My husband brought home this little wooden rocking chair from his parents’ house last month. Our daughter immediately gravitated toward the chair, sat in it and exclaimed, “it’s my size!” I knew it would be perfect for her room, but first needed a little makeover.
The fabric on the seat was discolored and torn. The chair itself a bit dusty and scratched up. The latter was a fast fix. My daughter helped me take a soft dust cloth and wipe it down. It immediately looked better.
Then we carefully carried the chair inside to recover the seat. I found some extra batting and a fabric sample in my stash. I bought this sample from a neighbor’s yard sale in our neighborhood probably 7 years ago! Sometimes my crafty hoarding pays off.
Here is how we quickly and easily transformed the rocking chair:
Step 1
Unscrew the seat from the chair. Carefully remove any staples and/or tacks holding the fabric in place.
Safety tip: wear safety glasses and gloves when removing staples and tacks to help protect your eyes and hands.
Step 2
Depending on the condition of the existing fabric, you might be able to use it for a pattern to cut the new fabric.
The fabric on our chair was stiff and tearing from age so I immediately tossed it into the trash along with the old batting. I used the wood seat piece to measure the new batting. I cut 2 pieces to give it a little extra thickness and made them slightly bigger than the seat to cover the wood edges once wrapped.
Step 3
Next I flipped the wood seat piece and batting over. I placed the fabric directly on top so I could position the pattern. I knew I wanted the bird visible and off center.
Once pleased with the placement, I flipped all 3 face down being careful to hold the fabric, batting, and wood firmly in place.
Step 4
Starting from the front center, pull back the fabric and staple into place. Continue both directions along the front edge and then repeat along the back edge. Trim away excess fabric and cut sides long enough to staple to seat.
Staple fabric on each of the remaining sides starting with the center and working outward.
Step 5
To create nice corners, pull the fabric in from the corner.
Fold in the side fabric. Fold in the front or back fabric. Then secure using a staple gun.
Step 6
After the seat is recovered, it is time to reattach it to the rocking chair.
Our Completed Rocking Chair Makeover
My little assistant helped me tidy up a bit and prep for some “after” photos.
This rocking chair now has a special place in her room where it gets regular use and is sure to be enjoyed for many more years.
Do you have a special item (or two) handed down from family that you treasure?
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