Tools + Knowledge = Satisfaction

We just finished up our Chics With Tools Chair Rehab Workshop. By the end of the day, my four ladies had refurbished a total of ten chairs consisting of a whole dining set, bench, office chair, and two side chairs. Yes, it took longer than three hours. The big takeaway of the day was that with the right tools and just a few key bits of information, anyone can transform trash to treasure. In the process, the participants had the opportunity to learn how to:

• use a tack puller
• use a webbing stretcher
• weave webbing
• cut foam
• contour foam
• make welting (piping)
• sew a box cushion
• stretch fabric 
• use a pneumatic stapler

This workshop actually came about because my friend, Debbie (below left), needed to recover her dining chairs. So I designed a workshop around her schedule. The lesson here is that if you need help, reach out and we may be able to create a workshop around your project. Debbie brought six seats and worked like a fiend to finish them all! You go, Girl! Great Job!

Stephanie brought a bench. It didn’t need to be stripped so it was just a matter of covering it. She knocked it out so fast that she went home to get another project, a faux fur covered office chair. The results? So cute!

My last two ladies, Betty and Meredith, had the same chair that Meredith found on Craig’s List. Their rehab was much more involved than the others but the ladies were able to learn a ton of skills in the process. The seats needed new support webbing and new foam. In addition, because the upgrade included a new box cushion, we had to break out the sewing machine to make welting (piping) and sew it all together.  They worked really hard but the results were worth it. Well done, Ladies!