60's Mid-Century Modern Bouclé Reupholstery Chair Upcycle
I found a vintage 60’s mid century modern chair on Facebook Marketplace that I wanted to completely upcycle and turn into the Restoration Hardware bouclé chair that’s over my budget. To do this I’m going to sew new covers and refinish the wooden legs to make this the updated chair of my dreams for a fraction of the cost. Check out how I DIY’d this below!
THINGS YOU’LL NEED
Fabric of choice
Fabric scissors
½ inch foam
Sander
Stapler
Sewing machine
First I took the chair apart as assembled and removed the staples holding the previous fabric in place. I removed the old fabric, making sure to keep it for making a new pattern later.
Next, I used my ½ inch foam to cover the seat and stapled this down to the underside of the chair for added cushion.
For the wooden parts of the chair (the legs and the back braces), I sanded these down really well and then used a clear coat to seal in the natural colour of the legs. You could stain these to match your room, but I loved the natural wood colour so I kept it!
Then I started on the new covers. First you need to make a pattern using the old fabric and tracing it out wherever there is a seam to make new pieces.
Cut out your pattern from your fabric and pin it together. Stretch it over your chair to make sure it fits, take if off and then sew it all together.
Place your sewn fabric over your cushions and staple into place, hiding the raw edges. Put your chair back together as assembled, and now you’ve upcycled your dream chair!
If you want to see the whole journey of this upcycle and also check out how I styled it in my living room, make sure to watch the video below!