Rest Your Feet on this Easy to Make Piece,Reupholstering a Chair

Rest Your Feet on this Easy
to Make Piece
DIY Ottoman or Footstool Using an
Old Wooden Spool
When I saw this wooden spool by the trash (that formerly held
wire sold by the foot), I knew exactly what I wanted to make
with it… The DIY ottoman or footstool is made using an old
wooden spool with upholstery fabric, batting, foam and
casters. This easy to make piece requires minimal sewing
skills (basically sewing a straight line), an upholstery
stapler and a drill…
Materials:
Old wooden spool
Scissors
1″ foam (I used a piece of a memory foam mattress
topper)
Upholstery batting
Decorative upholstery fabric
1/4″ filler cord or decorator piping
Iron-on hem tape
Upholstery stapler with staples
Cardboard tack strip
2″ casters and 3/4″ screws
Step One
Take a few measurements of the spool… This will be really
helpful in determining how much fabric, batting and foam are
needed, as well as how long the skirt will be. The spool I
used measured 19″ across, 13″ tall and was 62″ in
circumference.
I cut a piece of fabric measuring 36″ long by the width of the
fabric. (Most upholstery or decorator fabrics are
approximately 52″ wide.) I laid the fabric on a table, right
side facing down, then laid the batting on top of it. I traced
the top of the spool on the foam, then cut out the circle.
Step Two
Secure the fabric and batting to the underside of the top of
the spool using the stapler and the staples. Pull the fabric
as tightly and as smoothly as possible while stapling. The
staples should be positioned so they are close together. This
helps keep the fabric taut so it will not pull out. Trim the
excess fabric and batting away.
Step Three
Decorative welting will be applied to the sides of the top. I
made my own welting with a strip of the fabric (cut at 2″
wide) and 1/4″ cotton filler cord. Welting can also be
purchased at any fabric or hobby store. Position the welting
on the sides of the top so that the underside of the cording
is flush with the top of the side – staple in place.
Step Four
Position the casters on the bottom of the spool and secure in
place with the 3/4″ screws.
Step Five
The length of the skirt will be determined by the height of
the spool plus 2″ for the hem, 2″ to cover the casters and
3/4″ for the top “seam”. I cut four pieces of fabric at
17-3/4″ by the width of the fabric because I wanted to add 2″
box pleats all the way around. I sewed the pieces of fabric
together, end to end, then pressed a 2″ hem in the bottom. I
used the iron-on hem tape (because I was too lazy to sew the
hem) to hold the hem in place. I started pressing the box
pleats in place along the length of the fabric. I pinned the
top to hold it in place until I could sew the pleats down. I
continued with the pleats until the piece measured the
circumference of the top piece of the spool. Stitch a 3/4″ sam
along the top of the pleats, then sew the ends together.
Step Six
The skirt will be attached to the top piece of the spool by
using a cardboard tack strip on top of the “seam” portion of
the skirt (at the top of the pleats). Position the skirt on
the top piece of the spool with the stitched seam just below
the corded portion of the welting – the skirt will have the
wrong side facing to the outside and the skirt itself will be
upside down. Place a piece of the cardboard tack strip on top
of the skirt piece and staple in place. The tack strip, when
placed directly under the cord piece of the welting, will
create a crisp edge when the skirt is turned right side out.
Can’t find an old wooden spool to use for this awesome
ottoman/footstool? Stay tuned because I will share plans on
how to make one of your very own that is cheap and easy! Have
questions about the DIY ottoman or footstool using an old
wooden spool? Leave a comment below!
Reupholstering a Chair and
Creating a New Seat
How to Use Elasbelt for Seats in
Upholstery Projects
A few years ago, I built this chair for The Design
Confidential and I upholstered it. This is the chair I use at
my desk any time I am on the computer. Because this chair is
built with a plywood seat, it becomes horribly uncomfortable
after a few hours of sitting on it. I discovered an upholstery
webbing called Elasbelt that takes the place of springs in
seats and decided to give it a try. I created a video on how
to use Elasbelt for seats in upholstery projects to share how
easy it is to create a comfortable seat in upholstered chairs!
Elasbelt is an upholstery webbing with stretch that takes the
place of springs. It comes to two different types – with a red
stripe for seats and a green stripe for backs. It is sort of
stiff and really hard stretch by hand. A pair of webbing
pliers are a must when using this product! The Elasbelt is
stapled to the frame of the chair on one side then stretched
and stapled to the other side. Take a look at the video:
http://youtu.be/uBiPun-30V8
The seats of any of the chair plans on DbSC can be adapted to
use Elasbelt. A 1×2 frame can be nailed to the top of the
front legs, and side and back aprons to give a foundation for
the Elasbelt. Note that the seat will have to be upholstered
in order to cover the Elasbelt but it is super easy to do and
I can be contacted at any time for help!
