Dumpster Desk Chair

Well, Next to Dumpster Desk Chair is a more accurate title. I admit that I’m not brave enough to get IN a dumpster for a great find. Yet.

This little beauty was just hanging out next to one of the dumpsters by our condo. As much as we want to buy a house, I do love having shared dumpsters because people will throw out some amazing stuff that you can just snatch up for free.

 Beauty may have been an exaggeration.

This chair’s round shape reminded me of so many I’ve seen around the web. I knew I could make it a perfect addition to my office for a fraction of the cost. And a hell of a lot of scrubbing with disinfectant.

Similar version at IKEA for $149.00

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80121649

I liked the silver base but it was a bit rusty and I was definitely not a fan of the green vinyl. I’m not very skilled with needle and thread so I feared I would not be able to tackle reupholstering the chair. I am a kick ass spray painter though. After a little searching on the internet, I found the perfect solution. Vinyl spray paint!

http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-1911830-Vinyl-Spray-11-Ounce/dp/B000KKMVJS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1309395577&sr=8-1

Price and shipping combined made it a little pricier than I normally spend on spray paint. I looked for a can or two in a nearby store but no dice. I thought of using regular spray paint but I was afraid it would split and tear with repeated use. And, as a desk chair, it would get plenty of use. I bit the bullet and bought a can. In hindsight, I should have bought two or three. According to customer reviews, it had excellent coverage but I was going from a dark color to white. Lesson learned! Needless to say, I had to wait a few weeks to complete this project because shipping took FOR-EVER. But, the product itself did a good job. I had a few areas with some lumps but they brushed right off when the paint dried. That could have been caused by the humidity. I live in the South and humidity is the bane of my spray paint existence.

 I wanted to add a pop of color to the seat. I found this fabric at a local discount fabric store for about $7 a yard. I bought two yards because I loved the pattern; I knew I would use it elsewhere. However, I didn't use that much for this project.

http://www.fabric.com/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductID=ffa933c9-f0da-498b-b1a6-2a7c95ca1592

I didn’t develop a talent for sewing during the (long) process of spray painting so I still had a dilemma on my hands. How would I attach the fabric to the seat and make it durable?

Eureka!

I love this stuff! I’ve used it for all kinds of projects and it holds like the dickens. I used a stuffing stick (not sure the technical name) that was in a package of polyester stuffing to tuck the fabric into the corners and edges. I did this first without gluing to make sure I had enough fabric and that the pattern was straight.

Once I made sure the pattern was level and the fabric would cover the area, I pulled out one half of the fabric at a time and began applying glue to the edges and the cushion.

Then, using my trusty stuffing stick, I tucked the fabric once again and smoothed out any wrinkles as I went along. I let it dry for a good 24 hours, just to be safe. This adhesive is strong and, as much as I love this chair, I didn’t want to be permanently attached to it.

Tada! The after:

I love it and I’m happy to report that the chair has been used multiple times with no slipping, ripping, or any other kind of atrocities.

Budget breakdown:

·         Chair – Free from the side of the dumpster

·         Vinyl spray paint - $25 (with shipping)

·         Fabric - $7 (for one yard)

·         Stuffing stick – on hand

·         Adhesive – On hand

Grand total = $32!!

That’s $117 less than the cheap IKEA version. Can I get a holla?!

I've linked this project to these sites: