Today I made a fun and easy project from two old padded card table chairs that I found in the basement. These two chairs are at my studio now with a small table I purchased at IKEA last month. I also cut a 39” circle from a coordinating oilcloth for a tablecloth. Here’s how I did it.

First, make sure your chairs are free from dirt, dust and cobwebs. Then remove the screws holding the padded seat (and backrest, if applicable) in place. Set padded parts and screws aside.

Also remove any broken leg tips before painting. You may want to just remove them all, so they all match. I forgot to do this step, so I now have new tips only on the back legs where they were missing. I didn’t want to remove the front tips after I painted and run the risk of chipping the paint or having the new tips not cover all of the unpainted area.

Outside, on a drop cloth (unless you want a pink driveway or grass), put two coats of paint on the chairs following the directions on the can of paint. This actually took four steps since I had to flip the chairs upside down to cover all areas with the chairs open. I allowed the paint to dry for 20 minutes between each step.

The next step is to cover the padded chairs. I cut two pieces of oilcloth, one for each chair and large enough to wrap around and under the seats, with about 2” - 4” beyond the bottom edge of the chair. This extra will get trimmed away later, but you will need it to pull the fabric taunt before stapling. You may want to play with the placement of the design on the seat front so you don’t end up with a major motif off to the side and all background in the center. Check all of this before cutting any of your fabric!

Now you are ready to attach the seats to the chair frame when it is completely dry. It may be a good idea to paint the frames in the evening and let them dry overnight before re-attaching the upholstered seats.

After you are done attaching the seats, put a rubber leg tip on any legs that need a new tip. And voila! You have two pretty, bright and colorful chairs for your office, studio, kitchen or patio.

Stop by the studio this weekend for my Grand Re-Opening, Friday and Saturday, May 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. and see the chairs in person. I have lots of oilcloth for sale, if you want to try this at home.