It still amazes me to see what others throw away. Such as these little beauties!
Now, nobody in there right mind would throw these away would they! Well, maybe if they looked like this. This post contains some affiliate links. Click here for my full disclosure policy.
Again, I saw the potential that they could become. Using a little imagination, these can become some awesome repurposed wood chairs. I decided that these chairs needed to stay with the wood grain and not painted. Look at that beautiful wood. I also decided I would need to make a seat base instead of re-caning. That is one job I have no interest in learning.
I needed to glue a few loose pieces together on the legs and touch up a few small areas with wood filler. I hand sanded each chair to remove any remaining poly that was still on the wood.
Supply List:
Gorilla Wood Glue
Minwax Stainable Wood Filler
Tack Cloth
Sand Paper
Minwax Pre Stain Wood Conditioner
Minwax Wood Stain, Dark Walnut
Minwax Fast Drying Polyurethane
2″ Chip Brush
Plywood
Jigsaw
Foam
Fabric
Now the fun begins! Here are the steps involved in re-staining these repurposed wood chairs.
~Remove all dust with a tack cloth ~ Treat wood with a Pre-wood Conditioner
~allow wood conditioner to dry for 1 hour (make sure to stain within 4 hours of apply wood conditioner) ~ Apply stain with lint free cloth(apply in thin coats and wipe off any excess stain) ~Leave stain alone until dried completely ~ Lightly sand with 220 grit~ Repeat tack cloth and stain steps~ Seal with a Polyacrylic(may need to apply 2 or 3 coats, wet sanding between applications) I like to use chip brushes to apply my oil based products so I can throw them away when finished. I don’t like to use harsh chemicals to clean brushes, so disposable ones are what work best for me. Now for the seats!
I started by tracing the outside and the inside of the seat to start a pattern that was the same as the chair. Mr. DD measured and hand drew a pattern that was about an inch from the outside edge.
I cut out the pattern and traced in on to the plywood base. Used a jigsaw to cut each seat base out. I needed to slightly sand the edges to make sure I had a uniform pattern. I am in need of a new jigsaw, mine does not cut very well. Hint Hint
I drilled holes in to the seats so I can secure them to the base after they are covered in the pretty fabric.
I love these repurposed wood chairs . Also, take a look at these kitchen chairs that were turned into outdoor plant holders.! Someone else did too, because they sold within 2 days of being in the shop.
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Danielle says
I LOVE this upcycle! I am always on the prowl for easy and cute redo projects. Thanks for posting this, I’ve got some chairs that may be getting a makeover pretty soon here… 😉
Designed Decor says
These were a favorite to do! Good luck with your chairs!
Ginger - Just One of the Boys says
I found your lovely blog through Better After. What a beautiful transformation! I love seeing worn treasures be given a new life through some TLC! I’m having a blast looking through your other DIY projects… I can feel the inspiration wheels turning. 🙂 Hope you have a lovely day!
Designed Decor says
Ginger, Thanks so much for taking the time to look around. I love finding the beauty in old discarded items! Have a great week.
Reenie says
Here from Better After ~ beautiful!!
Designed Decor says
Thanks Reenie for stoping over!
Karen says
Dede, these chairs turned out so gorgeous. I can’t believe you found them in the trash! You did such a beautiful job of restoring them. I am featuring them at my link party that starts tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for sharing. Happy New Year! -Karen
Designed Decor says
Karen, Yeah! That is great news! Thanks so much for the feature! Happy New Year!
meg says
I love a good upcycle!
http://happinessiscreating.com/
Kallee T says
These are gorgeous. So glad you were able to save them!
Sarah Fuller says
Gorgeous redo! Really brings out the wood grain in the chairs.
Catherine says
So beautiful! I see chairs all the time but always think, oh, I can’t do that. I think with some time and patience, and your easy to follow instructions maybe I can! Thanks for the great idea! What a beautiful save!
Designed Decor says
I thought the same thing about the cain chairs, since these were free, I decided to give it a try. Now I know that they can be saved without having to re-cain.
Jules says
You did a fantastic job! (Can’t figure out why you didn’t feel like learning the fine art of caning, lol!) LOVE LOVE LOVE the fabric and that you left the wood grain! Merry Christmas!!! jules
Designed Decor says
Jules, after ripping off the cain from the chairs, I now have a better appreciation for this trade. Wow, what time and talent those people have.
Crystal says
I can see why they sold so fast. i love the material you used. They turned out so beautiful! Great job!!