I had so much fun participating in DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land last week with my dining room buffet, and I appreciated having the deadline this week to get another project done. With this weekly accountability, I’ll have all my house projects done in no time! (ha ha ha)
My twins are 3 and were too big for their highchairs, but we didn’t want to lose two adult-sized chairs to booster seats. I found two bar chairs on Craigslist that matched my dining room table (for just $30), but they needed to be prettied up. If you’ve never tried it, recovering chairs is actually quite easy and a great beginner project.
Ewww. But I knew I could fix them. Here’s what I used:
I bought a yard of fabric at Walmart and a can of Scotchguard (with a 50% off coupon at Joann Fabrics) for about $8.00. I also had a lot of Diet Dr. Pepper on hand, which is optional for you, but not for me. Oh–and two very eager toddlers–they were not optional. They “helped,” which is why it took me about three hours to get this done.
First, unscrew the seats from the chairs. Then lay the seats on the fabric and cut around it with enough allowance to go up and over the back so you can staple.
At this point, I laid the fabric out to Scotchguard it. I did two thin coats, just as the can directed. We’ll see how well it handles two toddlers eating waffles for breakfast tomorrow.
Pull the fabric up over the side and staple. I did two opposite sides, then the others, and then tackled the corners. Yes, you will have folds/pleats at the corners. It doesn’t look as bad as you think.
If you have extra fabric, you can trim it after it’s all stapled. Then you have to find the holes again (I had to cut a little extra fabric on those spots) so you can screw the seats back on to the chair frames.
See? Easy peasy. And soooo much better. I love the blue. But wait–they need just a little something extra…
There. Even better!For more fabulous before and after projects, check out the links at D-I-Y Day at A Soft Place to Land.
I'd never have thought to grab bar height chairs to use for my little one. She's still in a proper highchair right now (and needs to be since she's an escape artist), but I'm going to have to tuck this idea away for later. Love the monograms too!
I've done dining chairs before, but covered them with plastic. I'd love to know how the Scotch Guard holds up. It looks so much better.
Thanks for the idea!
Great makeover ! Love a new chair pad and great little extra touch !
Hugs ~ Kammy
They turned out great. What a smart idea. I love the initials on the seat!
What a difference the new fabric makes. You did a fantastic job!
Another tip I have to protect your fabric is to put clear vinyl over your new fabric (you cover the chair just like you did with the fabric). I covered all of mine with vinyl after I changed out the fabric and nothing like a chair you can just wipe down
Does add a bit more expense, but definitely worth it!
Love them! They look awesome! Love the monograms!!
This is really awesome – love seeing DIY projects.
Thanks for all the great feedback! I will look into the vinyl, but I was concerned about sticking to them and ahem–fart noises. We have enough goofing around going on at dinner that I don't need to encourage it.