A Chair To Remember
Turn an old wooden chair into an instant antique. The secret is to use amazing resin appliqués that are exact copies of woodcarvings from the 1800s. Heirloom chic!
©2009 The O’Neil Sisters, All Rights Reserved
As seen in
Create and Decorate
magazine
Materials
Wooden flea market chair with removable seat
Posh by Chez Moi for Moda 100% cotton fabric, Posh Floral Seaweed, 30”x30”
3” thick batting, 16”x16”
Bella Cottage resin appliqués: one #A1013, four #A1025
Krylon spray paint, Indoor/Outdoor White Primer #51315
Krylon spray paint, Satin Hunter Green #3502
Amazing Goop all-purpose contact adhesive
Masking tape
Screwdriver
Chalk
Yardstick
Staple gun and staples
Scissors
Toothpicks
Instructions
1. Flip the chair over and remove the seat. (Ours was held on by 4 screws.) Be sure to save the screws!
2. Center the large appliqué on the back of the chair so the ends of the swag curve down. Mark the location on the chair with the chalk.
3. Apply a generous amount of Goop over the back of the appliqué. Press the appliqué into place on the back of the chair. To hold the appliqué in place while the glue dries, secure it with masking tape. Remove any excess glue with a toothpick.
4. Repeat this process to attach the four smaller appliqués around the seat frame. Again secure the glued appliqués with masking tape. Let the glue cure for 1 hour.
5. Sand the wooden frame of the chair, then brush off any dust. Paint the chair and appliqués with the Krylon White Primer. Let dry for 10 minutes, then paint the chair with the Hunter Green spray paint. Let dry for 1 hour.
6. Remove any old fabric and foam from the seat. Lay the wooden seat on top of the batting and trim the batting to fit.
7. Iron the fabric. Lay the fabric over the chair seat and batting. Line up the pattern so the prettiest part is showing on the seat. Flip the batting, fabric, and seat over, keeping the fabric centered where you want it. Measure 4” from the seat edge and cut all the way around the fabric. (Our final fabric measurement was 25”x27”.)
8. Pull the edge of the fabric up and over the batting and seat and staple it to the underside of the seat. Repeat for the opposite side, then the remaining sides. To make the corners neat and tidy, fold the fabric at the corners like you are wrapping a present.
9. Set the cushion on the chair frame and screw it into place. Then sit on another chair so you can admire your handiwork!
Apply Yourself: These shabby chic appliqués work so well on any wooden furniture you can dress up a dresser, spruce up a sideboard, and even embellish an armoire!
©The O’Neil Sisters 2009
Before: Choose a wooden flea market chair with removable seat.
Detail Step 3: To hold the appliqué in place while the glue dries, secure it with masking tape.
