Jacqui's crafts: dining chair upcycling

As part of a new series, Jacqui Joseph shows us a quick and affordable way to turn an unloved dining chair from drab to fab by giving it a new lease of life.

You'll need...

• Dust sheet or an old bed sheet/table cloth (to protect your carpet or flooring)

• Dust mask

• Safety goggles

• Sand paper

• Cloth

• Screwdriver

• Staple puller (or flat head screw driver)

• Hammer

• Wadding

• Fabric

• Tape measure

• Pencil

• Primer

• Spray paint

• Staple gun

• Remove seat and turn it upside down, use your screwdriver to remove the screws that are holding the seat pad in place. Set the seat aside until later.

• Sand the chair to help the paint stick. Wipe away any excess with a damp cloth

• Spray the chair with the primer and leave to dry for about 20 minutes

• Once the primer is dry, it’s time to add a pop of colour! Using light strokes spray the entire surface. Don’t be tempted to overspray, you’ll just end up with drips! Apply 2 coats, leaving drying time between coats. If you don’t have spray paint then you can apply paint with a paintbrush instead.

• Whilst the chair frame is drying, it’s time to smarten up that seat. Remove the old wadding and fabric from the seat, using a staple remover or your flat head screwdriver.

• Lay the seat on your new fabric and mark round roughly about 10cms from edge (this allows for the fold over). Repeat for the wadding. The wadding adds comfort - you could use 1’ foam if you prefer.

• Staple the wadding to the seat, then staple the fabric on top, making sure you pull the fabric tightly when stapling to avoid any creases. I find it best to start on one end and then move to the opposite end.

• If you want to cover the underside of the seat, just add a piece of fabric and staple in place. Pop the seat back onto your now dry chair frame, screw the newly upholstered seat pad back in place…sit back and enjoy!