Stool Makeover

A little basic reupholstery project.

I found this stool at the thrift store for $4.00. 

The legs were sturdy, but the seat was trashed. 

1. Paint the Legs

Remove the cushion from the stool and wash the legs down.  You could sand, prime, then paint, but I just went straight to painting with latex semi-gloss black paint.  I used a brush to paint 2 coats.

2. Take Cushion Apart

I tore off the black finish layer and threw it away. 

Then using a screwdriver, pulled all the staples out of the bottom so the red vinyl cover could come off, leaving the bare cushion.

4.  Make Pattern with Old Cushion Cover

To make the new cushion cover, I cut the sides off the old cover to get a circle the same size of the cushion top. 

5. Cut Out New Fabric

Using the old cushion as the pattern, I traced the circle on the back of my new fabric with a black marker.  I cut about 1" extra around the edge for a big seam allowance. 

I also cut a circle of clear vinyl sheeting.  My damask print is on tablecloth vinyl, (leftover from this tablecloth) which has the plastic coating, but isn't that durable, so I thought an extra layer of plastic would help protect the seat.

The last piece to cut is a strip an inch wider than the old sides, probably between 4-6" depending on the stool cushion.

6. Baste Vinyl to Seat Top

If you chose to add the vinyl to the seat top, I sewed the two layers together along the marker line on the back of my fabric.

7. Attach Sides

Take your side strip and pin the right sides to the main seat.  Pin all the way around, except the last 3-5" on each end of the strip where the loose ends will meet up.

Sew around the circle where you've pinned.

Next you need to sew the loose ends together.

1. Take the loose unsewn ends and have them meet around the circle to match up.

2. Pin the strips vertically where the new seam will be, to make a nice fit around the circle.

3. Sew along your pin line to make the final seam in your cushion sides.

At this point you just need to trim any excessive seam allowance, and finish sewing the last of the side to the cushion top, finishing off sewing the circle.

So now you have the cushion top circle with a complete side all the way around.

8. Top-Stitch Sides

To reinforce the top and side seam, fold the seam allowance down underneath the sides.  I top-stitched 1/4" from the seam, sewing around the side strip.

9. Attach New Cover to Cushion

Fit the new cover over the bare cushion, stretching it down and around, making sure it's centered on top and smooth.  Using a cheap $10 staple gun and 1/4" tall staples, I stretched the fabric around and worked my way around until the whole cover was secure. 

At this point you could staple another plain black fabric to cover all the staples and wood base.

Then you just have to screw the seat back on the legs and you have a classy new stool!