She Found This Torn Bar Stool at a Yard Sale for $2 and Gave It a Completely Different Look
Torn black vinyl exposed the yellow foam underneath the seat of this old bar stool. Its wood legs had lost much of their finish, and damage hidden beneath the cushion created another problem once the seat came apart.
Found at a yard sale for just $2, the stool caught the attention of DeeDee from Our Clover House even though the seller questioned why anyone would want it. She kept the wood frame and removed the damaged parts hiding beneath the torn seat.
Instead of covering it with another dark cushion, she changed both the frame and seat. Yellow chalk paint and brown wax went onto the wood, while muslin, extra batting, and crocheted trim replaced the torn black vinyl.
The Torn Vinyl Came Off First
The black seat covering had split across the top, exposing foam through several large holes. Its stitching had deteriorated enough that DeeDee could pull the vinyl away without cutting it.
She lifted out the existing foam and saved it for the new seat.
Removing the cushion exposed the particleboard seat base and the staples holding the old upholstery in place. A flat-head screwdriver and pliers helped pull out the remaining staples.
That step also revealed a crack running through the particleboard.
The Seat Base Needed Repair Before New Fabric
The crack had separated part of the seat base, so DeeDee repaired it before starting the cosmetic changes. She applied Gorilla Wood Glue along the broken particleboard and pushed the pieces back together.
Furniture clamps held the repair in place while the glue set.
With the seat secured, attention moved to the bare wood frame. Rather than restore its original brown finish, DeeDee chose a pale yellow base with darker worn areas showing through.
Rebel Yellow Covered the Dark Wood Legs
She used Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint in Rebel Yellow across the legs and stretchers.
The light yellow covered the old brown wood but became the starting point for a distressed finish rather than a solid painted surface.
Brown wax went over the paint after it dried. DeeDee worked the wax into the surface with a lint-free cloth, adding brown back over parts of the yellow.
Sandpaper Brought the Dark Finish Back Through
DeeDee used 220-grit sandpaper on areas where wear might develop from use. Edges, legs, and footrest bars lost portions of the yellow paint, exposing darker patches underneath.
The sanding broke up the uniform painted surface and left the frame with yellow, brown, and exposed areas rather than one uninterrupted color.
She removed the sanding dust before sealing the frame.
A Flat Clear Coat Sealed the Painted Frame
Dixie Belle Clear Coat in Flat went over the distressed paint and wax treatment. DeeDee applied it with a foam brush to protect the finish before rebuilding the cushion.
The original foam returned to the seat, but she added another layer between it and the new upholstery.
Three Layers of Batting Added More Cushion
DeeDee chose neutral muslin for the new seat and added three pieces of polyester quilt batting to give the cushion more volume.
The batting was cut to the edge of the seat while the muslin extended farther, leaving enough fabric to wrap underneath the particleboard base.
She folded the muslin underneath and attached it to the bottom with a hand stapler. The staples secured the fabric around the circular seat without bringing visible fasteners onto the top.
Crocheted Trim Covered the Seat Edge
The finished cushion traded torn black vinyl for plain muslin. DeeDee then placed vintage crocheted trim around the lower edge of the seat, adding a decorative border between the cushion and painted legs.
The $2 stool kept its original frame, seat base, and foam, but little of its old appearance remained. Dark wood became distressed yellow, ripped vinyl became neutral fabric, and the exposed foam disappeared beneath a fuller upholstered seat.
Would you have rescued this $2 stool after seeing the torn seat, or left it at the yard sale?
Image credits goes to @ourcloverhouse.