Every so often I come across a truly exceptional piece while I’m out junk hunting. It seriously makes my day! I have a thing about the thrill of the hunt… it’s my competitive self coming out in the form of shopping!! If you’re a junk hunter like me… you know you have to sift thru a lot of crap to find the good stuff, so when a special piece appears … it’s hard not to be excited.
I walked into a Goodwill and spotted this amazing stool in the front of the store. How did no one snatch this up? The legs are HEAVY iron with beautiful lines and in perfect condition. What was even better is that this style of stool makes for a simple upholstery job. I can barely call this a Trash to Treasure project…. more like a Gem to Treasure project!!
The cushion was in great condition, and for anyone else, this purchase would need absolutely no work… but I wanted this to fit in with the rest of my dark interior. I knew immediately I wanted to cover this stool in velvet. I mean… look at those legs…. this stool is screaming royalty!! And to be fair…. I have a small obsession with velvet. Like George Costanza, I’d drape myself in velvet! Crushed Velvet is my absolute favorite when it comes to upholstery! Unfortunately it can be a bit hard to come by depending on what kind of fabric stores you have nearby. Panne Velvet is easier to come by, and certainly beautiful, so that would work. Crushed Stretch Velvet is also easy to come by but I don’t like using stretch fabric for upholstery projects. My heart was set on Black Crushed Upholstery Velvet
I often try to bring you projects for items that are easily accessible…. and I know that a stool like this is far from typical in thrift stores… but I do come across other small upholstered stools, and the following instructions for recovering the stool should apply to most. Simply look on the under side of your stool, and if the cushion can be unscrewed from the base, you’re probably in luck.
Start by unscrewing the cushion from the base. (Don’t lose those screws!!)
I was lucky enough to find a stool with legs that needed no update…. if yours are not in as good of a condition, you’ll have to fix them up (sand, paint, whatever you need)… and set aside.
The next step can be a bit tedious and even frustrating depending on your stool. You have to remove the staples, so you can take the original fabric off. There are special upholstery tools you can buy… and I should probably consider investing in some of those, since I love these kinds of projects. But… I have recovered a lot of cushions… and a super flat screwdriver and a small set of firm pliers have always done the trick for me. I use the screw driver to loosen the staple, and as needed, I’ll use the pliers to yank the staple out. Some staples are harder than others to pull, and you’ll find that older pieces tend to have staples embedded pretty deep in the wood. That was the case with this one! I confess… I called in the cavalry, and had my husband yank those staples out for me. Nothing like teamwork!!
I decided to keep the black lining (since it was in such good condition), so I had to be very careful when removing those staples, not to rip the fabric. If yours is damaged or all together missing, you can always buy an extra piece of fabric to line the bottom of your cushion… I highly recommend it… it’s one of those things that just simply gives a cleaner, more professional look when you’re all done. For me… when I work on a project, I don’t want it looking like a craft project… it’s important it’s done well!!
Once your fabric is removed, you may want to use it as a pattern to cut out your new fabric. I always want to give myself a bit of extra room for error on the upholstery fabric, so if I have enough fabric, I’ll cut a few extra inches all the way around, and trim as I go.
Once your fabric is cut, center the top of your cushion face down on the back side of the fabric. Staple the edge of the fabric to the back side of your cushion. Pull taught, and staple across from the first staple. Continue stapling around the cushion, working on opposite ends to ensure the fabric stays centered. I always start by stapling in a cross pattern, and then adding staples in between. If you’re working with a round cushion like mine, you’ll have to start making small pleats evenly around the cushion. If you’re working with a square cushion, make the pleats on the corners.
Once you have secured the fabric with staples, trim the excess. Make sure the fabric is not covering the screw holes for the legs. Cover the backside of the cushion with the lining fabric and staple in place. All of the fabric edges should be hidden by the liner.
All that’s left is to screw the legs back in place…. Now go enjoy your new fabulous stool!!
Once I finished this stool, I found myself drawn to other black and gold projects… something royal about the color combination! If you’re the same, you’ll enjoy this tutorial on creating a Black Lamp distressed with Antique Gold or this Black & Gold Beaded Wine Bottle Cover.
(This post contains affiliate links)
Leave a Reply