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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Holy Cow Chair!



For a long time, I've had a cow chair on my wish list. After pricing a few coming in at at least $1,000,  I decided to take action and make my own, even though I had never reupholstered before. My friends and family know I'm crazy like that. I've covered seat cushions and made a couple of slipcovers but never reupholstered an entire chair. But that wasn't going to stop me. As usual I was so excited to start the project that I neglected to take a picture of the chair before I started taking it apart and I didn't take any pics of the cowhide, shucky darn. It would have made a great tutorial.


 This great chair came from Revival, a consignment shop in my area. At $80.00 it was actually more than I normally pay for a chair to redo but it had great bones,was hand tied, and I fell in love with the style. Looking past the burgandy vinyl I could see a diamond in the rough.

Once I took it apart, I found it was in good condition.  I did have to retie a few of the springs and I added a little more padding to the seat but that was all the prep work I had to do. I  looked on line at several videos on how to reupholster and got lots of good tips on how to proceed. I am a visual learner so that worked for me.

There was one little medical mishap with the project. I almost had all the old staples out when I slipped with the screwdriver and punctured my palm with it. It was a big gash and was bleeding bad. I am not good with the sight of blood and I thought I was going to pass out. I covered it with paper towels, and layed down on the floor and called my husband. Guess I dialed the wrong number and I got some man on the phone who was wondering what I was babbling about. I gave up and just layed there since I knew h would be home soon. I was alright and I didn't get stitches, but my injury did make the rest of the project a little more difficult.




I purchased a Stanley electric staple gun for the project and it was both a lifesaver and fun to use. With my old manual one the staples would never go completely in and I would have to hammer them down.  I did take pictures as I took the chair apart so I would know how to put it back together, and I used the old vinyl as a pattern to cut out the cow hide.
We purchased our hide at Nebraska Furniture Mart, they had a promotion going and the hides were on sale for $179.00. I had looked on line for one but I wanted to see it in person before buying. From my research you need to be sure to purchase a quality hide, it should be soft and pliable. Stiff hard hides are not good as they can eventually crack. The hide was easy to cut with regular sewing scissors and just a little of the hair around the edges fell off after cutting it. Each section of the chair is stapled except the back and that is attached with the nailhead trim. I  sewed all the cording on the sewing machine.


I hardly had any hide left after the project, just a few small pieces that I made into a pillow. I  would recommend that if you plan on doing this project that you carefully measure how much you need. Cowhides vary in size and you have to take into consideration that the pieces have to be symmetrical for a chair.



 I knew I wasn't going to have enough hide to do the back of the chair so I got some basket weave vinyl that looks like leather to do that part. I have to say vinyl has really improved over the years, I found this at JoAnn's, and it really does resemble leather. The back of the chair was the final step. It covers up the staples from the front piece and cording. To attach the back,center the fabric at the top and work your way around both sides folding the edges under and using the decorative nail heads to hold it in place then tuck the bottom part under the chair and staple.

This is where the cow chair normally sits, in the family room, but it is on the north and the room is kind of  dark so I was having trouble getting good pictures. I need to get a new camera.


I moved the chair to the living room for better picture taking light and I think he looks kind of cute there.

 I spent $80.00 on the chair, $179.00 for the hide and probably $25.00 for upholstery supplies plus the new stapler, so for a little over $300.00 and some hard work, I got my cow chair! 

Jodie

I am joining in on these parties

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Feature Friday
Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
Inspiration Friday At the Picket Fence
                                                      Fridays Unfolded at Stuff and Nonsense
                                                       The DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff
                                                Deborah Jean's Dandelion House Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop
Farmgirl Friday Blog Hop 






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Furniture Feature FridaysButton Up
The DIY Show Off


27 comments:

  1. That is very impressive! Great job! So glad your hand is ok. Funny phone call.
    Made me smile.

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  2. Wow, I love it! If you can do that, you can do anything.

