I am almost embarrassed to show you the original pic from the Craigslist ad, in light of the junk we've been seeing lately, as this would certainly be considered that - a broken antique chair up in the north woods of Maine. Luckily I have a friend who travels up that way every weekend and he met the seller at a truck stop at 6 AM one Monday morning.

BEFORE! Scary, huh? Craigslist ad photo of $15 chair

AFTER/ almost done. I need to pad, cover and do the welt on the dark areas of the arms.

I repaired the arm's missing wood with a product that tinker2006 had used on an old buffet that she'd repaired and painted, Abatron Wood Restoration. GREAT product.

It's painted in Annie Sloan chalk paint, Old Ochre base and Country Grey topcoat, then sanded and waxed with clear Butcher's Wax.

The fabric is vintage - 'Pedigree' by Bloomcraft. I didn't have quite enough, and found a remnant on eBay last week that is on the front of the upper back. The back is done in a 25 cent sample of Stroheim and Romann plaid that cost well over $100 a yard! I had just enough and it blends beautifully with the colors in the dog fabric.

My luck continued as I looked for fabric to make the welt cord. I found this stripe at a local Maine store called Marden's Surplus and Salvage!! That's how desperate I was, and it's perfect for a whimsical chair.

I may have made an alignment error. I was so wrapped up in centering the lower dog's head and the yellow pillow on the settee on the back, that when I stood back later, I realize that I probably should have centered the pagoda that the lower dog is on, rather than the dog! I've produced a 'factory second'!

Splitrock, I am just a novice, and I learned everything I know by reading online blogs and watching YouTube videos. Those pros can tell you and show you more than I ever could. It's really fun, if you are into crafty type things. I urge you to try it.

I have a similiar style chair that is a rose color. I have been thinking of painting the wood because I can't even sell it on ebay because no one seems to like rose anymore. But if I could do something like that I would keep it.

How long did it take you to do the upholstering part? Did you find one video that explained it the best?

Did you have to do a lot of sewing or is it mostly pulling the fabric tight and tacking it?

On this style, the only sewing was the welt cord trim, but you could use purchased gimp instead. This one was mostly stretching and stapling. It'll seem like a lot, but I probably spent 8 hours on the non-painting part of this chair. For the first time, the seat and springs were in good condition, so I was able to leave them intact. I did put a layer of heavy batting over the seat before my top fabric. The back has many layers - fabric for the front and back, and sandwiched between those is a thick layer of cotton stuffing, and layers of the batting I used in the seat. I stapled the back plaid on first to make sure it was lined up, and then layered all the others on top of that. I stapled all the other layers at the same time, through that thick 'sandwich' of layers. Then I closely trimmed the edges with sharp scissors and a razor knife to get close to the stapling, and so no raw edges showed once I glued the welt cord on.

The best advice I can give you is to carefully take the coverings off your chair, and to take pictures all the way through to refer to how it's put together. It can be very hard to pull out old nails and/or staples, springs and old fabric. I got so into it last summer that I ended up having rotator cuff surgery that kept me from doing any for months, so be careful!

This is on my list to try someday-- you are always an inspiration.

Not to be too nosey, but are you successful in selling your chairs?? I think you mentioned putting some in a friend's shop?? I would buy your chairs in a heartbeat.

You should seriously consider opening your own little decor shop with your wonderful upholstery and paint projects and your awesome CL and ebay finds.

tuesday, I really haven't tried very hard to sell them. You should see my dining room - it's got lots more chairs in it than belong around the table. The shop that took a few closes right after Christmas and doesn't open again til sometime in April. And honestly, I really am not doing it to make money, although that would be GREAT!

I am learning, and know a bit more with every chair I do. My day job is quite dry, and I am filled with the desire to create things, and always have been. I might try putting a few out on CL - the land of their 'birth', and see what happens. I did give one to my mother's 95 year old neighbor! I even have a Spanish type one coming up that I will do in faux cowhide and leather - just to play and totally change it.

nosoccermom - yes, that is exactly where you should start! You can paint a chair to make it look different, too and then do a new fabric on it. My thrill is seeing how different I can make it look from the way it started. You could even do a little skirt on one that you're just re-doing the seat on. Staple it on and cover the staples with purchased gimp.

I'm picking this one up this weekend. The seller and I think it's mahogany under that yellow paint, and I plan to remove the horizontal piece at the top of the back, and put a back on the chair and upholster that, testing my carpentry skills. I'll strip the wood and if it isn't what I think, it'll get repainted. Love those curvy arms and legs.

Along this line, but covered in fabric at the very top of the back, and in a more exciting fabric.

