Cassie Bustamante

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French Gray Drop Cloth Seat Chairs

July 25, 2012 by Cassie 44 Comments

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How is that title for SEO optimization?  I don’t care about that, but I just couldn’t come up with a good title.  🙂

I found these chairs recently at the flea market for a sweet deal for all 4.  The catch of course was that they needed some work, like new seats, and some joint repairs.

Today, you can find me over at The DIY club sharing how I repaired the joints with just some Gorilla Glue!

To solve the seat problem, I used a method my father taught me.

First I removed the caning from the 3 chairs that still had it in tact.  Once that was complete, I painted the chairs.  They had already been stripped, so no priming or sanding needed.  I mixed a concoction of one part water, one part Benjamin Moore Aura in platinum gray, and brushed on just one coat.  That dried in no time; and then I distressed and used Cece Caldwell’s all natural furniture wax to seal.

After the chair frames were taken care of, I got to work on the seats.  I used a piece of posterboard and set it on my work bench.  I set the chair upside down on top of that.  I traced an outline of the inside of the seat within the frame of the chair.  I used that outline but went out about another 1.5″ and drew the pattern a little larger.  Once I had it drawn on the posterboard I cut it out, and placed it on the chair seat to see if I had created the proper size and shape.  I lucked out this time and got it on the first try- sometimes it takes some tweaking!

Next I used 1/2″ thick plywood and traced my seat pattern onto my pieces of wood 4 times.  I used a jigsaw to cut out the seat.  After the first one was cut, I retested before cutting the other 3 to make sure it would in fact fit.  Yay!  Success!  Then I patted myself on the back and thought “Dad would be so proud if he could see me now!”  After my moment of celebration, I cut out the remaining 3 seats and brought them inside to my craft closet.  Once there, I cut a couple of layers of batting per seat as well as a piece of fabric (I used a drop cloth) slightly larger than the seat.  I used my staple gun to attach the fabric to the wooden seat and cover the batting in the process.

Once that was done, I took the seats back out to the garage to attach to the chairs.  I used three 2″screws per seat (3 because I could not get into the back area as a dowel blocked me).  I used the existing holes from the caning to sip the screws in and attached each seat with a screw in the front, and one on each side.

This process may seem a little confusing, so always always feel free to email me if you try it and you have any questions along the way!

Here are the chairs with their new color and new seats!  They are now ready for every day use and are available as of today at Ginger and Spice Marketplace (Formerly Wild Rose) in Walkersville, MD!

I guess I have been on a bit of a chair kick, huh?  Another chair coming tomorrow!  And I even got one the other day to attempt reupholstery on.  No guarantees that project will happen any time soon, but I am ready mentally to tackle it!
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Comments

  1. { The Painted Home } says

    July 25, 2012 at 10:09 am

    beautiful, the colors are perfect!
    d e n i s e

    Reply
  2. Jaime Costiglio says

    July 25, 2012 at 10:53 am

    Cassie I love that washed out grey look. Perfectly muted.

    Reply
  3. uniquelyyoursormine says

    July 25, 2012 at 10:57 am

    Very pretty! I usually leave the cane just in case someone wants to restore it… Or maybe because I’m lazy 😉 – Susan

    Reply
  4. Storywood Designs says

    July 25, 2012 at 10:58 am

    Love them! Chairs are my nemesis, so I’m always interested to see what others are doing with them. Love how you replaced the caning with the upholstered seat.

    Reply
  5. Kirby Dunton Carespodi says

    July 25, 2012 at 11:17 am

    Simple chairs are good–I am trying to reupholster one now that I have sunk about 15 hours into. (Also decided to take a 2nd booth instead of dealing with the uncertainties of outdoor shows. I checked a couple out this weekend, and they didn’t look too promising. If I lived in the DC area–we could have our own place!)

    Reply
  6. Megan says

    July 25, 2012 at 11:57 am

    They turned out fabulous! I’m going to have to remember that next time I find a chair with a broken seat!

    Reply
  7. Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co. says

    July 25, 2012 at 12:02 pm

    Oh wow, those chairs are sooo pretty! Love that soft color! … You have been a busy girl!

    Reply
  8. René says

    July 25, 2012 at 12:17 pm

    Ha! Drop cloth strikes again! Love the color Cassie!

    Reply
  9. Andrea says

    July 25, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    Wow girl! Impressive. I love the color and the drop cloth fabric works great with it.

    Reply
  10. Between Blue and Yellow says

    July 25, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    Those chairs are beautiful, I’m sure they will sell in no time flat!
    Really like that grey with the drop cloth.

    Reply
  11. pam {simple details} says

    July 25, 2012 at 12:58 pm

    Great tip, Cassie! I would have disregarded them because of the seats! Love those neutrals! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Erin @ His and Hers says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:06 pm

    Oh hey, I just googled french drop cloth chairs and I found your blog! 😉 seriously-they look really pretty! Feel free to stay on this chair kick so I can live vicariously though you. 🙂

    Reply
  13. Shannon at Fox Hollow Cottage says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:20 pm

    That soft, weathered grey is so pretty. My second choice after aqua 🙂 hehe

    Nice job girl!

    Reply
  14. Maury Kilgo says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:38 pm

    These are so pretty! I love how simple they look but still very chic.

    Reply
  15. Dana Frieling says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:46 pm

    Ahh…new life! Great job, Cassie.

    Reply
  16. SheilaG @ Plum Doodles says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Great job on the chairs! I love your trick for replacing the caning!

    Reply
  17. Karah @ thespacebetweenblog says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:50 pm

    I have been thinking of using drop cloth for upholstery, lately … I love how your chairs came out!!

