While Jase was away I had to keep myself busy to make the days go by fast. I decided to pick up the project of redoing this chair. It was my grandma's office chair. She bought it for a desk that is a awkward height and it fits perfectly so I didn't even want to bother finding another one this height. I wasn't too thrilled about the look and I knew it wasn't antique so I decided to take it on!
I wanted a soft/padded seat and darker wood so the demolition began! Got rid of the woven stuff and started sanding.
Once I got to sanding I knew I was in way over my head. The round dowels were a pain and getting the edges where the pieces met were impossible to sand. Fortunately I have a father who has redone several pieces of furniture in our home and has even built some himself.
He had just gotten back from he and my mom's 30th wedding anniversary weekend and I was excited to show him my project. I knew he'd have lots of advice to offer. He definitely did. He told me that Liquid Sandpaper, stain stripper, and finish stripper all existed. He also filled me in on the struggles he had with his most recent project. This was all so disheartening! My dad, the genius craftsman, had made mistakes? I could only imagine how bad I'd screw this up. He also taught me so many things that I thought were simple tasks but apparently are not if you do them right. Like sanding. You use a coarse sand paper (obviously) but once you're done, you have to sand the piece again with a less coarse paper then again with even less until you're ready for 220 grit.
I used the stain stripper and some paint remover to finish off where the pieces join. The stain wasn't completely gone but my dad said as long is the finish is gone and the stain you're going to use is much darker then I'll be fine. Finally, I caught a break!
I would love to brag about how I redid this chair for under $10 but these would be my tips for success that I had used....
HOW TO REDO A CHAIR FOR UNDER $10 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!
-Have a generous grandfather who allows you to live in his home and gives you free range at anything that is not antique, sentimental, or expensive
-Have a dad that has materials leftover from reupholstering your dining room chairs in the past 5 years
-Have same dad have experience in building & refurnishing furniture
-Be sure dad has plenty of stain, finish, sand paper, tools, etc. available for your use
Ready GO!
Needless to say I am very blessed with the family I have. When I first moved out of my parents house I moved out of state. I hated when I would run out of or need things I knew my parents had a year supply of. So frustrating! But now that I live 10 minutes away I am taking full advantage of it! Like when Jason got sick on a Sunday, I didn't want to go to the store on the Sabbath and I didn't want to pay for it no matter what day of the week. So I went to my parents and stocked up on cold medicine that they had doubles/travel sizes of. Saved at least $20 that day!
My dad and brother helped me cut out the seat, using the frame that was wrapped in wicker as the stencil. They cut it using a jigsaw and ply wood he had on hand.
UPDATE 6 MONTHS LATER...
Sooooo Jason came home from his military duties a day early (the day I was stripping the chair and my dad was cutting the seat) and surprised me at my parents. That punk.
He had just gotten back from he and my mom's 30th wedding anniversary weekend and I was excited to show him my project. I knew he'd have lots of advice to offer. He definitely did. He told me that Liquid Sandpaper, stain stripper, and finish stripper all existed. He also filled me in on the struggles he had with his most recent project. This was all so disheartening! My dad, the genius craftsman, had made mistakes? I could only imagine how bad I'd screw this up. He also taught me so many things that I thought were simple tasks but apparently are not if you do them right. Like sanding. You use a coarse sand paper (obviously) but once you're done, you have to sand the piece again with a less coarse paper then again with even less until you're ready for 220 grit.
I used the stain stripper and some paint remover to finish off where the pieces join. The stain wasn't completely gone but my dad said as long is the finish is gone and the stain you're going to use is much darker then I'll be fine. Finally, I caught a break!
I would love to brag about how I redid this chair for under $10 but these would be my tips for success that I had used....
HOW TO REDO A CHAIR FOR UNDER $10 DOLLARS!!!!!!!!!
-Have a generous grandfather who allows you to live in his home and gives you free range at anything that is not antique, sentimental, or expensive
-Have a dad that has materials leftover from reupholstering your dining room chairs in the past 5 years
-Have same dad have experience in building & refurnishing furniture
-Be sure dad has plenty of stain, finish, sand paper, tools, etc. available for your use
Ready GO!
Needless to say I am very blessed with the family I have. When I first moved out of my parents house I moved out of state. I hated when I would run out of or need things I knew my parents had a year supply of. So frustrating! But now that I live 10 minutes away I am taking full advantage of it! Like when Jason got sick on a Sunday, I didn't want to go to the store on the Sabbath and I didn't want to pay for it no matter what day of the week. So I went to my parents and stocked up on cold medicine that they had doubles/travel sizes of. Saved at least $20 that day!
My dad and brother helped me cut out the seat, using the frame that was wrapped in wicker as the stencil. They cut it using a jigsaw and ply wood he had on hand.
UPDATE 6 MONTHS LATER...
Sooooo Jason came home from his military duties a day early (the day I was stripping the chair and my dad was cutting the seat) and surprised me at my parents. That punk.
So of course I ditched the chair to hang out with my husband! I didn't revisit the project until he went out of town again. I came back to it and not all of the finish was gone so I said screw it and spray painted it black. DONE. Never refinishing anything I can't completely take apart. Lesson learned.
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