How to save a broken chair: Chair to stool makeover

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Do you have a chair with a broken back? Save it!

I have received information and materials from ©Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2017.The opinions stated are my own. This is a sponsored post. #ForWhatMattersMost #CollectiveBias

You guys know I will save just about anything! A while back I scooped up an outdoor furniture set at a garage sale, I had been looking for a new bench and this one was perfect. It came with two chairs that I thought were pretty cute too. I made the bench over for our patio and the chairs got shoved into a storage shed until I could think of something to do with them. Then, someone broke one. 🙁 I’m not sure if it was my husband or kids, but none the less, it was in disrepair. Most people would have tossed it, but I was determined to make it useful!

This idea is going to change the way you look at broken chairs on the side of the road or in your very own house. The concept is easily adaptable to just about any chair and you will have extra seating available in no time! The steps are easy enough, but the one thing worth noting is the older I get, the harder some of these DIY’s are on my body! While I am super open with you guys here at the blog I haven’t told you about my back yet! When I was a young tween I was diagnosed with scoliosis at a school check up.

After heading to the Dr. we found out my curvature of the spine was pretty severe. As a result I wore a back brace for two years (during 5th and 6th grade…not the best school years in life) then I had Herrington Rods placed in my back. These two steel rods straightened my back a ton, but I am still pretty crooked. I would say my normal is probably not a regular normal if that makes sense!? Do you guys have any experiences like this? It’s always interesting to me to hear how many people have similar ailments that you never talk about! I always say I’m partially made of steel, because I am!!! And NO I don’t go off in the metal detector at the airport.

As most things go crooked paths are often a blessing and I certainly feel that way about my back all these years later. Bending over, sawing, painting and sanding can be hard on me but I manage the sore muscles I get from overexertion with TYLENOL® 8 HR Muscle Aches & Pain. In the evening, when the soreness creeps in from a full day of DIY projects TYLENOL® is my go to relief, if I creak out of bed in the morning, still aching, TYLENOL® helps my sore muscles and allows me to take back my day, instead of the day taking my back. It’s worth adding to your supply list. 😉 I always grab some at Target when I’m strolling the aisles for decorating inspiration. Next to a garage sale Target might just be my favorite spot!

The weather has turned so gorgeous lately, it’s just the thing that makes me want to get outside and get some projects done. I don’t like working outside in the cold, or extreme heat, so projects tend to stockpile for good weather days, then I pay for it with a sore body from exerting to much elbow grease!

I couldn’t have asked for a prettier day to tackle this chair. You can see, I easily sawed the back of this chair completely off, leaving two “stubs”, even in length, where the chair back meets the seat. I used a hand held jigsaw, you might want to use a chop saw if that works for you. It is helpful to have a second set of hands to hold the back as you cut it down. Always use extreme caution when sawing!

You will want to sand the stubs so the style looks seamless to the chair. I left mine taller to look intentional.

For this stool conversion I painted the wood with black chalky paint and waxed it for a professional finish.

This new stool will look especially cute with an overstuffed cushion, tied down through the holes part of the chair back left when removed (project for a later date!). You will have to play around with your chair to see what works best for you. I love to have unobtrusive seating and when you remove the back to a chair you end up with a sleek version of the original that can easily tuck away when not needed.

Hopefully this little trick will help save some furniture should you happen to break a favorite chair! Let me know if you have any chairs that could use this kind of makeover, or if you have any other crooked blessings! Don’t forget to share this idea so you can save some poor little broken chair out there!

“I am not a medical expert, and this post is not medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. ©Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2017. The third party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.”

 

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