Refinishing Rocking Chairs

Sugargirl1019 · May 2017

I got my mom's glider and it's not very comfy.. I'd definitely like to add new foam padding and new material to match decor better. Anyone else DIYing a chair? I'm not very artsy crafty, so share your tips and your projects and what you're doing!

I can't believe we're to the point where we get to think about this!

wyomama0427 · May 2017

We have a glider with hideous green cushions, for a while now I've been saying I'm gonna rip them off, get gray ones and paint the rocker white. But we'll see if that ever happens lol

jillibean0871 · June 2017

Ugh I decided to paint my son's dresser abc crib for DD and let me tell you the announce this project has brought on! If you've never refinished furniture don't start now! Throw a blanket over it and save yourself the aggravation! I'm going on two months of work and not done yet!

JustBored10 · June 2017

We have my Grandmothers old wooden rocking chair that my Mom took and got refinished and added cushions to it. I don't think myself or my husband would of been capable of doing it our selves. We are also not very crafty

Breath_Easy92 · June 2017

Haha I have the opposite issue we got my grandmas lazy boy when she died... it's super nice and comfortable but it is a geriatric one that has a remote and will stand you all the way up. I'm trying to figure out how to make it not look like a little baby nursing home.

lap018 · June 2017

Chanting * chalk paint, chalk paint, cHALK PAINT!!!!* especially if you are a beginner refinisher save yourself a huge headache and a lot of time by using chalk paint (yes you can seal it with a polycrylic instead of the wax if that's what you'd prefer)

lilpoots · June 2017

I never finished my rocker rehab project the first time around. Maybe this time? But probably not.

wannabeamongoose · June 2017

With my first I really wanted grey furniture but we were on a super tight budget so I couldn't buy new. I couldn't find anything used that was a color I liked, so I finally settled for something off Craigslist that looked terrible - it was the wrong color and badly scratched up. Then I refinished it all myself. We already had a good sander and but we bought a cheap paint sprayer. Boy did those tools make things a lot easier. It still took a long time and a lot of work, but we spent a grand total of just over $200 on a dresser, changing table, crib, night stand, and drawer for under the crib, so it was totally worth it. I'm willing to bet that if/when I go to resell it I can probably recoup that $200.

[Deleted User] · June 2017

@Sugargirl1019 if you are not refinishing the wood - just the fabric- that makes it a tonne easier. I have never tried the chalk paint but maybe that would be a good wood refinishing solutiin bc if you have to start stripping and sanding its a huge pain and mess. That said, DH has a sprayer that makes everything come out amazing so it can be done!

Is there a good fabric shoppe near you? There must be. If you pick out a pretty upholstery fabric you prefer - try to get an idea based on what's there how much you would need. For examole if it's just a back cushion plus seat cushion thats pretty straightforward. Just measure everything out and add extra for wiggle room. If the cushion part of the seat is built in that can be tricker but still doable. Or if theres padded arm rests etc. Could be tricker than just sewing two new seat cusions with fresh foam, they'd sell there too.

Point being decide based on the construction if it's something you can handle yourself or prefer to have done. I found a $20 or $40 big cooshy Salvation Army armchair and had it reupholstered once. While it wasnt exactly cheap to have done, it looks absolutely amazing now and so totally worth it. An upholstery repair shop like that will also have fabric swatches to choose from if you go that route so you dont reallly need to buy the fabeic and bring it in unless you fall in love with something you see there. Just make sure it's a decent enough weight for upholstering.

My MiL does all kinds of reupholstering projects herself all the time though, so it just depends how confident you are if it's a first-time project.... Before pics?

Sugargirl1019 · June 2017

@BusinessWife hey girl heyyyy! I've never reupholstered anything.. nor am I crafty.

The 27 year old chair:

My other concern is the size of it. It's pretty small.. shortbacked. DH sat in it and the back only comes up to his shoulder blades, and it's a squishy fit on the hips.

I almost had a picture with Raider sitting in the chair, Raider takes up the whole seat. And he's 16 pounds.

Now I'm worried that I should just get on FB Marketplace and get a preloved chair for the price it would cost to redo this chair. Because the size.. DH is not happy. And I want him to be comfortable sitting with LO in it.

mrs14678 · June 2017

Sorry, I usually just lurk.... busy chasing my 18 mo old so I don't have a lot of time to post...
I refinished the rocking chair my mom got when she had me.... I used the gel stain - it's so easy. You sand stuff down a little, wipe on the gel and wipe off the excess. Repeat until it's the color you like. I will say this though: reupholstering the cushions was the expensive part. Even with 50% off coupons for the fabric, it would have been cheaper to just buy a new chair. But sentimental value was high for me...... so, I took apart the old cushions carefully and used the fabric to make a pattern for the new ones. Pro tip: for the seat cushion, put it in a trash bag and use it like a vacuum seal bag with your vacuum cleaner and a rubber band. Then you can stuff the big block of foam into the fabric cover... then just rip the plastic bag out! Perfectly tight fit.

Sorry I don't have any pictures of the process. Here's my December 15 baby in the chair though! I think this was his 6 month photo session....

Sugargirl1019 · June 2017

@ArielleRene That's a beautiful chair! No wonder you wanted to keep it. Thanks for the awesome tips!

MrsJessS · June 2017

I got a glider without any cushions but in GREAT shape for $3 at a yard sale so I am in the process of re-doing that at the moment. Opted to just paint it because it's solid wood but not "antique" and sanding just wasn't going to happen at this point in my life haha.

Pro-tip 1: 1 can of spray paint will not paint an entire rocker. Probably obvious, but I tried anyways. But I go past Michaels often enough I am probably just going to keep buying paint one can at a. time to use the coupons and keep cost low.

Pro-tip 2: Check out the clearance section at Jo-Anns! I got 4 yards of amazing, quality (grandmother used to do professional re-upholstery and approved it!) upholstery fabric for $3.50 a yard!

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