I am also planning on changing the seat of the Carlsbad chair
to make it more comfortable. This will require disassembling
my chair but I think it will be worth it in the long run – I
love that chair!
Have any questions on how to use Elasbelt for seats in
upholstery projects? Leave a comment below or email me at cher
{at} designsbystudioc {dot} com!
Upholstering
the
Ballard
Designs Inspired X-Bench
Here is another “collaboration” with The Design Confidential.
This time, it is for the Ballard Designs Inspired X-Bench!
Materials:
Completed bench from these plans
3″ foam
Spray adhesive
Upholstery batting
Fabric
Staple gun
Let’s Get Started!
I’m trying to use supplies I already have at home which will
reduce my “collection” and save more money for more projects…
Rather than buy more foam for the seat, I used two narrower
pieces, the same thickness, and joined them with duct tape. I
then cut it to size using a bread knife and used spray
adhesive to attach it to the plywood seat.
Cover the foam with upholstery batting and staple the batting
to the underside of the plywood seat.
I wanted to use regular cotton fabric so I used a piece of
muslin underneath to help beef up the fabric.
Then, I started folding the fabric over (making a small “hem”
so the raw edges were not exposed) and stapled the fabric to
the underside of the seat. I like to put one staple in the
middle and one at each end, then fill in between.
Pull the fabric as tight as possible and repeat for the other
side.
Repeat the process again for the other two ends only this time
making “hospital corners” when folding the ends of the fabric
in and trimming away any bulk as necessary. Staple in place.
I then added a couple of stitches with a needle and thread at
each corner to secure the fabric.
Attach the leg assembly with screws through the upper
stretchers into the seat. I primed, then painted the frame
with Martha Stewart Living in Mushroom (eggshell finish).
Yay! Another awesome collaboration with The Design
Confidential. Thanks, Rayan, for the opportunity!
Until next time,
Happy Creating!
Upholstering the PB
Inspired Suite Chair
Teen
Here is another upholstery “collaboration” with The Design
Confidential, this time upholstering the Pottery Barn Teen
Inspired Suite Chair. I had a little help from The Han with
this one, especially since this chair is for her room. We are
transitioning into a “teen” room to reflect her style!
The fabrics we chose for this chair are by Premier Prints –
Menagerie and Polka. The paint is Martha Stewart Living in
Mushroom, eggshell low-lustre finish (a $5.00 score from the
mistake rack – yay!)
There are several options for covering the back of the chair…
One fabric could be used throughout, or wallpaper, or
scrapbooking paper, etc. The Sunday Comics would be awesome,
too! These chairs would be a great addition to a home office,
family room, or in a teen’s room like mine!
Materials:
Plans and lumber for the chair (go here for
the plans)
2 yds. drapery or upholstery fabric
4″ foam for seat
2″ foam for back
Upholstery batting
Spray adhesive
Staple gun
Fancy trim
Hot glue gun, or Fabri-Tac
Let’s get started!
The chair should be almost completely constructed to this
point with the exception of the back. (I took the picture
before I had the seat on!)
Prime and paint, or stain as desired. (Yes, occasionally I
“create” in my PJs!)
Cut a piece of 4″ foam for the seat. Spray the seat with
adhesive and position in place. I was trying to use up scraps
of foam I have been accumulating so I used duct tape to piece
them together. Cut upholstery batting to fit over the top and
sides of the foam.
Cut a square from the fabric for the seat top. I cut mine at
33″ x 33″ which allowed for the sides, as well as a 1/2″ hem.
To make the corners, line up the edges to form a triangle.
Draw a line perpendicular to the edges that measures 4-1/2″
from the edge to the fold. Repeat for each corner and sew a
seam on the line. Trim the excess away.
Press under 1/2″ to form a hem and place the cover on the
seat. If you are using a directional print, make sure the
design is facing the correct way!
It may look as if the piece is too small but it isn’t. The
seat cover needs to fit as tightly as possible so the foam and
batting do not shift. Begin by stapling the side through the
hem into the plywood seat. Staple the corners first, then the
center. Continue to fill in across the entire edge with
staples. They don’t have to be perfectly straight because they
will be covered with trim later.
I had to get a little creative in order to pull the other side
over and staple it. (I didn’t have any extra helpers around!)
I used clamps to squash the foam to make it easier to pull and
staple!
Continue this process for the front and the back, using the
clamps to help as necessary!
Glue the trim over the staples on the seat and let dry.
Cut a piece of fabric to cover the exposed wood on the back.
Using spray adhesive, adhere the fabric to the plywood. Smooth
out any bubbles or wrinkles.
Create the fabric cover for the back using the same steps as
the seat. The back doesn’t have to be nearly as tight as the
seat. Staple the bottom of the back fabric cover on the
plywood for the back and glue on the trim before the back is
attached to the chair. Then use a brad nailer to attach the
back to the chair frame.
Cut a piece of foam and upholstery batting for the back and
secure in the same manner as the seat using the spray
adhesive. Pull the cover over and secure to the top of the
back plywood piece with staples. Secure the sides of the
fabric with staples, as well.
Once the back cover has been stapled in place, glue the
remaining trim over the staples on all sides. What an awesome
chair!!
Until next time,
Happy Creating!
Adding Upholstery to a Newly
Built Wood Chair
Upholstering
Baroque Chair…
the
RH
Inspired
Here is another plan I drew for The Design Confidential that I
was planning on building… (That seems to get me in a lot of
trouble!) Although this chair doesn’t have the turned legs
like the inspiration piece, I like this one a lot better. It
is a little more simple and a lot more inexpensive!
Upholstery work is not an exact science… I am terrible at
folding the corners and making them smooth! The trick is to
pull the fabric as tight as possible (with a helper!) and
secure it in place.
Once again, I used mostly scrap pieces to build this chair – I
ripped 1x6s down for the aprons (and saved the slim piece left
over for a paint stir-stick) and ripped pieces of 2x4s down to
2x2s for some of the other pieces. In fact, the legs are
constructed from a 2×6 ripped down to 2×2. I find this is way
more economical as the 2×6 cost less than $5.00 and I was able
to get three 2x2s out of it!
Anyway, today I’m going to share instructions on how to
upholster this chair.
Materials:
1″ Foam
3″ Foam
Upholstery Batting
Fabric of your choice (about 1-1/2 yds.)
Scissors & Pins
Sewing Machine
Staple Gun
Braided Trim (3 yds.)
The chair will need to be constructed to this point. The
design plans can be found here .
Only the parts that are going to show will need to be painted
or stained
– the legs, and part of the back legs. Apply
polyurethane on these areas also and let it completely dry.
I chose a cotton and linen blend fabric for the chair. The
color is similar to the color copper changes to when exposed
to the elements – a “Verdegris” color!
Cut a piece of the fabric to fit inside the back. Use spray
adhesive to secure the fabric in place and smooth out any
wrinkles. another option would be to use decorative wallpaper
or scrapbooking paper on the back – how cute would that be??
Cut the foam for the back. Use the spray adhesive and adhere
the foam to the front…
Layer the upholstery batting and fabric on the foam. Cut a
notch at each side of the bottom to allow for the legs. Start
with the center bottom – pull it tight and staple on the
inside of the back. I like to use a staple in the center and
one in each end, then I fill in between them. Fold in any raw
edges and secure with a few staples. (Don’t worry – these
staples will be covered later with decorative trim.)
Smooth the fabric up the front and over the top. Fold the
fabric over and staple on the underside of the back in the
same manner as the bottom.
Fold in the raw edges at the notch of the sides and fasten the
sides to the legs in the same manner as the top and bottom.
A view from the front…
I used three pieces of 1″ foam for the seat (its what I had
on hand). Cut notches in the back of the foam for the seat to
allow for the legs. Spray the seat of the chair with adhesive
and put the seat foam in place. Lay a piece of upholstery
batting on top and cut the excess at the front corners so the
batting lays flat. Pull it as tight as possible without
tearing and staple in place.
Cut the fabric for the seat. It needs to be large enough to
fold over the aprons and staple on the underside. The front of
the seat upholstery will have two vertical seams at the
corners to make a sort of box. Cut notches in the back of the
upholstery batting and fabric also to allow for the legs.
Start at the front apron, fold the raw edge of the fabric
under, and staple the layers to the underside at the center
and each end. Fill in the staples along that line.
Smooth the fabric over the seat, turn under any raw edges and
pull it as tight as possible – an extra set of hands may be
needed! Start stapling the back between the legs on the
underside of the aprons. Do the same for the sides. At the
back legs where the fabric ends, turn the fabric under the
batting to hide the raw edges. An upholstery nail can be used
here to secure the fabric if desired.
Cover the exposed staples on the back with decorative trim.
Done, yahoo!! Now
onto the next chair…
So what do you think? Are you going to tackle this chair plan
and try your hand at upholstering the RH Inspired Baroque
Chair? It is an easy and inexpensive project! If you have any
questions, let me know at cher {at} designsbystudioc {dot}
com!