I pushed on the backing while my husband stapled the fabric down to get a tighter fit.}

Note: Do not staple fabric down over the holes for your screws, you'll want to cut out a circle so you can put the screws back in when you're seat is complete. 

Step 5: Cut extra fabric away from corners and create a pleat before stapling it down, repeat this on all sides. 

Step 6: Use a hammer to secure your staples to the fabric. 

Step 7: Staple on the dust cover and secure these staples with the hammer as well. 

{Removing the staples and old fabric}

{The Alltrade® prying tool we used to remove the staples}

Step 8: It's time to spray paint your chair before screwing the new seat back on! My husband is a master at spray painting, so I let him handle this part! He used about 3 cans of spray paint for four chairs. Depending on what your chair is made of, you may want a second coat. These chairs are metal, so only one coat was needed. 

Step 9: Allow the chairs to dry overnight and then screw your seat back onto the chair. 

Step 10: After screwing the seat back into place spray it with Scotchgard™ Fabric & Upholstery Protector.

Now you are ready to sit and relax or sit and eat! 

It may seem like a lot of steps, but trust me it's an easy update that anyone can tackle. This was actually our first time upholstering a chair! 

I love the fabric my step-daughter picked out, it gives the chair a nice mix of feminine and masculine detail. Although it was tough seeing them go, it was a wonderful feeling to pass these chairs down to her and give her a fresh new start in her new place. 

So, what do you think of the final look? Have you ever upholstered or spray painted your dining room or kitchen chairs before? 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day! 

How to Spray Paint Brass Owl Bookends...

I'm so glad you guys loved my stencil lamp shade I posted about yesterday, I'm really happy that I went with stenciling it instead of one of the other ideas I was considering. It's a timeless look that won't go out of style or one I won't get bored with! As promised, today I'm going to share with you another DIY adventure I took with brass owl bookends.

My husband bought the brass owl bookends for me at Christmas, said he was searching our local antique store for owls and almost gave up when he stumbled upon them! The two love birds look so sweet perched on the branch, but the brass color just wasn't my style and didn't fit with any decor we have in our home. 

They were on my shelf above my work desk in my home office, however I learned the hard way that these guys were a bit too heavy to be sitting on that shelf! Luckily, my laptop wasn't on my desk at the time the shelf came crashing down and there wasn't anything that broke that was sitting on the desk or shelf!

What was I going to do with these things? We only have a small book shelf in our computer room, so I knew they weren't going there. Even if, I still didn't love the brass color! So, this weekend I shared a photo of them on Instagram and asked how I could give them a makeover. My DIY girl Katie over at Busy Bee Kate  tweeted back that I should use some steel wool, self-etching primer, and spray paint. 

While we were out at Michaels Craft Store searching for what to do with the lamp, I looked for the items Katie mentioned. I found the steel wool, but I couldn't find any paint labeled self-etching primer. That's when I found Krylon® Brand Dual Paint + Primer, which works great for Metals, Wicker, Glass, Ceramic, Fabric, Masonry, Concrete, and Wood. Plus the can I grabbed was also a super bond, bonus! 

I took them out to the garage and my husband helped me set up a little space on his work bench so I wouldn't get the spray paint on anything but my owls! I took out the steel wool and got to work removing some of the brass. Steel wool actually comes in different textures, who knew?! You want coarse for tougher jobs like removing paint, and softer for polishing. Ladies, make sure you are wearing gloves to handle the steel wool, it's a little scratchy! Next, it was time to spray paint. 

Well, apparently I don't know the correct way to spray paint, because what I was doing was causing the paint to drip...and we don't want that. That's where my husband came in and showed me the back and forth technique, he's a pro ladies and he's all mine!

At first, he thought we should apply a second coat, but if you take a look at the heavy spraying I was doing at the bottom it looks thick and takes away the details. I loved the way the feathers were showing through and didn't want them to look too caked with paint. 

I love how they turned out and can't wait to get my hands on another item in the house that needs a spray paint makeover! They are currently sitting on the cedar chest in my office, which is probably the only thing that is going to handle the weight of these guys.

What are some home decor items you have spray painted before? 

Thanks for stopping by, have a great day!