Slipper chair makeover

First you will need some paint stripper. Apply it with an old paint brush, painting it on in a very thick coat. When the paint bubbles, it is ready to strip. You are now ready to use stripping tools, and wire brushes for any detailed carved sections. Apply stripper as you go so the paint does not re-harden again. You may need to repeat this process several times, depending on how many layers of paint there are to remove, or how thick the old coats are.
Once all the paint is off, rinse with water or vinegar wash to get rid of all stripper residue/neutralize any left. Don’t use water if it could raise the grain.

Check your chair for sturdiness as you may need to pull it apart to repair it or send it to someone who does. Minor repairs may be required at this stage. You don’t want your newly covered chair to collapse because you forgot to do this step!

Next you will need sandpaper and steel wool in the grades you require. Nylon scourers may be good also, as the steel wool tends to disintegrate as you use it. There are also many different special paint scraping tools you can purchase, depending on what you are stripping. Obtain what you think you will require.
Once the remaining paint is off or most of it, you are ready to paint your item.

I like to get sample pots or look in the mis-tints section as you can make great savings here. I apply coats that are many and thin as this works better than few and thick, especially if the chair has any detail/carvings in the wood. Sand in-between each coat of paint for the best results.
To protect your newly painted finish, apply a water based varnish (or oil based if you used oil based paint) with a color called burnt umber that you have mixed in the paint tray with the varnish, and then wipe off the excess. Make sure it gets into all the crevices, nooks and cranny’s, as this makes it look more ‘aged’, and not so stark. Of course only do this if you want a more aged look to your piece.

You will need to purchase fabric suited to upholstery – nothing too flimsy as it just wont last the distance. Buy enough to recover your chair. Next you need to tuck in your fabric and staple it onto the frame of your chair with a staple gun. Cover the underside with plain calico.

When complete, trim away excess fabric. You may wish to cover the lines between the fabric and frame by using either tacks or braided cord, or even folded fabric strips in the same material.
Don’t forget to waterproof the fabric with a spray on protector as well.
You now have a lovely piece of furniture that has had the ultimate chair makeover, and best of all, you did it yourself.