Trash to Treasure

As I mentioned in my previous post, during my mom's most recent trip to visit, we brought new life to a chair for my younger sister to use as a vanity chair.  She wanted something fun and bright - perfect for a young 20-something starting to build her own style.

Since we are ALWAYS working with a tight budget, we didn't want to spend much on this project, but also didn't want it to LOOK like we didn't spend much.  The answer = a fresh coat of paint and a re-covered seat made from leftover fabric I had from a previous project.

Unfortunately my mom got to work before I could get the "before" shot, so I only have the "after".  So for those of you with imagination... This chair was found in the bulk trash dump at my mom's (yes, more trash).  It needed some wood glue and wood filler to fix a wobbly leg.  After some light sanding, priming, and painting, it was ready for it's new cushion.  To make the cushion, I used a bright floral and made coordinating green piping.  Some staples and a bit of hot glue, and voila! New chair!

(it looks more orange in these photos, but it's a bright candy apple red)

The only out-of-pocket expenses for this project were:
- Can of spray paint white primer: $3.50
- Can of candy apple red spray paint: $3.50

Everything else came from supplies I already had on hand:
- Fabric and thread
- Wood filler and glue
- Sandpaper
- Hot glue gun and sticks
- Staple gun and staples
- Spray polyurethane in a glossy finish

So for those of you reading, the lesson here is - you've got to look past a beat up finish, wobbly legs, and old stained fabrics.  If a piece has good "bones" and a classic style, there is almost always a way to bring it back to life!

*If you ever find something and wonder about its potential, email me!  I'd be happy to help!

*UPDATE: In order to give proper kudos, my mom did do a lot of the painting work on this project! High Five Mom!