Crafty Genes: Refurbished accent chair

1. Pick a chair and disassemble
Pick something with a shape you like, that’s in relatively good condition. Our chair had outdated vinyl covering and needed a paint job. Remove the arms, legs, seat pad and back pad. Be sure to keep all the screws and parts. You’ll be sitting pretty in no time. We found our chair at Goodwill, 7501 15th St. E., Sarasota. They have a $1 furniture sale every other Wednesday, and it is a goldmine. You can call 827-0064 for more info.

2. Paint the parts
We spray-painted the chair legs gold using the same paint from our Florida Fall Wreath project — you can watch it at YourObserver.com. We spray-painted the arms black. Spray-painting is the easiest and quickest way to freshen up a piece of furniture.

3. Select fabric, measure and cut
Pick a brightly colored fabric that suits your interior space. It’s best to use a similar material to what was already on the chair. We found that the duck canvas we used didn’t stretch in the same manner the vinyl did previously.

The most difficult part is measuring and cutting the fabric the right way. Remove the old material and investigate how it was put together — this will be your best guide. It also helps to draw the shapes you need and how they will fit together.

We covered the seat cushion in two pieces with piping where they touch. The seat was also two pieces. Make sure to leave an extra half-inch for the seams.

4. Pin and sew
If you use piping, pin it between the two pieces of fabric. You’ll pin along the side of the fabric that will be touching the seat cushion. Investigate your seat cover once you have pinned it and before sewing to make sure everything is in place.
Sewing can be difficult and, to be honest, we aren’t the best at it, so if we can do it — anyone can. And if at first you don’t succeed, try again!

5. Put the seat back together
Put the re-covered seat and pad back together. We used a staple gun to attach the fabric at the base of the seat cushion and back pad because that’s how it was originally applied. Reattach the legs and arms. And there you have it — a brand new, old chair.