Chevron Rocking Chair Revised

How to Re-Do a Rocking Chair

I purchased this oversized rocking chair at a garage sale for $5. It was wobbly, chipped, and the seat was awful, not very inviting. 

This blog will show you how to replace an ugly rattan/wicker seat in an otherwise good chair. 

Not only was the seat coming apart but it was cracking and chipped. 

First order of business was to sand off as much chipped paint as possible. This Ryobi hand sander is great for projects like this. I use 120 grit sandpaper.

As you can see the paint is easily sanded off. 

Next, it's time to cut out the rotted stinky gross wicker. Enter handsaw. 

Looking better already

After all the wicker is removed you will discover a wooden frame where the seat it, remove this and save for later. 

When I tried to remove the wooden frame, the arm rests were in the way. Just look for a screw where the arm rest is attached, remove, and save for later. 

Also, turn the chair up-side-down and remove the screws holding the seat frame in place. Save for later. 

Once you remove the arm rests, the seat frame easily pops out. 

Now, trace the seat frame onto a piece of particle board. One that will be thick enough (1/2 inch) to use as a seat. You can toss the seat frame out once you've traced onto new seat.

Now the chair is ready for a primer, a favorite trick of mine is to go to the Home Depot paint department and check out the discounted paint. These items were usually a mistake or a return that they mark down dramatically. Sometime the colors are funky but I got this pale blue paint + primer sample for .50 cents. It was enough paint to coat the chair twice with primer. 

While I live in Phoenix and it's too hot to re-finish furniture outside, I get the majority of my projects done at night in my family room. I use an old sheet for a drop cloth. I painted the chair with Behr Premium Gloss in Ultra Bright White.

After you cut the wood out you need to get foam or stuffing to create a soft seat. 

In this case I found an old goose down pillow that seemed to be about the right size. 

lay the fabric you choose over the pillow to make sure the design is where you want it. This fabric is from Hobby Lobby (they have the best selection in Scottsdale) Plus you can show them an email in your phone for a 40% off coupon. 

Now it's time to get the staple gun out. These were scary at first but now I love using it!

Staple the fabric in place making sure to pull tightly. 

Gather the corners as neat as you can. 

After the first round of staples I always do a second round making sure to get as many staples as possible. The cushion can look sloppy if there are any gaps. 

After you paint and make the cusion you are ready to put all in place. Use a screw gun to return the screws the secure the chair. 

Voila! A 5$ garage sale chair can look new again!!!!!



Thank you for reading