My husband came home with bar stools one night that he got for a STEAL! I believe he paid $30 for all three. There was only one problem…they were kind of hideous!
I knew I had to do something to them. I’m fairly new to DIY projects so I wasn’t sure if I could figure out how to upholster a stool. However, after putting my creativity to use and reading up on the subject I was able to take the stools from drab to fab! Plus, the project cost me about $50 for ALL THREE!
If you’re wondering how to upholster a stool, here is the supply list and process I used!
First up, a supply run
What you’ll need:
- Fabric
- Paint
- Screwdriver
- Staple Gun
- Self-adhesive spray
- Something to measure with–ruler or measuring tape will work fine
- Foam
I started by choosing a fabric. JOANN Fabric was having a sale on upholstery, so the fabric I chose was 50% off! You can’t beat that. I picked a chocolate brown fabric that has an alligator skin pattern. I also picked up a small can of brown paint from Target. While I was at Target I grabbed a mattress pad, too.
How to Upholster a Stool
I traced the base of the stool on the mattress foam, to get a circle pattern. Then, I cut out 9 circles. I used three for each stool. I secured them to the top of the stool using the self-adhesive spray.
After that, I unscrewed the top of the stool from the base and traced around it on the back side of the fabric.
Then, I measured the height of the stool with the foam on top and added two inches. I used that to trace a bigger circle around the one on the fabric. It should look like a donut, a big circle with a smaller circle in the middle.
Now, cut around the big circle.
Place the stool head in the smaller circle, in the middle. You’ll want to make a small fold and staple it down. Continue making folds and stapling and make your way around the stool. After you’re done, trim the excess around the staples.
Finally, paint the base. I used two coats of the paint I bought, letting it dry in between.
At last, put the head back on the stool….and waaa-laaaa! Drab to fab! 
I still can’t believe I was able to figure out how to upholster a stool! Let me know if you try this out!