    Reply
  18. Korrie Bastian says

    July 25, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    Very pretty! Love the gray.

    Reply
  19. Gwen says

    July 25, 2012 at 2:02 pm

    I’m running over to see how you fix those joints…

    Now, I would have agonized on how to re-cane those stupid chairs…duh. Just uhpolster them. They look smashing, dahlink!

    Reply
  20. Dear Emmeline says

    July 25, 2012 at 2:06 pm

    Love them! Why must you tempt me!!! They would be perfect for my kitchen! I need to find some chairs like that to redo (I bought an old quilt top a while back to redo the cushions on our chairs but I want more of the shape of these chairs and not what I have). I was given a chair with a ripped caned seat very similar to this set. Now I’m on the lookout for more. Did you dye the drop cloth (it looks grayish like the paint in the pic)? I’ve only seen the beige-ish ones at the store.

    Reply
  21. daiseyjayne says

    July 25, 2012 at 3:01 pm

    The color is really perfect, very sophisticated.

    Reply
  22. [email protected] says

    July 25, 2012 at 3:31 pm

    love the chairs! I hate painting chairs! Just finished two myself. No easy way to do them!

    Reply
  23. [email protected] says

    July 25, 2012 at 3:52 pm

    Love them! They look wonderful!

    Reply
  24. Anne Lyken-Garner says

    July 25, 2012 at 4:23 pm

    They’re beautiful. I love the shade and the distressed look. You did a great job.

    Reply
  25. Good Time Charlie says

    July 25, 2012 at 4:26 pm

    Oh my goodness these are beautiful!!! Thank you for all the detailed directions. I have two chairs that are really old and really beautiful, but the cane seats have to go. I thought about doing something similar. Now I know just how to do it! I am sure these will go fast. -K

    Reply
  26. Carmel @ Our Fifth House says

    July 25, 2012 at 4:32 pm

    OH MY GOSH – those chairs are GORGEOUS! I love them!

    Reply
  27. Julia @ 551Eastdesign says

    July 25, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    That is the PERFECT gray! Soft and muted and rich. And you can do the reupholstery I have no doubt about it! 🙂

    Reply
  28. Heidi @ Decor & More says

    July 25, 2012 at 7:41 pm

    Great idea to use drop cloths for the seats!! I may have to steal that for my kitchen chairs!
    xo Heidi

    Reply
  29. DecorandtheDog says

    July 25, 2012 at 10:24 pm

    Ooo, I like these a lot.

    I’m really bad about the SEO thing. I should try but it’s less fun.

    Reply
  30. [email protected] Repurposed Life says

    July 25, 2012 at 11:06 pm

    LOVE the chairs Cassie! I’m such a fan of drop cloth! (and chairs!)
    nrn (no reply necessary)

    gail

    Reply
  31. Restyled Vintage says

    July 25, 2012 at 11:56 pm

    they are gorgeous Cassie, I love the colour you chose. They look so much better upholstered than with the cane, great idea to change it. Yay for Dad’s who teach us cool stuff, aye!

    xx Karen

    Reply
  32. Laurie Langston says

    July 26, 2012 at 12:38 am

    They are gorgeous, as always.

    Reply
  33. Allison says

    July 26, 2012 at 1:26 am

    Oh I absolutely love these chairs! So wished you lived closer. They are gorgeous in the gray….very elegant.

    Reply
  34. Ali Richardson says

    July 26, 2012 at 5:36 am

    LOVE those spindles! Perfect color!!! LOVE UUUUUUUUUUUU!!!

    Reply
  35. Decor & Harmony says

    July 26, 2012 at 11:47 am

    4 bucks! Really, as usual Cassie you’ve done a great transformation it’s a great shade of gray 🙂

    Reply
  36. Kathy says

    July 26, 2012 at 5:40 pm

    I just love everything about these chairs…the color is perfect & whats not to love about a drop cloth seat!! How clever & creative of you!! 🙂 Blessings….

    Reply
  37. Vintage Prairie Style says

    July 26, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    love those chairs! love the colour!!!

    Reply
  38. Bella says

    July 26, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    OMG you are killing me with all these chairs!! I love the washed out gray and the drop cloths for seating is a perfect match!

    Reply
  39. Glamorous Mommy says

    July 27, 2012 at 12:57 am

    Wow these look great!! Visiting from Shabby Nest!

    — Fotini {http://glamorousbride.blogspot.com}

    Reply
  40. Catherine says

    July 27, 2012 at 3:26 am

    For some reason I missed these – they are gorgeous! I need to check out drop sheets if this is what you can do with them! The grey is beautiful too!

    Reply
  41. Kelly says

    July 28, 2012 at 12:29 am

    They are so pretty! The posterboard trick is pretty brilliant.

    Reply
  42. Jennifer @ Town and Country Living says

    July 28, 2012 at 12:50 am

    Great makeover! Love the color.

    Reply
  43. Something Nice and Pretty says

    July 28, 2012 at 5:08 am

    Love the chairs and how you painted them, the drop cloths are such a neat idea!

    Reply
  44. Stacey says

    July 30, 2012 at 9:23 pm

    Such cute chairs! LOve the color!
    Stacey of Embracing Change

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Cassie!

I believe that you don't have to spend a lot of money to live a beautiful life and be your best self.  Here you will find budget friendly ideas to live happily, healthily, sustainably, and most importantly authentically.  We all get one chance at this life, and this ordinary girl plans to make hers extraordinary. How about you? Read more...
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Hi! I'm Cassie.

Mother, wife, shop owner, blogger, writer, incurable diy-er, furniture painter, coffee and wine drinker, friend. Seeking happiness and passing it on. Read More…

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