Friday, September 4, 2009

Highchair Make-over

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My mother in law has used this highchair since 1969. She loves it because it's obviously durable, folds up, and all metal. I actually don't know how long the cushions have been worn, torn, or completely gone. Every time we visit and pull it out, she comments on needing to recover it. For a while there were towels taped to the seat, but it just didn't cut it.

So I thought I would recover it for her as a Christmas gift, but when I found this cowboy fabric I got too excited and couldn't wait. My mother-in-law pulled out an old card table tent she'd made when my husband (her youngest) was a boy. The walls of the tent were this red/blue cowboy print. I loved the vintage fabric, especially thinking of the memories attached to it being their tent. So I asked if she minded if I cut off a wall of the tent for the highchair.
Since my husband and his brother just above him are the only ones in the family with young children to use the high chair, I thought this fabric would be great. Passing on the high chair and the fabric to the next generation.

The project was quick and quite easy:
1. Remove seat and back from high chair frame
2. Clean metal surfaces
(all the tape required Goo Gone, which I couldn't find and ended up having to use gasoline to get the sticky off)
3. Trace & cut 1" thick foam for both back and seatyou can find foam near batting in the fabric store
4. Trace & cut fabric and vinyl sheet to allow 1" extra to wrap around backPlastic vinyl sheeting is anywhere from $3 / yd and up, with different thicknesses. I found a remnant in the clearance box for $.90 so I was excited. I've seen this on a free standing rack with horizontal rolls, Walmart even has the plastic.
5. Sew the fabric to the plastic 1/4" from edge
6. Hot glue foam to metal
7. Position and center fabric/plastic on, wrap fabric around, and tack it to metal with hot glue, continuing all around until it's tight and fitted, corners were a pain.
8. Once it's all glued, reassemble high chair


I added the star applique to the fabric, I thought it would be like a sheriff badge, I'm not sure that's what it ended up looking like.

We haven't used a high chair, just clip-to-the-table seats and boosters. I hope one day I'll find a vintage metal high chair at a garage sale or something for myself.

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