Mission-Style Rocking Chairs

Due Date Countdown:  8 Days

Yes, I'm still pregnant :)

Baby seems perfectly content to keep hangin' around in my belly, so for now you get to wait in expectancy with me.  Except you can probably walk without waddling, so you can only kind of sympathize.

Quack.

But are you ready to see a couple of chairs get a makeover??  I bet you are.  I've been getting emails up the wazoo about people really wanting to see chair makeovers.
Okay, I just made that up.

But I have been getting a few people asking questions about projects via the new "contacts" tab, and I'm loving all your creativity and sweet compliments!  Also, the archive tabs above are all updated and ready for you, so if this baby comes before I can put up another post, you'll be set for a bit.
(Joe and I actually think that since we have family driving from 5 and 12 hours away, the baby is bound to come during a snow storm.  We keep checking the forecast to figure out when the little munchkin's going to arrive.  Nothing yet...)

Here we go.

Mission-Style Rocking Chairs

Ooh, pretty!  And how often have I seen these chairs and never thought to do anything with them?

This was a project I was hired to do for a wonderful couple at our church.  Let's call them the M&M's (because I'm apparently still not over that chocolate craze of a previous post).  The chairs came to them from Mr. M&M's mother, and Mrs. M&M just wanted to update the look.  They went back and forth about painting the oak frames--which is perfectly understandable--but decided that paint would really give her the finish she wanted (wood purists, are you fainting?).  In the end, I think the paint was a great choice.  Why have something if you don't really like it?  Plus they're practically oozing awesome now.

It seemed like a fairly manageable project from what I saw initially, and actually turned out to be a bit easier than even I anticipated.  So if you have a pair of Mission-Style rockers that you want to re-do, have no fear.  You don't even have to have a special staple gun for this one!  All you need is a sewing machine, something that throws staples, and some gumption.

I won't get into a lengthy explanation, but if you have questions please feel free to ask and I will gladly go into more detail for you.

My Super-Handy Hubby painted the frames for me.  Because he's such a good dad already :)  As you can tell by the t-shirt he's wearing and the snow-free driveway, this was a while ago.  

All slicked up in their new finish!  I then sanded the edges very lightly.  We wanted a tish of distressing for dimension, but nothing close to the "chippy" look.  Just a light touch did the trick.

The back cushion had only a little sewing in the top corners, so that was really simple.

The fabric was installed by fitting the corners properly at the top, and then wrapping the fabric around to the back side to staple.  This whole cushion was essentially an "insert" that screwed into the sides of the frame.  It was a pretty slick system to work with.

The bottom cushion was a little more sewing, but it only involved attaching two side panels to the seat.  Again, really simple.

Then once again, Joe to the rescue!  These frames were solid oak--even the inside framing that was for the upholstery.  Seriously, if I had tried to break these chairs I just would have ended up with bruises.  They were so tough.  Tough enough that I couldn't get these screws in or out by myself.  Thanks honey, you're the best.  And I apparently need to work out more.

Here's the finished product again.  I apologize for the not-awesome pictures.  I *may* have forgotten to take pictures until Joe was getting ready to load them into the truck for delivery, and it was dark out.  Oops.  But hey, at least we deliver!  We deliver for the small cost of cookies and ice cream.  Not really, but they did give us cookies and ice cream when we picked the chairs up...because they're super sweet people.

And in case you're wondering, Mrs. M&M picked the fabric out herself, and I really love it.  It's classy but not too formal at the same time.  She bought it at Joann Fabrics, in case you're now in dire need to buy some for yourself.

And now you can mentally sit in those chairs, rock back and forth and dream of how cute our baby is going to be!

In case you missed the Nursery Reveal! last week, you can check it out Here (or in the linked text before, but hey I like to be thorough).

And I did forget to post our Christmas picture this year, so I'll bid you adieu with that.

Photo Courtesy of Cheryl Lancaster

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~The Doodle Bug

I'm usually partyin' at these hangouts:

Friday Feature @ Redoux

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Simply Creations Link Party @ Simple Home. Life

It's a Hodgepodge Friday @ It's a Hodgepodge Life

Spotlight Saturday @ Classy Clutter

Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday @ Kammy's Korner

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co.

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Button-Tufted Bench

DONE!
We got our trim up!!
A huge "THANK YOU!" to J&S for their willingness to help us out.  You are the best.

I am so excited that our house no longer looks like it's under construction.
Sure, we have the closet doors to paint and hang.
Sure, we have to put putty in all the little nail holes.

But the trim. is. up.
And I am a happy girl.

Today's post comes courtesy of a friend I'll refer to as...Lucille.  Because that's a fun name.

