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Gorgeous dining chair transformation

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I am excited to be kicking off a new series today!

repurpose recycle reuse

In case you haven’t noticed, I absolutely love turning something outdated, unnecessary, or just plain ugly into something beautiful and useful. Repurposed projects are my absolute favorite! So I gathered five of my favorite like-minded bloggers together to each bring you a brand new repurposed, recycled, or reused project every month on the first Wednesday of the month. We’ve also created a new board on Pinterest just for sharing our favorite repurposed, recycled, reused projects. So if you love repurposed projects as much as me, you are definitely going to want to follow along.

And I am super excited about the project I have to share with you today. Now I do realize it doesn’t look so repurposed at first glance.  Ok, probably not at second glance either.

shower curtain turned new upholstery

“Wow, you repurposed chairs as…chairs.” Hmmm.

But I promise, there was some repurposing involved with that fabulous fabric on the seat cushions. I picked up these chairs at a yard sale last year for a steal. $30 for a set of four solid wood chairs! They weren’t without their issues though. This was definitely a case of wood looking much nicer in photos than in real life. There were tons of scratches and random paint splatters on them as well as some major drips from whoever originally stained and finished them. Not to mention the graying seats that provided all of about a millimeter of cushion.

dining room chairs

I wasn’t exactly sure what color I wanted to go with these chairs until I came across this gorgeous shower curtain at TJMaxx. I knew this shower curtain would be perfect repurposed as seat cushions for my chairs. Plus, where else are you going to find several yards of designer upholstery-weight fabric for only $15?

shower curtain upholstery

After using a bit of wood glue to tighten up all the loose, wobbly bits, I removed the seats from the chairs and then painted them with two coats of Valspar ‘nightscape’ paint. I’m a sucker for texture, so I followed up with some 180 grit sandpaper around the edges.

Details of painted, reupholstered chair

Then it was time for that fabulous shower curtain. I wanted to make sure the turquoise color in the fabric was featured on each seat cover, so I lined everything up carefully before cutting anything. To make sure I cut plenty of fabric to wrap all the way around the seats, I used the old dirty fabric that was originally on the seats as a template.

And bonus – the shower curtain was so big, I have enough fabric for another sweet upholstery project I have planned!

dining chair transformed

Those seats definitely needed a bit of a boost in the padding department, so I turned to my upholstery go to: memory foam egg crate mattress pads. These are so cushy and relatively inexpensive. For this project, I just used some pieces left over from my upholstered headboard. I traced the chair bottoms on to the mattress pads and then cut them out with regular scissors.

Then it was time to put everything back together. To recover a chair seat, lay out your fabric followed by your padding and the seat bottom. Then just pull the fabric edges over everything and staple them to the bottom of the seat with a staple gun. Just make sure to pull everything nice and tight as you are stapling.

Transformed dining room table and chairs

 

Dining chair reupholstered with a shower curtain

And now they are both gorgeous and sooo comfortable. The seats may seem a little busy next to the paisley floor but they actually complement each other quite well. And hey, I am working on being bold and taking some chances after all!

And now the fun part. Check out these other gorgeous Repurposed, Recycled, Reused projects.

lampshade covers

Turn Old Shirts Into Lampshade Covers – Thrifty and Chic

tracing mat

Crazy Easy Reuseable Tracing Mats – Life as a Thrifter

diy light

Make a lamp out of a candlestick – Bigger Than The Three of Us

paper roses

Paper Flowers – It All Started With Paint

Easy DIY Valentines Day Poppers

Easy DIY Valentine Poppers – All Things G&D

 

And don’t forget to follow our Repurpose, Recycle, Reuse board on Pinterest!

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59 Comments

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Comments

  1. [email protected] says

    February 5, 2014 at 7:43 am

    What a great idea to use a shower curtain…that has never crossed my mind!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2014 at 8:57 pm

      Thanks Ashley, I am always trying to think of cheaper ways to get what I want. Designer home decor fabric is expensive – but not shower curtains!

      Reply
  2. angela says

    February 5, 2014 at 8:11 am

    Love the idea of using a shower curtain…super clever! And, I love how the fabric compliments the floor. :)

    Have a great day!

    Angela @ Number Fifty-Three

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2014 at 8:58 pm

      Thanks Angela! I am pretty thrilled with how the fabric and floor work together too! :)

      Reply
  3. Linda @ it all started with paint says

    February 5, 2014 at 8:42 am

    Carrie – this transformation is nothing short of stunning!!! Love how you repurposed that shower curtain! Thanks for inviting me to play along in the three “Rs” party!

