DIY Upcycled Kid's Recliner

DIY Recliner Project

I saved this kid's recliner from the dumpster of a neighbor moving out down the street. Seems they wanted to toss it since it was stained, smelly, and not soft. I saw potential! I tried not to spend more than an hour or two a day, this baby took me a week going that route.

Before

After!

How did I do it, you say? Grit, spit, and a lot of stick-it-to-it-iveness! The first tool you will require is some kind of staple remover. I found an upholstery staple remover at a fabric store, I think it was $3 or $4. Pliers are also helpful once the staple breaks in half--because they will.

Very carefully pry off the fabric from the wood frame. You want to keep the wood intact. Regardless of how stinky the original fabric is, the wood frame is the bones of the chair.

Also, make sure to keep the fabric intact as much as you can. You will use the original fabric as a pattern for the new stuff. There will be strips that are sewn together. Try to keep them sewn together or mark where the seams were on the back of the fabric so you know where they need to be sewn

Keep all little, annoying things away from this project. If you have small children or pets, they will try to eat the staples, sit where you're plying, and cause mischief and mayhem.

This green padding in the back of the seat was very stinky, it went back to the dumpster whence it came. The foam padding is pretty pricey, something like $20 a yard! I saved the salvageable pieces.

Here's day 3 of the project. It was a laborious, time-consuming task, but here is the chair stripped of the fabric. The foam on the seat was apparently used as a makeshift litterbox for the previous owners. I replaced the seat foam for about $10 but kept the side pieces since they smelled fine and the flappy fabric bit as a guideline for where the pillow will go. Button backing is a chore, I prefer the look of the back being smooth.

     

This was the first fabric that both I and my child said, ''oooh, I like that one!'' Keep in mind that the pattern will have to be lined up on adjacent pieces. If we had chosen stripes or words, that would have been trickier. This was whimsical, mish-mash of polka dots which required very little alignment. This chair required 3 yards of fabric. Try to get a little extra for uh-ohs (and there will be uh-ohs). Do not get the cheapest fabric you can find, it will rip and fade. Make sure to get canvas/upholstery cloth. I got this for $7 a yard with a coupon.

Use the old stuff as a pattern for the new stuff. I used a thick pencil to mark it and made sure that the design of both fabrics was facing up so the pieces were not backwards.

Here's the bottom piece. I labelled the back of the fabric of what piece it was and stored it in a separate, but similiarly labelled plastic bag so it would not be stinky like the old fabric but I knew what the original pattern was.

By day 4, I was sewing the pieces that were originally sewed. Word of wisdom, if you get burnt out on this project, take a break. It will be worth the wait to sew the pieces versus gluing or tacking together.

Upholstering was the easiest part. Use a heavy, duty staple gun to staple the new fabric where the old stuff was. I removed all screws to upholster the bottom and sides. You want to pull it tight so it is not wrinkly like an elephant's leg, but not so tight that it rips. It's best to have someone help out in this stage. Let your helper pull the fabric tight and you staple the fabric. Your buddy will not thank you if you staple their thumb to the chair, so use common sense when it comes to safety.

I also found out that trying to staple while holding a piece in the air is a recipe for disaster. Make certain the wood is on a hard surface like a garage floor or table top to staple completely.

After the pieces are upholstered, they are ready to screw back together. I needed an extra hand for this part too. I recommend a drill versus a screw driver to put it back together.

I was so excited to finish it, that I let young'un try it out way past his bedtime. He loved it--for about two or three weeks. This project was tedious, but a learning experience. This could be done in a larger piece of furniture (if one has the patience) or an ottoman (I could handle that).

Four months later, only the cat uses it. Your welcome, your royal furriness.