HOW TO REVIVE FURNITURE:
The Amateur Edition.
So I decieded to re-upholster a piece of furniture after learning how to silk screen in my textile design class.
Step 1: Find Something to Re-vamp.
I went to my favorite thrift store (Value Village) and found an old rocking chair for $10. But beware,a spider or two were to be found within the layers of fabric. Words to the wise: wear gloves, a breathing mask and closed toed shoes.
Step 2: Un-upholster
There's not much technique to this part. Just find those inner primal instincts and let'er rip. I made sure to save some of the original upholstery nails but trashed everything else.
Step 3: Sand
Fortunately, I had access to a power sander and sanded off the original stain as much as could. The uneven surface proved to make things difficult, however.
Step 4: Stain and Seal
This is the most time consuming part. Several layers of stain need to be applied with several hours of waiting time in between (check label of sealant for specifics). And make sure to rub off all extra stain before letting it dry completely!
Step 5: Create a Re-placement Fabric:
I manipulated this pattern into a three color system: three separate screens for printing- one for black, one for orange and one for red. The screens I had were 8.5x11 so I had to reprint the print several times. I used a simple canvas fabric for the base layer because it's thick and sturdy.
This was by far the trickiest part. I'm not going to lie, there wasn't much research done for this part. I just tried to use as much logic and common sense as I could to figure it out. I stuffed the seat with as much padding as I could get my hands on, and then stapled the cover fabric to the wood. Finally, I hid the staples with gold upholstery nails. I added a few more here and there for some added pizazz.
TA DA.
before & after.
