DIYsolation: Faux leather directors chair for under £20
Staying at home can mean creative ideas finally come to life. This is what I found when it came to re-upholstering a chair for the first time! I needed a space-saving seating solution for a compact living area without compromising on style. Check out below to find out how this chair went from just a frame to a beautiful furniture piece!
Materials:
Fabric (I bought 2 metres)
Scissors
Standard thread (I used white)
Wax thread (I purchased mine from Amazon)
Sewing needle or a sewing machine
Bulldog clips or pins
2 small dowels or rods around 1/4 inch thick
Chair frame
I was lucky enough to be given an old directors chair frame that I could use as my base but if you wanted to take the DIY a step further you could make the frame yourself.
If you wanted to choose the same material that I used it’s from Terrys Fabrics through Etsy and retails for just £8.99 per metre! It’s fire retardant, wipe clean and amazing quality! I chose the colour Espresso Cream but there’s lots of options to choose from!(not sponsored)
Start by measuring where the seat will go. I measured from inside the grooves and added an allowance to wrap around the rods that will hold it in place. Measure from front to back of this section, I added a hem allowance, this is just to make it easier to sew later and can be trimmed.
You’ll then measure for the top piece that will slot over the dowels to make the back of the chair. I wrapped a soft tape measure around the dowels and measured the whole length and then measured for how high I wanted this piece to be. I added my seam allowance all the way around this piece and I also cut out 2 of these, you’ll see why later!
Quick guide: My overall chair frame (inc. arms) measures 54cm(W) x 82cm (H) x 50cm (D)
My base piece measures 61cm(W) x 47cm (D)
My 2 back pieces measure 70cm(W) x 23cm (D)
Now comes the construction!
Tip: If faux leather is also your material of choice, use bulldog clips to keep material in place whilst sewing instead of pins. Thiswill eliminate excess holes in the material.
Hem the base piece using standard thread to give a nice finish to the front and back. You’ll then fold over the sides around the rod to create a tube, then sew up using the wax thread where the rod will slot in to the material on the sides. Make sure the base piece is still wide enough that it reaches from one side to another but you want to make it taut for a comfortable seat. Adding a hem is optional but it makes the finished product look more professional. Using wax thread on load bearing stitches will help to prevent seam ripping over time.
Next, place the two back pieces good sides facing in together and sew along the longer sides with either thread. You should end up with a tube of material. I used faux leather so I had to press my stitches to open them up but for anything softer you can skip this step. Turn the material inside out so the good sides are now on the outside. Wrap one end around a dowel to get your first measurement and make sure there’s enough to get to the other side! Once you’ve got an idea of where both stitches need to go you can go ahead and sew down using your stronger thread to create a tube to put the dowels in.
Then just assemble your new pieces on to your chair frame and it’s complete. You’ve just created a beautiful new chair for your space!
Tip: To customise this further you can stain the wood or embroider the fabric pieces with a design if desired.
I’d love to know if you guys have tried this out. Leave a comment or get in touch with me on social media!
More posts coming soon!