The girl creative, Just something I whipped up . Whew, thats a lot of partying!
I purchased these two identical french country chairs off Craigslist for $17 each. They were really sad looking with outdated upholstery and a maple Early American finish. The chairs were very well made and I knew I could transform them. Below is a BEFORE picture. Sorry, I got so excited about working on the chairs I forgot to take a picture prior to priming them. You'll have to use your imagination and think of the maple finish that was popular in the 1960s.
Before and during priming
The After Photos
I first lightly sanded the chairs and ripped off the plaid fabric. Next I primed with Kilz and painted the chairs a soft grey/green that was mixed from several leftover cans of paint I already had in the garage. The chairs were sanded for the distressed look and Ralph Lauren smoke glaze applied.
I knew I wanted a heavy canvas material for the cushions but after pricing the fabric at a local shop I knew I could find an alternative fabric for considerably less than $34.00 per yard! I picked up a large canvas drop cloth at Home Depot for $13.00 and it turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. Now keep in mind I DO NOT SEW! I had to actually buy a sewing machine for this project. The sewing machine was cheaper than paying someone to make the cushions. It took a little trial and error but I finally got the cushions sewn and the fabric attached to the bottom with upholstery tacks.
I found a design I liked , modified the design and tried applying it with iron-on transfer. Well, of course I don't have the right kind of printer and the design was really light and a large part of the design was missing . I used left over fabric paint and went over the design that was visible and free handed the rest of it. Okay I know about now you hard core crafters are having a good laugh and I don't blame you. This little project took me almost two weeks to complete and I know you hard cores could have done it in a few hours. Hubby must have asked me at least 20 times why I don't just pay someone to finish the cushions. I guess he got tired of hearing me mumble under my breath and throw the fabric on the floor and stomp on it. Anyways my DIY project is completed and I am happy with how it turned out. Just don't expect to see me sew or paint another pillow for a very long time.
Cost of my project: 2 chairs @ $34.00, drop cloth at $13.00 , useless transfer paper $5.00 & upholstery tacks $6.00. Total = $58.00. All the paint was left over from other projects. I did buy a sewing machine for $89.00 but I have already used it for a small project. Hopefully I'll get over my fear of sewing and tackle some easy projects in the future.
Hugs,
Sherry
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