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  3. cow a bunga! wow what a challenge & it looks amazing! great job girly!! xoxo's nancy

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  4. i'm a new follower on your blog, come visit me and maybe even become a friend of mine?!?! I am having a little giveaway!! xoxo's nancy

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  5. What a wunderfull chair - you has make a very good job - best regards from Germany
    Jacqueline

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  6. Wow! You really did a great job on the chair. Take a bow! I have happily just become a friend and follower!

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  7. oh now this is gorgeous...you did a great job in spite of the blood, sweat and tears...would love for you to link up @ http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/2011/03/fridays-unfolded-9.html totally a follow-worthy project!

    blessings,

    alison
    stuff and nonsense

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  8. Unbelievable! You have a lot of courage. Many people would not take on such a difficult, and to most bloggers, expensive project. Next time, use an exacto knife on the back of the hide and you won't cut through the hair. I like how you used the white spotted pieces. I think you need to take an upholstery course at night. You have unbelievable talent and could turn out one of these in a day like a professional. Next, a sofa? Ann

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  9. You did a really nice job. I would have done the back the same way. It compliments the chair.

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  10. Holy Cow is right! You did a fabulous job especially for never doing something like that before! And this would be crazy expensive at a furniture store so I think you really outdid yourself on every level. Thank you so much for linking up to Inspiration Friday this week! Hope to see lots more of you in the future~
    Vanessa

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  11. That is fabulous! Can't believe you did that and it was your first time on top of that. Looks great. I'm your newest follower and would be delighted to have you follow me back.
    Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
    Tammy

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  12. I am so totally impressed! Great job!

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  13. I'm impressed too! Good for you, and I hope your hand is healing!
    Kate @ welcomedtempest.blogspot.com

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  14. Thank you for all the nice comments on my cow chair. I was really nervous about the project and messing it up. It would stink to have to say, "By the way honey I messed up a 179.00 cow hide." I went slow and really took my time to get it right. It feels good when you take on a project and look back and say wow, I really did that?!

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  15. i'm so happy you decided to join us and link up to fridays unfolded! hope to see you next week too...:)

    blessings,

    alison
    stuff and nonsense

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  16. Oh wow, Jodie! You did a beautiful job! Are you sure it was your first time?! It looks amazing! So inspirational. I can do this, right? ;) Thanks so much for sharing in the DIY project parade!

    Roeshel

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  17. This chair is awesome!! Love it. I'll have to bookmark it. Just got a cowhide rug, so can't overdo it, but one day...

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  18. I am so impressed Jodie!
    I have never reupholstered a chair!
    This turned out so great, even the
    nailhead trim!
    Thanks for sharing.
    Alison

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  19. Jodie!!! Are you kidding me? I have cow chair envy! You did an amazing job! I'm inspired to do mine now.. Yep, I've had a cow chair dream floating around in my head for a victorian chair I've had for years now... It sits waiting for the perfect cow hide...and me to get started on it! Thank you for including the links for purchasing them. Please enter this post on my Farmgirl Friday blog Hop! It's great!
    ps. I love your furniture makeovers.. I call mine painted ladies!

    Deb

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  20. And as Cow Hide chairs go~ $300 is a great deal. Plus the satisfaction of know you did it...with BLOOD sweat and tears, even!

    Turned out great.
    visiting from Deborah Jeans FGF... Pat

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  21. Where there's a will, there's a way! And you did it! Of course! Clearly you've got spunk! Thanks for visiting me and following! Always great to meet other spunky ladies!!!

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  22. Amazing transformation!! You are a cool lady - that cow chair is mooooving. (sorry...couldn't resist).

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  23. Hello Jodie!
    I'm featuring your Holy cow chair on the Farmgirl Friday/Farm Friend blog hop tomorrow! I am still amazed by it! Thanks for entering...:)
    Deb

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  24. This has inspired me to make my own chairhide chair! I literally had to start from scratch with the chair I bought. I had to redo the webbing, re-tie springs, add new cushion..everything!! I spent right under $400 total, that is more than I really wanted to spend, but it more satisfying to say that I made that, rather than buying a new one. This is my first upholstery project, but it has been really fun. I checked out a ton of books from the library to help me along the way. I will start adding the cowhide today, so I will post a picture when I'm done! :) thanks for the inspiration!!

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