You all cheered with me when I found this cute chair a couple weeks ago yardsaling for $15. Didn’t really know where I’d put it, since I don’t have spare room around my house. But, I couldn’t resist and brought it home anyway.
And this recent conversation with my hubby prompted a FUN chair makeover, when he told me that the old dining room chair I had in his office had been cracked across the back by the big lugs who sometimes come to visit him and sit in his office. Those guys sat in the guest chair and cracked the back of it, so a sturdier chair was needed for the hub’s office.
So, since a makeover was needed, I decided to have some fun with it….
And, the Alabama chair was born! Ta-da! How do you like this one? Doesn’t it make you giggle out loud?
Someone sent me this Alabama fabric last year as a freebie (and if you are reading, I don’t remember who you were and so sorry, but I lost your email & didn’t hear back). I had this yard of fabric and figured it would look pretty snazzy to fix up this chair and make it Crimson Tide worthy for hubby’s office. I did purchase the houndstooth fabric at Hobby Lobby (only needed 1/2 yard, so it was $5.00 on sale). I found several online sites with the same fabric, along with many other colleges and one of them is here.
I love how it turned out, so I’ll show you all how I did to it to turn it into an enviable Alabama Crimson Tide wonder-chair. You Auburn fans will just have to shield your eyes at this point. 🙂
Started by taking off the seat and began ripping off the layer of fabric that covered the original fabric. I didn’t want too many layers on there. 
I had never taken apart one of these chairs and you would think that this back piece, which has fabric on the front and back sides, would all be one piece, right? Not so! These are 2 pieces of wood that are placed in here and covered. I pried off the frontside and it had nails protruding out of it. 
Like this. 
I then tried to get that back piece off and could not figure out how it was attached, so as usual got my hammer out and began banging away on that piece of wood, trying to dislodge it. Then, I figured out it has screws in it that were holding it in place. Turned the chair upside down to see these 2 small screw holes. So, just a warning, if you have a chair like this, look for all the small openings that might hold screws in place. I didn’t ruin it, but did splinter those screw holes just a bit. Not enough to mess it up though.
So, we’re ready for the fun part. Painting and recovering. 
I used that famous Heirloom White on the chair frame and gave it a good 2 coats for coverage. I did wipe it down with my liquid sander first, just to degloss a bit.
All painted and waiting for her cushions. 
The original seat cushion was in really bad shape, so no wonder the previous owners recovered it. 
Get out the staple gun and get busy. I pull taut on one side and staple in place, then go to the opposite side and staple. Do the same things on the other 2 sides, that way all your fabric will be pulled equally taut all the way around the chair seat. 
Keep stapling, pulling the corners in nice and tight and fold down as needed and it will look like this. I went back with my scissors and trimmed off the excess fabric outside my staple lines. 
I put the back side of the 2 pieces in first (the back piece had a dowel that fit up into the chair & then 2 screws in the bottom part). Then the front side with the nails protruding went in place last. This is the only part I had trouble with. Once you take out the board with nails (the front side of the back rest), it’s not so easy to get them to stick back in place again. They tend to want to push back into the foam underneath.  I finally got it in place with a rubber mallet and I added a bit of wood glue, hoping it would stick to the other side. If it comes out again, I may have to get some thick double sided tape to help it stay in place. So far so good.
And there she is! A cute chair now.  Not at all what I had planned for this chair, but I think she is cute as a button. And later on, if we move things around, I can reinvent her once again. 
For now, she’ll keep my hubby company in his office and be a suitable and sturdy guest chair for those guys dropping by.
Houndstooth was the perfect mix for the other Crimson Tide fabric. 
Ador-able!
How do you like the Alabama Chair?? 🙂
Added to Frugal Friday at The Shabby Nest.
Added to Traci’s Best Projects of April party.
Adorable!!!! Gives me an idea for my boy’s room who love the NY Yankees!
Great redo. You have taken the curvy girl right out of it and made it a chair a man would be proud to sit in/on 🙂
This is beautiful! You did a great job, even if it is a Bama chair. Go Gators!! 😉
Rhoda, I love the two fabrics you selected. I’m sure Peter is thrilled with his team chair. It will be a conversation piece for his office. Mary
What a cute chair!
Even though I’m a Georgia girl, I just love your chair. I have always wondered how those chairs would be recovered. I haven’t run across a deal on one… yet, but when (not if) I do, I won’t be intimidated thanks to you. Your chair is now what I call a “happy chair” – it even makes your rivals smile!
I love it, Rhoda and how perfect to use the houndstooth, remembering a famous hat! Beautiful! Even way up here in NE MO, I remember the hat, from years ago.
Rhoda, I like that chair as much as anyone who paid for 2 kids to go to Auburn can! Seriously, it is darling. I’ve been wanting to find that style chair for a bargain, too. Great job! Linda (oh, as far as I’m concerned, Go Dogs! : )
Considering the subject of the chair (sorry), it is really cute! Any man, would love a football themed chair for his office and this one turned out great. I know your hubby is so happy with it and probably the envy of his friends. You could probably sell it (or another like it) for much more than the $20 or so dollars with all of the Alabama fans around Birmingham!
Thanks for sharing such a fun project!
I absolutely love the houndstooth! The other fabric, well…….I absolutely love the houndstooth! 🙂 It is a great office chair now!
LOVE IT! Great Job!
I love your Alabama chair! I wish I’d come upon a chair with even just an upholstered seat that I could beautify, but alas, it’s like waiting for those Palouse earthworms to show up for some reason. I never see them!
You did a fabulous job!
I love that chair! the bama fabric is too funny and i totally love the hounds-tooth!!
You’re killin me Rhoda~
I do love the houndstooth… Bill loves the rest!
I am so happy you showed us a great tutorial. I have a chair with a back that needs redone, but I have been afraid to take the back off and not be able to figure it out! I feel ready to attempt it now! Thanks!!
Your chair looks great 🙂
Wendy
Wonderful job Rhoda! And being a Bama girl, I love that chair. ROLL TIDE!!
CUTE! Now- did you prime? Cause I have 2 chairs Ive spent ALL DAY sanding, and the legs are balaster-ish, and my power sander cannot do it! SO… I tried brush on Kilz, the stain bled through… Any ideas? or am I just going to have to quit whining and do the tediousness?
Sarah, as you can see from the pics & my description (wiped down with liquid sander), I did not prime. It might be a good idea to prime always, but I don’t always do that. If you have stain coming through, you may have to get a stain blocking primer to cover it up. Good luck!
Good morning Rhoda,
I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. I scrolled down slowly and saw the houndstooth and loved that and then when I saw the Alabama fabric…well…I was surprised and love how the two fabrics go so well together. This will make such a nice addition to Peter’s room.
The chair looks fabulous, Rhoda. You did a fantastic job. I need to recover my vanity seat and this post really helps me out a lot. Thanks so much!
xoxo
Jane