Lucille had this little bench that had been a part of her family, and it needed...some love.
Or a whole bucket full o' love.
Here's how she looked when I picked her up (the bench, not Lucille):

Did a little tear fall from your eye?
Well, not to worry.  I told Lucille I'd take good care of her little munchkin and bring her back with her love tank on "full" (book reference, anyone?).
And I have.
Though I haven't actually returned her yet, as she is still sitting in my living room.

 Much better, right?
Lucille picked out a fabric that would match her decor and we decided to go with an off-white for the frame.  Super cute.

And in case you have a sad little bench with an empty love tank that needs filling, here are some upholstery tips and details on button tufting!
If you're looking for a basic upholstery tutorial without tufting, check out the Baby Piano Bench.
A couple other good ones to check out are The Little Chair that was Oft Misunderstood, or An Upholstered Chair Fit for a Princess.

The first step of any reupholstery project is to tear the piece down.  Take off the fabric and remove staples.
And try not to give yourself too many blisters.
Since I was repainting the frame, I also took off the padding.

Joe spray primed and then painted the frame.  Because he's just that awesome and helpful.

...and he wants a healthy baby :)

I usually use spray paint on chairs and such because it goes on SO much smoother than brushing.

And it's faster, so it's a win-win!

I then gave the frame a light distressing around the edges using sandpaper.

 The padding was a sort of synthetic "horse hair" type stuffing, covered with cotton batting.  Unfortunately, over time the fabric had torn along the front and some of the stuffing had fallen out.  I beefed it back up with some Poly-Fill, tucking it under the existing stuffing to keep it smooth.

Then, I used some leftover cotton batting from the Hollywood Regency Chair to patch in where the original cotton batting had been lost.
Now, I don't usually use legit' upholstery materials like cotton batting, because you HAVE to buy it at full retail.  However, in this case it was needed because I needed the new materials to mesh smoothly with the old ones.  Cotton batting is perfect for this, because it pulls apart easily and creates really smooth seams.  Just pull on it to tear and smooth it out with your hands.
Magic.

Once I had the padding all back in order, I covered my buttons.  I just used button kits from Wal-Mart.  It worked fine...except that my fabric was REALLY thick and it just about made my thumb fall off trying to push the pieces together.
But I won out in the end.
And my thumb feels much better now, thank you.

Here is how to install the buttons in your button tufting:
First, cover all your buttons.
Then, lay out your piece of fabric onto your project, giving yourself plenty of extra fabric on all sides.
I used the holes on the old fabric to show me where to put the buttons, and marked the new fabric with little pieces of tape.
Which worked fine.
Until Jip decided to pull them up and chew on them.
    He pretty much thinks that since he played with the tape balls from painting the windows,
    ALL TAPE IS FOR HIM AND HIM ALONE.
    All hail the tape master.
Anyway, once you have your button locations marked, follow this handy little picture chart!
 Sorry about the small print, I'll explain it below in case you can't read it.

Hmmm...well, that doesn't look as nice in blogger as it did in Gimp.  So here are the steps if you can't read them above:
1.  Loop thin string through button backs--(large string in pictures is for illustration only)
        I actually used 12 lb test fishing line and it worked really well.
2.  Thread string onto needle and push through upholstery.
      Push it through from the top into one of your marked places.  I had to use pliers to get my needle to go through.
3.  Tie string under the seat around a piece of cotton.
      Tying it around a chunk of something keeps it from pulling back through.
      You could use a cotton ball or wad of fabric for this, too.
4.  Finish seat as usual.

Once the buttons are all in place (smooth the fabric as you go to make sure you have even "tufts"), the staple gun comes into play.
Have I mentioned lately how much I stinkin' love my staple gun and air compressor?

Unfortunately, I have to let you know that without a staple gun with an upholstery nose on it, I could not have completed this project.  I know that's stinky for people who don't want to go buy an expensive gun just to complete a few projects, but I don't know how I would do it without this gun.  It has a nose that's skinnier to fit into grooves for upholstery.  And no safety catch.
I live on the wild side.
If you have questions about the staple gun, just leave me a comment :)

Next came the fun part.  I basically just stapled the fabric around the edges into the grooves.
However, sometimes you have posts and arms and such that you need to work around.  For that, just follow the pictures above.
1.  Cut a wedge out of your fabric that will fit around your post.
       BE CAREFUL NOT TO CUT IT TOO BIG!!  Start with it too small, then cut slits until you can   get it nice and snug.
2.  Tuck it around your post and get a good fit.
3.  Fold under the raw edges
4.  Pull the fabric to exactly where you want it and staple it into the groove.

Hooray!