If anything instead of reselling on CL, you should create a blog, if you haven't already, because you also have the flair for writing and telling a story about the pieces which you make. Then maybe put up for sale (for the right price). Or teach classes. I know I would sign up!

Count me among those who so enjoy seeing your projects.

I have visited Maine (Bath) a couple of times. It's one of my all time favorite areas. Super friendly people, fun antique shops, and L.L. Bean : )

I could totally imagine you having your own upholstery shop someday!

Can I ask where you get your foam? The only foam I see is at Joann's and the quality is so poor. TYIA

Nosoccermom...That is very much like 4 Eastlake chairs that I have done. I don't have pictures of one of them on this laptop, but what I do to those is remove all fabric and ALL the old supports, such as the webbing, springs, horsehair, etc. I have stripped the old finish off most of them, but have painted a few. I won't go into the detail of all I do to to cut plywood to make a new seat 'platform' and then put foam and batting on it. Basically I start with just the frame and re-build from there before any fabric goes on.

This doggie chair is the only one where the original underpinnings were intact and in great shape. I just removed the thin black cambric fabric from the underside, which is missing on that chair you found, and replaced it. Then I put batting over the muslin seat covering, and then my new fabric.

That chair would be a great project, but possibly more than you want to get into for your first one.

Thanks to all who said my fabric placement was OK - that makes me feel much better.

Laurie, Bath is where one of only TWO Annie Sloan stockists is in Maine. I have not been to her shop, but did order a qt of Old Ochre, a color I seem to use a lot. What a surprise to have the owner appear in my driveway one day later with the paint, which I guess either UPS or USPS wouldn't accept! Talk about service! I must see her 'Blessings' shop some day. I drove very near it when I picked up the 'balloon chair' last summer, and never knew the shop was there. The yellow chair above is in Durham, a town next to Freeport.

Lynn, is my addiction to beautiful fabric showing? Honestly, that is where all this starts! I see some and just HAVE to do something with it!

Cat fabric is HARD to find in a home dec weight and width! I just did a quick check, and there are thousands in quilt weight at 45" wide, but the only one I found in home dec is the one linked below. Dog fabric rules!! :-)

I have found this fabric site (linked below) called Spoonflower but have not used them, yet. They have lots of categories including dogs and cats. Fabric can be purchased in a heavy cotton twill that is 58" wide, 7.2 oz./sq. yd. & could be used for upholstery.
I would be interested if you or anyone else has experience with them.

Laurie, YES about being able to apply chalk paint to wood without sanding. I have used it on pine, oak, walnut and maple, but with some dark stains like mahogany, I have read there is occasionally red bleed-through of the stain, but I haven't experienced that. It is pricey, and there are many recipes online to make your own. I've bought calcium carbonate to make my own, but just haven't tried it yet. There are hundreds of blogs that talk about chalk paint.

I use wax to finish the pieces I use chalk paint on. I have BriWax in light and dark brown, and Butcher's wax in clear.

I haven't used Spoonflower fabric, either - maybe some day!

One seller on eBay right now is selling it for $53.99 a yard. The dark blue in the circles is raised sort of like pom poms - it's 3D fabric. I chose this from my stash as I like the way the swirls in the fabric compliment the curved arms.

Would love to see a close up of the wood repair you made on the arm of dog chair. My grandmother did something similar years ago when one of a pair of elephant tables arrived from overseas (her DS is a retired Navy Captain). She used something to make a mold of the entire side/face, then produced the piece and painted. I was amazed by that table all my life! lol

Always enjoy seeing what you're working on next!

Allison, there was about a 6" long chunk of wood gone from the upright support of that broken arm in the 'doggie chair'. That 2 part product is mold-able like clay and I just got it as close to the shape as I could, pressed it onto the arm, and let it set up overnight. I then sanded and carved it down a bit to match the other arm. I'll have to see if I have a before pic of that and then take one now.

Oh, I also plan to use that product to make new tops above the arms where you see the holes in the natural wood in the 2nd pic below. That's where the original horizontal top was attached. (a bit cut off in the CL ad pic) Part of that top is now mounted inside the upper back, padded and covered with fabric.

Sujafr, here is the blue one a bit further along, although I just propped the being re-glued arms in place for this shot, which I sent to the seller. I found a solid Waverly twill that matches the darker blue in the fabric, and will have welt outlining the upholstered parts for a crisp definition. You can just see it at the top where I pinned it.

patty-cakes, I'll keep them for a little while, just to enjoy the fruits of my labor/fun, and then try to find good homes for them. I might list a few on Craigslist!