| So you've just bought your dream house and after a | | | | have this new skill," she says. "It's become a hobby for |
| lot of hard work and organization, you've gotten | | | | me." Tracy's next project will be the chairs in her dining |
| everything out of the boxes and moved your furniture | | | | room set. |
| into the new rooms. It's a great feeling to see | | | | If you're ready for a new hobby too, below are some |
| everything in a fresh setting. Possessions take on new | | | | of Tracy's re-upholstery tips. Best of luck! |
| meaning and look slightly different in a new house. The | | | | WHAT YOU'LL NEED: |
| lighting is different, the views are different, the way the | | | | -A staple gun, hammer, pliers and scissors |
| rooms flow into one another is different. Furniture that | | | | - 4 to 7 yards of fabric you love as much as the ugly |
| faded in your previous home now shines. | | | | chair |
| When Tracy moved into her new home last spring this | | | | - Strip nails or stud strips (from fabric store or |
| was the stage she loved best. "I've always been | | | | hardware store) and upholstery tacks |
| interested in interior design," says the 34 year old | | | | - Cardboard strips or tacking strip |
| librarian. "So having a house full of empty rooms to | | | | If you want to do a really thorough job, the first and |
| decorate from scratch was a real thrill for me." Pulling | | | | most important step in the process will involve carefully |
| the rooms together in her new two bedroom home | | | | taking the old upholstery off the chair. Using the claw |
| was also challenging. "I work full time so decorating is | | | | part of a hammer, pliers and or a screwdriver, remove |
| more of a hobby than anything else. Plus, after we | | | | the pieces that can come off first, first. As you're |
| bought the house there wasn't much left in the budget | | | | doing this, take note of how they were attached to the |
| for new furniture. I really had to get creative with what | | | | frame and the order in which you removed each |
| I had." | | | | piece. That way, you can simply reverse the order |
| One of the things Tracy had to get creative with was | | | | when you're putting the new ones on. If you are not |
| an antique chair handed down to her from her | | | | one to take notes, take photos instead. You can also |
| grandmother in Iowa. "It's a really great chair,"she says, | | | | use the original upholstery as a pattern for the new |
| "the lines are perfect, but no matter where I put it in the | | | | material. |
| house it looked ratty and wrong." She tried throwing | | | | TRICKS OF THE TRADE:: |
| blankets over it, angling it in corners, moving it from | | | | - Staple cardboard strips or tacking strip to rough |
| room to room. "It just wouldn't work," she says "I was | | | | edges to get a smooth under surface or fold fabric |
| almost ready to banish it to the basement when I got | | | | over them and nail down to get clean edges |
| the idea to reupholster it to fit the room I wanted it in." | | | | - Use stud strips or upholstery tacks to fasten the |
| "I got a book on upholstery to see if it was something I | | | | outside edges of finishing pieces and get an easy |
| could do. I was worried because I really can't sew. I'm | | | | decorative trim at the same time |
| all thumbs." What Tracy learned though was that with | | | | - When choosing your fabric avoid lines, stripes or |
| a staple gun and a bit of time she could get rid of the | | | | patterns that have to be matched. Choose medium |
| ugly without getting rid of the chair. "It took me all | | | | weight fabric. Fabric that's too heavy will be difficult to |
| weekend, but it was worth it," she says beaming. "I get | | | | work with and fabric that's too light will tear. |
| so many complements on it and the room now." | | | | Dining room chairs and chairs with more frame than |
| The chair did have one cushion that demanded sewing | | | | material on them are relatively easy. For dining room |
| skills though. Tracy just took the cushion in to a local | | | | chairs, just remove the seat from the chair with a |
| tailor with the fabric she'd chosen. "The tailor made me | | | | screwdriver, cover it with the fabric of your choice, |
| a perfect cushion with a zipper at the back, new | | | | neatly staple it down on the underside, and then screw |
| padding and piped edges. I didn't even need to sew a | | | | the newly covered seat back down. This also works |
| stitch!" When all was said and done, she paid only a | | | | really well for vintage kitchen chairs with vinyl seats. |
| fraction of the cost it would have taken to either | | | | For extra help as you embark on your project, get |
| replace the antique chair or have a professional | | | | support from your local library or bookstore. There are |
| upholsterer do the job. "I can understand why they | | | | plenty of great books on the market that will take you |
| charge so much," says Tracy. "It's not necessarily | | | | through the process step by step. Of course if you |
| difficult or expensive, but it's time consuming. You really | | | | just want to get started, just get started! Use your |
| have to love working with your hands." | | | | intuition as you tuck, staple and hammer down, you |
| The project was a great experience for her and | | | | have nothing to lose but an ugly chair. |
| something she plans to do more often. "I'm so glad to | | | | |