Now, if your piece has grooves like this, you'll want to trim the excess fabric as tightly to your staples and the groove as you can.  Then, you'll want to sew up some cording to clue into the gap and cover your raw edge.

Once you have your cording sewn, carefully hot glue it into your groove, being careful to cover up all your raw edges.  Go slowly.  This can be trickier than it sounds...trust me :)

Is it weird when a random internet snob tells you to "trust me"?  Yeah, I think that qualifies as creepy.
UNLESS I'm Aladdin and start singing and swooping you around on a magic carpet.  That would qualify me as awesome.

Okay, let's tone it down a bit.
And I'll show you a "Whole New Bench" Hahahaha!  So flippin' clever!
Sorry.
Here's where we came from...

 And here's where we ended up!!

The adorable little buttons that about busted my thumbs.  Worth it, by the way.

 See how the cording cleans the edge up so nicely?

 I can't get enough of these buttons.

Awww, doesn't it look so nice in that little niche?

I suppose I could just not call Lucille for a few days, huh?
Actually, I'm picking up some dust cover for the bottom tonight, so it might be a couple days.
Just covering my bases.
Lucille, are you reading this?

Is grand theft bench a federal offense?
Good luck catching me on my magic carpet.

~The Doodle Bug

I'm usually partyin' at these hangouts:

Friday Feature @ Redoux

Feathered Nest Friday @ French Country Cottage

Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed

Show & Tell Friday @ My Romantic Home

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring Decorating

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Simply Creations Link Party @ Simple Home. Life

It's a Hodgepodge Friday @ It's a Hodgepodge Life

Spotlight Saturday @ Classy Clutter

Trash 2 Treasure Tuesday @ Kammy's Korner

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday @ Coastal Charm

Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Be Inspired @ Elizabeth & Co.

Wow Us Wednesdays@Savvy Southern Style

Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House

Salvaged Wall Hanger

I wasn't prepared.

So I'm warning you ahead of time, so you can be ready.

You'll be able to tell very soon that I didn't think this project would be all that interesting before I started.
You know that feeling?
And then how most of the time you're wrong and wish you had planned better?

Yeah, this is one of those.  Therefore I have no "before" picture.
Thanks in advance for your grace.

It all started with six chairs.  Here's two of them:

Grey Highboy Dresser

Hello, Mr. Woodchuck.

Haven't seen you around in awhile, huh?

Do you remember how last Spring I was so excited to move to our current rental and see all the wildlife?  Yes, and how I was so excited about the woodchuck I saw by our shed?

Well, then we learned that they're varmints and that they tunnel under buildings, compromising the foundation.  So...then Joe got out his gun.  A big gun.  

On Sunday morning.

No more Woodchuck.

Until this evening, that is.  Now my husband will have something else to take care of.  And then we will all mourn the woodchuck.  *sniffle.*


Anyway, now that I have offended all the varmint lovers out there, let's get to the point of this post--starting with the before AND after!  (hey, you've already read this far, you deserve it).

Wax-Resist Stenciled Planter

Part 2 of 2.  To see Part 1, check it out at Building a Wood Planter Box.

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Becky.  She liked to make things and especially paint things, but most of the time she just used different tricks she learned from other people.  This was great, but then one day she came up with an idea all her own.  And it. Was. Epic.

White & Grey Distressed Table & Chairs

Well, at long last here I am!
I was going to post this baby last night, but then I got all responsible and stuff and did all the dishes.  Normally I do them every day and it only takes about 15-20 minutes.  Well, I had procrastinated for a few days, and it took an Hour and 15 minutes.  Yikes.  But that's done now, and I get to do fun things like:
1. Hope that it rains today so my rhubarb & chives can grow.  UPDATE:  I JUST HEARD SOME SPRINKLES!!
2. Watch my tomato seedlings grow (they're almost all up!)
3. Work on an upholstered biscuit box--you'll see that another time
4. Show you a great table and chair set!!

That about sums it up.  And since I've done the first two a little today already, it looks like it's time to skip to #4!  I got this table and chair set off of Craigslist, and boy was I excited to get my paws on it.

Driftwood-Look Table & Chairs

Well, today has been a good day.  I have pieced together & fixed, painted, and upholstered four dining chairs, and then made a cutie little hanger out of some of the scraps!  You'll get to see that soon, but for today I have a big project that took me a good week and a half to complete.  And it was worth every minute.

Here she is.  My first dining table project, with chairs to boot!

The Golden Rule of Aging...Furniture!

If I had lived thirty years ago, people would have thought I was crazy for putting fresh new paint on something...and then making it look old.  But isn't that what's all the rage right now?  And I also find that it alleviates some of my don't-scratch-the-brand-new-shiny-paint stress.  Because no one really notices a scratch on a piece that's already distressed.