Stool Makeover [Michaels RE-Love Blogger Challenge]

Remember my little stool that I did a quick RE-New makeover for the Michaels RE-Love Challenge?  I can't even begin to tell you how easy it was.  I already had the fabric I needed so I went to Michaels for the spray paint and the replacement padding.  I used Poly-Fil Nu-Foam and they had one in the perfect size for the stool so I didn't even need to cut it down.

Taking apart anything you are reupholstering is the most important part.  You really want to pay attention to what you are doing so you can do the same thing in reverse and you also want to keep the fabric in tact so you can use it as a guide to cut out your new fabric pieces.  Not too hard on a stool, but a little more important on a wingback chair!

There were screws holding the top, padded portion of the stool to the legs.  Eight of them.  Removed them all.

Then I used a flathead screwdriver and a mallet to remove the staples.  The many many staples.  I used pliers from time to time too.

Excuse the lack of pictures of me actually doing any of these things.  My hubby was out of town and I needed both hands for the actual taking apart and putting back together!  Next time I will try to inlist my 5 year old's photography skills.  She takes some great self portraits on my iPhone, so I am sure she could handle it.

Once that is done and everything has been sanded and cleaned I spray painted the legs white, used the old fabric as a guide to cut my new material, and replaced the old (very gross) padding with the new.

You then lay the base of the seat over the fabric and pad and pull it tight and staple.  It is that easy.  The only thing you have to think about is the corners.  I like the folded crease look (the same method you would use when wrapping a present) but when it doubt just pull it tight.  It usually works out in the end.

You put the legs back on with the screws and you are all done.

While I had the tarp out and was in a spray painting mood, I also gave these step stools from Ikea a little makeover.  I let Ms. Ruby pick out the colors because she uses them as much as I do!

Here is what they looked like before they received some TLC in the form of cleaning, sanding, and painting.

And this was the nice one!  Oh the difference a little paint can make (and it is even more fun if it is a cute color like Watermelon or Tropical Oasis.  My bar stools better watch out, because they are next!

You can check out more great RE-Love projects over on Michaels Pinterest Page!

Michaels RE-Love Blogger Challenge [Stool Make Over]

With April marking Earth Month, Michaels invited me to participate in a RE-Love Blogger Challenge. The purpose of the challenge is to take something you have around your home or in the garage that needs a little TLC and turn it into something you love instead of something you would throw away!  Less trash in a landfill is always a good thing, right?

I knew exactly what project I wanted to tackle.  In Arizona there were really strict rules about garbage.  Everything has to be bagged and tied, nothing can just sit out on the curb.  I had read blog posts about people finding items their neighbors had put out on the curb for trash day, but that was nothing I had experienced until we moved to Texas.  The first month here I rescued a little foot stool from the side of the road.

It needed a lot of TLC but what it got instead was a three year sentence to garage.  This week I pulled it out and used some supplies from Michaels to give it the TLC it needed.  Now my girls are fighting over who gets to keep it in their room.

If you want to try tackling a reupholstering project, a stool is the best place to start.  I will be sharing the tutorial in a few days, along with another project I have in the works.

Until then, you can check out more fun RE-Love projects on Michaels Facebook and Pinterest page!

DIY Upholstered Bed

Upholstered Ikea Bed Makeover from All Things Campbell

Fur Ottoman Makeover

Fur Ottoman from Nesting Place