Upholstering a Chair, Part 1

This is our first big project, and by most people's standards, it's not that big. But as newbies to the DIY scene, this was quite the undertaking.

 At a yard sale several weeks ago we bought a chair and haggled for a very cool chair frame. We've been searching for the right fabric before starting the project, but over the weekend we found it at a thrift store, so here we go.

We have no idea how many parts this will be or how it will turn out. It will be a surprise for all of us, but of course we'll document the whole thing. For now, here is part one.

You need: A chair frame, plywood, fabric, a foam cushion, cotton batting, & welting (or trim) - as well as some tools, a drill, a saw, clamps, scissors and a sewing machine.

The chair frame we had was old and a bit wobbley, so first, Chris reinforced the chair. He simply put screws through the base frame into the legs.
 
Because the chair we decided to upholster had no base or back, we had to cut them out of plywood before adding fabric.

To do this, Chris used a piece of cardboard to trace the shape of the chair's back.

He then cut it out with a knife then, once he was sure that it was the right size, traced it onto the plywood. Once it was traced onto the wood, he used a saw to cut it out and sanded the edges.

The back of the chair is curved a bit, so we had to clamp the piece of plywood Chris just cut to the chair. Then we sprayed it with water and let it sit. The plywood will form to the curve after it dries.

We stopped there and will be back with part two next week. Check back and thanks for following along!