Handpainted Funky Wood Chair

Paint a funky design on a discarded wood chair and attach a fun fabric!

That's Clever! : Episode HCLVR-233 -- More Projects »
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Project by Jennifer Apfel from Oak Creek, Wis.
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Jennifer Apfel has a very fulfilling life. She is the mother of four children, and works as an adoption social worker in the city of Milwaukee. Since her job is so emotional, she likes to relax by making crafts in her home studio and gardening in her big backyard. To make her handpainted chair, she takes a dumpster dive to acquire the furniture, and then paints it and alters it to give it a new life.

Materials:

old wooden chair with upholstered seat
sandpaper or electric hand sander
wood filler
wood glue
spray primer
various colors of acrylic paint
ruler
compass
circle templates
various sizes of paintbrushes
pencil eraser
polyurethane spray
electric wood carving tool
2" thick upholstery foam
chair seat cover fabric
spray adhesive
staple gun
scissors
paint pens
power screwdriver
pliers
soap and water or wood cleaner
safety glasses
towel

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Figure A
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Figure B
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Figure C
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Figure D
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Figure E
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Figure F
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Figure G
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Figure H
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Figure I
Steps:

1. Remove the seat from the chair using a power screwdriver. Clean the chair with soap and water or wood cleaner.

2. Sand the chair and fill in problem areas with wood filler (figure A) Repair anything that is unstable with wood glue or filler and a sander. After sanding, remove the sanding residue with a clean towel.

3. Spray the chair with white primer (figure B). If the wood is dark, apply a second coat after the first coat is dry.

4. Paint the legs with acrylic paint. Colors used were black, lime green and pink. Paint the back of the chair with lime green acrylic paint (figure C). Let dry.

5. Lay out the funky design on the chair back. With a pencil lightly draw a preliminary sketch onto the back using a ruler, compass and circle templates (figure D).

6. Outline the funky design with a black paint pen. Begin painting the design using various colors of acrylic paint (figure E).

7. Complete the design including a band of color on the legs.

8. Spray the handpainted funky chair with polyurethane for a glossy appearance and to protect it from damage.

9. Remove the upholstery from the seat using a screwdriver and pliers to remove staples. Place the wood seat on the upholstery foam and trace around the seat (figure F). Cut out the foam using scissors.

10. Glue the foam to the wood using spray adhesive.

11. Place the foam-covered seat on the decorative fabric and cut out the fabric, ensure that there is enough fabric to wrap around the underside of the seat (figure G).

12. Staple the material onto the chair seat with a staple gun. Wrap the fabric to the back and pull it tight (figure H). Remove excess fabric at the corners and staple in place smoothly.

13. Attach the seat to the handpainted funky wood chair using the original screws (figure I).

E-mail: jenniferapfel@yahoo.com