This month the Power Tool Challenge team is making Home Decor items under $10. I made a repurposed Chair shelf for this month’s challenge. We are also opening up the challenge to you, our readers, to submit your home decor item that you made or repurposed for under $10.
Have you ever come across some old vintage chairs at a thrift store or garage sale? You love the chair, but really do not need another chair in your home. You keep walking back to it and telling yourself, what would I do with another chair? The chair keeps calling your name, so you buy it. It sits in your garage or basement for months, because you truly have no more room for another chair. I am here to solve your chair dilemma, turn it into a repurposed chair shelf.
I had 2 old chairs sitting in my workspace waiting to be used and I finally decided to repurpose them into shelves.
I removed the leather seat from the chair. The chair had an opening where the leather seat base was, so this made it very easy to cut the chair.
I made a few easy cuts right where the joints were on the front and back of the seat base. I removed the side spindles from the chair legs.
I had a wood top from an old sewing machine and the top part was a perfect size. I was able to use the outside edges for both shelves and it had the perfect beveled edge.
I measured each side 6 inches out and marked the board. This cut could be done with a circular saw, just draw a straight line down the board.
I did have to notch out the shelf for the top of the chair since it had the upright supports. I needed the shelf to go all the way to the back of the seat base. I placed Gorilla wood glue on the shelf and clamped the shelf to the chair base to hold together. I drilled in a few wood screws from the bottom to hold the shelf to the chair bracket.
The wood from the sewing machine looked perfect with the chair, so I decided not to paint it. I liked the look of the wood tones. I used black wax to darken the wood slightly.
I love the versatility of the shelves. You can use them in any room of your house.
I did the same for this second chair. The base of the seat was wide enough that I did not have to add wood for a shelf. You can achieve this painted look by using One Step paint in the color Barefoot in the Park by Amy Howard and sealing using Dark Antique Wax.
This is the bottom half from the green chair above. You can create this look by using One-step paint in Selznick Grey, Toscana Milk paint in Strasbourg White, and light and dark antique wax. I created a video on how to do this aged paint layered look, hop over to my youtube channel to check out the video.
Now let’s see what the gang made for this month’s challenge!
The Kim Six Fix – Pottery Barn Inspired Concrete Top Coffee Table
Domestically Speaking – Large DIY Wall Sign
H2OBungalow – DIY Live Edge Coffee Table With Hairpin Legs
My Repurposed Life – Sofa Side Table
My Love 2 Create – Fabric and Wood Wall Hanging
Virginia Sweet Pea – Card Display Holder
The DIY Bungalow – Repurposed Fire Screen
Designed Decor – Upcycled Wall Shelf
Create and Babble – DIY Wood Plank Walls
Thrift Diving – DIY Bath Vanity
Now to enter the reader challenge!
Simply enter your project below and the Power Tool Challenge Team will vote on our favorite reader entry.
Traci says
Do you sell any of your pieces?
Designed Decor says
Hi Traci, I was selling all my pieces at a local store in Hartville Ohio. As of October, I am no longer selling my pieces.
Elizabeth says
How do you hang the chairs on the wall?
Designed Decor says
Elizabeth, I originally used D-ring on the back, unfortunately, the d-rings don’t allow for a tight hanging. I would consider using a corner bracket hanger and attach it under the shelf part.
Jeanie says
I’m going to be on the lookout for awesome old chairs like these – I love the idea of making them into such beautiful shelves!
Designed Decor says
Thanks Jeanie! It is fun to see how you can repurpose those old chairs, each one has a personality of its own!
Vashti Quiroz-Vega says
Very good! What a pretty, creative and practical way to repurpose a chair. Loved the idea. Brilliant!
Designed Decor says
Thanks, Vashti!
Kim Six says
What a cute project! Especially if you don’t have a lot of room for an area to place your keys, wallet, etc. You did a great job.
Designed Decor says
Thanks, Kim! I loved how they staged by using them in other areas of the home besides the bathroom!
Marie|The Interior Frugalista says
Excellent idea for repurposing an old chair, DeDe! I happen to have one collecting dust in the workshop. Pinning to share and bookmark for reference.
Designed Decor says
Marie, I know you will something creative to do to those old chairs!
Karen @ the DIY bungalow says
So creative! I’ve always wanted to try this project – pinned and shared!
Designed Decor says
Karen, go out and find a few chairs if you don’t already have them in your stash!
Maryann says
Hello repurposing!!! What a great use of an old chair & I love that paint job!
Designed Decor says
Thanks, Maryann! They were fun to do!
gail says
I LOVE a great repurposed chair project! 🙂 I love how yours turned out. I’m always on the lookout for garbage chairs. 🙂
pinning!
gail
Designed Decor says
Gail, you are the queen of repurpose! I am sure you have a few in your workshop!
Mindi says
Yay for repurposing! This looks so pretty and so useful! Awesome! Pinned!
Designed Decor says
Thanks so much Mindi!
Wendi@H2OBungalow says
This is darling! We have an old chair out in the garage that’s broken beyond repair and I couldn’t let it go because it held special memories for me. Maybe this is a solution for still using it! Pinned and shared 🙂
Designed Decor says
Wendi, You will definitely find the perfect project to use it for!
Paula says
What a great use for an old chair that probably never was that comfortable anyway. (I know because I have six of them in my dining room that belonged to my great-grandmother that I am stuck with for life because they are a family piece. My husband refused to sit in them because they are so uncomfortable.)
I love that the back of the chair is decorative and there’s a shelf and towel rack created with the other chair parts. What a great upcycle project!
Designed Decor says
Paula, Maybe you can turn yours into a bench! I know it is so hard to have to keep items that are passed down and repurposing them gives you guilt but maybe you can find the perfect compromise.