    :) Linda

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2014 at 8:59 pm

      Thanks Linda! I am so glad you joined in. And I am loving my ‘new’ chairs!

      Reply
  4. Krista @thehappyhousie says

    February 5, 2014 at 11:53 am

    Love it Carrie! Your chair looks gorgeous and I bet the shower curtain fabric is really washable. What a fabulous series!!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2014 at 9:02 pm

      Thanks Krista! I’m sure the shower curtain will definitely be fairly easy to wipe down and clean – at least I hope so with a one year old running around!

      Reply
  5. Alicia says

    February 5, 2014 at 8:03 pm

    I love that ‘fabric’! Your dining room looks stunning :)

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 5, 2014 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks Alicia! The shower curtain fabric is definitely the best part!

      Reply
  6. Danielle from Storypiece says

    February 7, 2014 at 8:26 pm

    This is such a smart idea and I’m sure the fabric is extra durable. Beautiful fabric and a total steal!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 7, 2014 at 9:22 pm

      Thanks! The fabric seems to be durable – it is very thick and strong. Should hold up well!

      Reply
  7. Selene Galindo says

    February 7, 2014 at 8:26 pm

    What a great idea you have here!! Your chairs turned out so pretty!! I would have never guessed the fabric came from a shower curtain! Following on Pinterest and Hometalk!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 7, 2014 at 9:20 pm

      Thanks Selene! The shower curtain definitely worked out fabulously!

      Reply
  8. Alyssa D/Arts & Crackers says

    February 7, 2014 at 10:44 pm

    So cute!! We need to re-upholster our chairs and fabric by us is SO expensive…I will have to find a deal on curtains and try this!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2014 at 9:57 pm

      Thanks Alyssa! Good luck finding a great deal on curtains!

      Reply
  9. Lisa at Mabey She Made It says

    February 8, 2014 at 12:28 am

    I’ll bet it’s a great seat cover and somewhat durable too! Looks awesome!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2014 at 9:58 pm

      Thanks – definitely durable fabric!

      Reply
  10. Leslie says

    February 8, 2014 at 7:51 am

    I love them! What a neat idea. Your dinning room set is soo cute. I love the color you picked too. I’m stopping by from SITS wish you a happy Saturday!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2014 at 9:59 pm

      Thanks Leslie – I am so happy with how the dining room table and chairs came together. Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  11. Janice says

    February 8, 2014 at 10:35 am

    Those chairs are fabulous! If you can do that with garage sale chairs and a TJ Maxx shower curtain I can’t even imagine how amazing the rest of your house must look!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2014 at 10:00 pm

      Thanks Janice! The rest of the house is still a work in progress – but there is definitely some good stuff going on in the midst of all the ‘befores’.

      Reply
  12. Mamapotamus says

    February 8, 2014 at 3:05 pm

    That is amazing, and I never would have thought of it, but I come across shower curtains all the time and wish I could use the print for something else because I don’t have any positions open for new shower curtain. Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2014 at 10:01 pm

      Me too! That is where I got the idea – there seems to be a plethora of great shower curtains out there just dying to be used in one way or another.

      Reply
  13. Emily says

    February 8, 2014 at 7:46 pm

    Hi! I am commenting from #SITSSharefest. I had to click your link when I saw it was a repurposed showed curtain. Shower curtains have some of the most adorable fabric! I love how you upholstered a chair with it. So cute and such a good idea! Have a great weekend!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 8, 2014 at 10:03 pm

      Thanks Emily! You are so right – I see really awesome shower curtains all the time and just knew there had to be more than one way to use them.

      Reply
  14. Jenn says

    February 9, 2014 at 6:13 am

    LOVE IT! What a great idea to use the shower curtain, I am going to have to remember that. I am a sucker for a good DIY or Upcycle project. Your photos are lovely too. Visiting from SITS.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 9, 2014 at 7:44 am

      Thanks! I love a good upcycle myself!

      Reply
  15. Denose Gabbard says

    February 9, 2014 at 9:09 pm

    Beautiful job! The colors are perfect and it looks great with the table; great thinking outside the box for the shower curtain.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 10, 2014 at 5:03 pm

      Thanks! I am so happy with how they turned out!

      Reply
  16. Jessica says

    February 10, 2014 at 9:37 am

    This is awesome! I’ve actually thought of doing the same thing before. Glad to know it’s been tested and works fabulously!! I love the colors.
    #sitssharefest

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 10, 2014 at 5:04 pm

      Thanks Jessica! It definitely works!

