DIY Desk Chair

So keep in mind that I do not know how to use a sewing machine. I own a sewing machine and at one point could barely use it, and after this project I am determined to drag it out and get a tutorial because sewing a basic hem or straight line would have been WAY faster then what I did. But if you do not sew then be inspired by my no thread recover tutorial! :) I started out with this chair I bought off craigslist last year. I got a pair of them so I figured if I really screwed something up here that at least I had a back up chair. When I first bought them I actually liked the blue material, but up close the fabric was wearing and stained in a couple places. AND the room that my desk is in has a very natural palette and the blue just wasn't working.

And now it looks like this!! 

For a complete step by step tutorial click below to see the rest of the post. 

The first step is always dissemble the chair and remove all the hardware. One I separated the parts I tackled the seat of the chair first because that is the easy part. The fabric is from Dwell Studio. I like their mod patterns. I lined up the fabric over the seat the way I wanted it and then flipped it over.

The corners are the only semi difficult part. I fold the corners and then keep checking the top of the seat to make sure the fabric looks good from the other side. And just staple staple holding the fabric tight.  

 Easy part done. 

 Next I draped the fabric over the front of the chair lining it up how I wanted and used pins to hold it in place  - so that is the back of the chair below. Bad photo - sorry. 

 The front looks like this:

Now for the hard part - crating the back panel to iron on to the chair completing the cover.  I cut a rectangle of fabric for my back panel and ironed on the top hem - I just ironed wider then I would actually need.

 The chair is not a rectangle - that would be too easy, so in order to see how to hem the two vertical sides I held it over the front of the chair and folded in the sides using the chair as my guide. Then ironed the two side  hems of my back panel. 

Before ironing the back panel onto the the front cover that was pinned on, I cut off as much fabric as possible leaving about an inch.  

 I ironed the top of the back panel onto the front cover removing the pins as I went. 

 When I was done I had left a lot of length at the bottom. I trimmed it down, tucked it under and ironed the bottom hems right onto the blue fabric. 

 Done!  

 Reassemble  

 And done! 

Like I said, if I had used a sewing machine this would have been a cinch. But it still looks sewn and the hems are just as secure...I really like how it turned out. For a two hour project this makes a big difference in how things tie together in the room. And lucky me I have extra fabric so I plan to make a small throw pillow too. Hopefully with a sewing machine. :)