Cute & Clever Ways to Upcycle Old Chairs!

These DIYs are easier than they look!

I’ve got some awesome DIYs for you today, especially if you’re in the market for some new chairs! These upcycling ideas work great for old, outdated dining room chairs. You can also pick up chairs at your local thrift store for cheap and give them a total makeover! Let’s check out these cute and clever ideas in the list below.

Folding Chair Makeover

I think we can all agree that folding chairs are usually hideous. Convenient? Yes. Stylish? No. However, with this DIY, you can have both!

The first step is to take off the seating pad and the back pad. It’s surprisingly easy and you can accomplish the job with a drill or a screwdriver. Next, clean off and paint the metal of the char. You don’t have to paint the seat and back, because they will be covered up. While the chair is drying, Take the old seats and cover them up with the fabric of your choice, securing them to the chair with a few staples. Reattach the seat and back, and you’re good to go!

Dining Room Chair Upgrade

Are your dining room chairs a little outdated? We’ve got you covered! Similar to the first project, you’ll start by taking the seat cushion off of the chair. If you want to paint or restain the chair, this is the time to do it! While that’s drying, undo the staples in the seat cushion and take the fabric off. If the seat cushion itself is wearing thin, grab some furniture foam and cut down to size to replace it.

Next, grab the new fabric and place the old fabric square on top. Trace around the old fabric to ensure you have the correct amount of the new fabric to work with. Then, place the seat cushion face down on the backside of the fabric and fold and staple to the seat. Reattach your newly upholstered seat cushion, and there you have it!

Storage Bench

How cute is this idea? It’s perfect for an entry way or in a play room. Grab one of the storage units at any home goods store or big box store. Measure the top of the storage unit and cut a piece of plywood to that size. Then, cut some furniture foam down to size and attach to the plywood using spray-on glue. Finally, grab some fabric and cover the foam, folding and stapling to the pllywood. Secure the new top in place using wood glue or industrial glue like E6000.

Painted Chair

Paint over leather chairs for a completely new look! I was skeptical of this DIY at first, but it turned out so great! We’ve all seen the Pinterest fails of painting fabric chairs, but this one works because it’s leather.

Start by cleaning off the chair and drying it off. Then, paint a layer of chalk paint (or two, depending on the color you’re using). Next, rub chalk paint finishing wax into the leather to seal the color in. That’s it!

See even more ideas in the video below!