      Reply
  17. Debra says

    February 10, 2014 at 12:02 pm

    They are awesome!!!! I just picked up two brand new shower curtains from goodwill and I was planning to use them for curtains because I loved the pattern, but know you have given me thought to use for some chairs that I have also. I paid 4.00 for the shower curtains and if you had to buy two panels it cost a fortune. Thank you for sharing. Your chairs are really nice.
    Best wishes
    Debbie

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 10, 2014 at 5:06 pm

      Debbie, What an awesome find! You got a real steal!

      Reply
  18. Alexis @ Persia Lou says

    February 13, 2014 at 1:41 am

    Ooh! What a great series! I’m looking forward to following along. Your chairs look just perfect. Thanks so much for linking up at The Makers. :)

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 13, 2014 at 9:49 am

      Thanks Alexis!

      Reply
  19. Cate says

    February 13, 2014 at 6:57 pm

    This is pure genius! I never would have thought this! =)

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 14, 2014 at 11:25 am

      Thanks Cate!

      Reply
  20. Erica says

    February 14, 2014 at 10:34 am

    I love the color you painted the chairs. The fabric is also really cute.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 14, 2014 at 11:44 am

      Thanks Erica!

      Reply
  21. Kay says

    February 14, 2014 at 11:42 am

    I am going this route next time. What a great use, your chairs look lovely.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 14, 2014 at 11:43 am

      Thanks Kay!

      Reply
  22. Megan @ C'mon Get Crafty says

    February 14, 2014 at 3:33 pm

    Those turned out beautiful, and I have already seen several other posts of yours I need to check out!
    #SITSblogging

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 14, 2014 at 4:52 pm

      Thanks Megan!

      Reply
  23. Maryann @ Domestically Speaking says

    February 15, 2014 at 2:36 am

    What a pretty shower curtain… paired great with that shade of blue. I’m featuring your chairs in next week’s PoPP Spotlight.

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 15, 2014 at 7:13 am

      That is great! Thanks so much Maryann.

      Reply
  24. Erica says

    February 16, 2014 at 10:38 am

    Those chairs came out absolutely gorgeous! But, you painted them my favorite color so I’m destined to fall in love!! #sitsblogging

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 16, 2014 at 7:48 pm

      Thanks Erica! When I was painting them, my husband commented that I paint everything some version of that same color. I can’t help it – it is a color that just makes me happy. :)

      Reply
  25. Jamie says

    February 17, 2014 at 12:34 am

    I love this transformation! You’re being featured on Give Me The Goods tomorrow and will be on my FB page ;)
    Hugs,
    Jamie @ somuchbetterwithage.com

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 17, 2014 at 7:52 pm

      Thanks Jamie! And thanks for Hosting Give Me the Goods!

      Reply
  26. Cassi says

    February 17, 2014 at 8:26 am

    Those chairs look gorgeous!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      February 17, 2014 at 7:51 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  27. Jan Elizabeth says

    October 28, 2014 at 2:19 am

    Oh my goodness, these came out wonderfully! I love shower curtain idea. :)

    Reply
  28. Alicia says

    January 18, 2016 at 11:48 am

    I just wanted to thank you for posting this, I fell in love with the fabric shower curtain you used, and decided to try T. J. Maxx to see if they still had it. They did! Thank you for opening my eyes to fabric store alternatives! It was a huge budget saver! I painted my table top dark grey to match, and I love love love it! Thanks again!!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 20, 2016 at 9:12 pm

      Alicia, I am so glad you were able to find it. I saw the same shower curtain there again a few months ago and almost bought it again but didn’t in the end because I didn’t really need more right now. I bet it is gorgeous with a dark grey tabletop!

      Reply
  29. Linda at Mixed Kreations says

    January 12, 2019 at 3:48 pm

    Great job Carrie! They turned out lovely! I love the color you chose, and the distressing! The shower curtain pattern and color goes perfectly with the chair color. Love them!

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      January 19, 2019 at 9:34 am

      Thank you so much Linda! I really love that color too!

      Reply
  30. Nadine says

    November 9, 2020 at 12:02 pm

    How did the shower curtain fabric hold up on the chairs? (I’m considering something similar for a travel trailer to recover seat cushions.)

    Reply
    • Carrie says

      November 9, 2020 at 2:36 pm

      It held up really well! We are still using the chairs now several years later and they still look good!

      Reply

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