Easy Burlap Pillow & Chair Makeover

This rocker belonged to my husband's grandmother.  It's rather small, but still fairly sturdy.  We tightened the screws at the joints as best we could.  I took an old scrap of fabric that I've had in my stash for two or three years.  I knew I would find a way to use it.  I had started covering the seat "pre-blogging" days in a blue fabric, but unfortunately do not have pictures of the fabric that was on the seat.  Believe me when I say this chair had seen better days, and was in horrible condition.  I think someone had covered the seat in an old curtain.  At least that's what it looked like to me.  The seat had broken down over the years, but still had some of the straw-like filling.  No foam in this seat!  In order to get the seat in better condition, I placed a small bed pillow over what was left of it, and duct taped it to the seat structure.  This built it up just enough, and made it much more comfortable.

You can tell here that the chair is not very big.

I decided to use the brown fabric because I had enough of it, and the colors match both my living room furniture, and the colors in the master bedroom.  At first I had planned to have it in the living room, but we decided we should probably put it in the bedroom so it would not be used too much.  It is somewhat fragile.

It did not have a cushion at the back, so I made this one from another small bed pillow.

To cover it, I simply wrapped the fabric around the seat, and stapled it to the seat.

I made the burlap pillow yesterday to add to the chair.  I printed out a picture of a fleur de lis on the computer, cut it out, then laid it at the center of the fabric, and traced around the edges, directly onto the burlap, with a permanent marker.

I laid a piece of paper underneath the burlap, so the marker would not bleed through to the table I was using.

Then I simply wrapped a pillow I already had with the burlap, and since I do not like to sew burlap, I used a small screw driver to poke through the layers of burlap to widen some of the threads then inserted twine, and "sewed" it together at the top and bottom.

I knotted the twine at each end, then knotted a section on each side with twine, and there you have a very rustic burlap pillow.  Very simple, quick, and easy project.

I like having it in the master, and am glad we could give it a free makeover.  Husband has absolutely forbidden me to "paint it white".  :)  That's fine with me.  

See the worn spots on the wood. I just love the patina it has.  

I'll be sharing this makeover at these parties.

Met Monday at Between Naps on the Porch

Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm

Thanks for hosting ladies!