Vintage Folding Chairs RESTYLED

I’m always amazed at what people throw out. I found these cute vintage wooden folding chairs next to a dumpster on one of our daily walks a few weeks ago. They still function great, and considering they were made in 1964, look great too. There was a little wear on the finish, what looked like water stains on the bottom of a couple legs, and ugly fabric covering the seats…

Vinatge Folding Chairs BEFORE: Cute, but in need of a little help.

I liked the light wood finish (it works well in the living room) so I didn’t want to do too much on the chairs. I first removed the seats (super easy, just 4 screws in each) and gave the chairs a light sanding with fine sandpaper. I wanted to cover up the stains on the bottoms of the legs, so I decided to give the chairs “socks” by painting the bottom 6″ of the legs white (of course I could have used any color, I choose white to keep them looking “light”). I just measured up 6″, marked the measurement with a pencil, and used blue painter’s tape to mask it off. I had some white semi-gloss latex paint on hand, and used 2 coats of it. I also covered the seats using a staple gun and a couple scraps of magenta Ultrasuede I had leftover from another project.

Covering the Seats with my Trusty Staple Gun

I let the white paint dry overnight, and the next day I brushed on 2 coats of clear gloss Polyurethane.  (they are already looking cute with their little white socks)

All Poly-coated and Drying in the Backyard

And finally when the clear coat was dry, I reattached the seats. They look great in the living room! Just what we needed, didn’t cost a dime, (I had all the supplies on hand) and the whole project only took a couple hours.

Vintage Chair Make-over Completed

Chairs Finished – Morning Shot

What projects did you work on over the weekend? Tell me about them in the comments section, I’d love to hear!