How to re-cover a chair

When B goes out of town for two weeks for work, I get very, very bored. There's only so long you can talk to a Labrador, after all. So aside from crocheting and Gilmore Girls-watching, I often delve into craft mode.

Aka the danger zone.

Don't believe me? I texted my husband last week and asked, "Do we have a staple gun?" About an hour later, I simply got a text in return that said, "Should I be worried?"

Probably. He should probably be worried. And now I bet you're wondering what I need the staple gun for.

See, I originally hail from High Point, N.C., and to say that I'm familiar with furniture is a gross understatement. My father has worked in the furniture industry since I was about 5, and some of my greatest childhood/pre-teen memories are of dressing up and going "to market" with Mom and Dad every April and October. He would take us around and show us all the showrooms with all KINDS of furniture, accessories, lighting...you name it, they had it. The showrooms were also filled with complimentary candy and soda (and usually booze, too, but at age 11 I had yet to appreciate that).

But I digress. I love furniture. It makes a house a home, and I LOVE cozy, warm, homey places. Unfortunately, I don't always love my own furniture. My table and chairs are hand-me-downs from my parents, and they've served me well these past 8 years since I graduated from college. Aesthetically, though, I just do not like them. For starters, the tabletop is glass, and keeping it clean is a pain in the ass (see, I can rhyme!).

Mostly though, they're...well, they're green. Don't misunderstand me. Green is one of my favorite colors. I love it on grass, and on my dog's leash, and on sweaters that I wear with my skinny tan corduroys and riding boots. I do not like it on furniture. My tastes in interior decorating tends to run to the French Country-style, and I've always tolerated/ignored my dining room table.

But I'm married now, and even though we're still living in the midget condo, I think it's time for an upgrade. So I'm going to take my newly purchased staple gun and re-cover the chairs. And paint them, too, but B is relieved I won't be using any kind of gun for that.

Here is a before picture. Aren't they ugly?

GREEN. Like, bad-Statue-of-Liberty green.

And here is a before picture of the fabric that was previously on the ugly chairs. Is that not GROSS?!

But here is the "After." I was very pleased with the outcome. B is very pleased that I did not injure myself in ANY way, and when he returns home it will be to a wife in one piece. No staples in a finger, nothing. I'm pretty proud of myself, come to that.

And I'm really proud of the way it turned out. I think I'll wind up giving it one more coat of paint at some point, but overall I'm SUPER happy with the finished product.

Of course, now I've been bitten by the bug and want to paint/re-do everything in my house. We'll see what the next project is...

Want to do it yourself?

Paint: Rust-Oleum Universal Forged Hammered Chestnut

Fabric: Nexxus Beige