The Most Ridiculous DIY Project I've Ever Attempted.

Normally, when I'm thinking about tackling some kind of DIY project, here's how the process goes:

1. Google "how to do Project XYZ." 

2. Find a few official-looking pages, like from Martha Stewart or HGTV, detailing in 25 steps how to do the project like a professional, with the help of multiple power tools, an unlimited budget, and an army of helpers.  I skip over these pages, because they make it look hard.

3. Find a handful of bloggers who have tackled Project XYZ. These are the pages that make it look fun.  It's usually a blonde, gorgeous housewife whose blog picture features her holding two small children, looking like she had a professional do her hair and makeup.  She will then describe how she did the project in 5 simple steps, with strategic pictures illustrating the most glamorous parts of the process.  

4. Repeat step #3 until I'm delusional enough to think that this is a fun, easy project that I can tackle in one afternoon.

5. Spend my afternoon wandering around Target/Hobby Lobby/Michael's gathering supplies for my project.

6. Come home, tired from the shopping, and turn on the TV.

7. Start project after getting distracted by 30 Rock reruns for an hour.  

8. Give up on project approximately one hour after starting; it's late/my fingers hurt/I'll finish it tomorrow are common excuses.

9. Possibly finish project over the course of the next 3-4 weeks, only because I'm guilt tripped by my supplies lying around the house. 

When thoughts kept coming up about the possibility of reupholstering my green wingback chair, I immediately started Googling.  But I didn't like what I found.  There are a multitude of blogs out there that discuss recovering a wingback chair, don't get me wrong.  But not a single one of them uses the word "easy."  In fact, every single one I read talked about how HARD it was.  And how it was grueling work, and took them weeks longer than they expected, and how their fingers were so sore they couldn't do anything afterwards.  Some of them even said, "I'll never do this again.  I will hire someone to reupholster things in the future."  Considering a reupholstery job professionally costs upwards of $500 for a chair, this is not a good sign.  Initially, I decided I wasn't even going to try.  

Every time I looked at the green chair, though, I couldn't get it out of my head.  It's a great chair -- comfortable and in really great shape.  But the green just doesn't match! I mean, it doesn't look horrible, but it doesn't go with the feel of the room I have in mind at all.  I wanted it to be grey -- a dark charcoal, or a tweed pattern, or maybe even a rich navy blue.  A color that's traditional but goes with the palette I already have in the room.  (And coordinates with my curtains, because those are here to stay.) 

So while I was at Target on Sunday, I looked at different sources of fabric.  I had read that someone on one of the blogs had used a velvet curtain as upholstery fabric.  This intrigued me, so I wandered through the curtain section.  There were a few possibilities in varying shades and textures of grey that I made mental notes of.  Then I stumbled across a clearance aisle in the bedding section full of stuff at 50-75% off.  And there it was.  A sheet set, on clearance from the holidays, in grey "flannel" with a subtle herringbone pattern.  Normally, I wouldn't think a sheet would be thick enough fabric for upholstery, but these are literally the sturdiest sheets I've ever felt.  They're even thicker than the flannel I associate with a flannel shirt, and less fuzzy.  It was $12 for a twin full sheet, fitted sheet, and pillowcase.  I bought them.  And I'm using them to recover my wingback chair.  

This is by far the most ambitious DIY project I've ever faced.  Fair warning: I plan on completely cheating.  In fact, if you have any integrity or care whatsoever about furniture being upholstered the "right way" please don't read any further posts on the topic or you will probably lose all respect for me.  The green fabric is solid, and my fabric is thick enough that there's no risk of anything being see-through, and the foam is in good shape, so I'm recovering it on top of the old fabric.  I briefly thought about making a slipcover, but slipcovers are generally hideous and it looked even harder than just stapling the fabric right on there, so that's what I'm doing.  There's a chance this could turn out terribly, but if it even looks KIND of good -- hey, I'll be able to say I reupholstered a chair for $12!  

Stay tuned. 

xoxo,
allison