Jon and I worked on a little DIY project this weekend and were quite pleased with the results. Heck, if we knew it would be so easy to recover these chairs, we would have done it sooner! We inherited this kitchen table and set of four chairs a few years ago and had intentions of sprucing it up with new fabric but never got around to it.
I recycled some fabric from the curtains in my bedroom from my single days. This was actually my first sewing project that I completed without any assistance from my mom. I used home dec fabric, a white lining and then put grommets in the top and used a green grosgrain ribbon for the tabs.
before
Well, I've kept the curtains for the past two years with intentions of somehow reusing it. I finally cut up the fabric on Saturday and lined it with cotton interfacing to make it sturdier (it's a woven multicolored green striped fabric that's not very rigid). Then Jon and I removed the old fabric covering the chairs and replaced it with this green fabric. All in all, it took us about one hour to recover four chairs. There are directions here if you're interested in trying it out.
after
And, in an effort to save paper towels (spurred on by Jodi's disappointment with our current method : ), I made a dish rag for our kitchen sink. Here are the details:
Yarn: Sugar N Cream Cotton Lime Green and Bright Blue
Needle: Size 7
Pattern: Mason Dixon Ballband Dish Cloth pattern
I'm definitely going to be making more of these. It was so simple and quick to knit up! We'll see if we can curb our paper towel habit with these things!
Awesome DIY project, and with great results! We had those exact same chairs with the exact same cream colored fabric, I kid you not. We eventually gave them back to my BIL, from whom we had borrowed them.
I love the pattern and the colors that you used for the dishrags. Every year for Christmas, my mother gives us some crocheted dish rags that my great-aunt makes. They are so nice to have, and they do make you feel good about using something so, well, reusable. :~)
Posted by: gardenymph | 24 March 2008 at 11:11 PM
I love the dish rag, but it still doesn't solve my aversion to that awful mildew smell problem like a paper towel does. (Don't tell Jodi I said so though :-)
Posted by: Michelle Zonca | 25 March 2008 at 12:27 AM
Geesh--you guys make me sound like a paper towel czar or something...well...okay...fair enough! nice work on the chairs. and love the dish rag...super cute, functional and reusable...xox jdt
Posted by: Jodi | 25 March 2008 at 09:30 AM
The chairs looks great. Like new! I have always like that dish cloth pattern. I like the colors you chose.
Posted by: Oiyi | 25 March 2008 at 11:07 AM
I am so impressed with the curtains and the chairs. They look so great. Nice work.
Posted by: Melissa | 25 March 2008 at 11:11 AM
Huge difference with the new chair covers! They look much more stylish now. And dish cloth is excellent. I like the blue and green- reminds me of my kid brother's t-shirts.
Posted by: Betty | 25 March 2008 at 11:39 AM
the chairs look great (and so did the curtains btw!) but i am seriously impressed with the dishtowel. awesome idea! MUST make myself one!
Posted by: amy | 25 March 2008 at 12:03 PM
Oh, I love this! I love the colors & design--so pretty! We've cut way down on paper towels, too. I've been picking up cloth napkins at thrift stores, etc. whenever I find some I like and have quite a stash. I use them for most everything now, even as plates for dry foods like toast or sandwiches. I'd like to make some, too, just for fun, but they are so cheap to buy! I'm sure I'll be making (quite) a few dish cloths while I'm practicing my knitting ;-)
Posted by: debra cooper | 25 March 2008 at 01:19 PM
Wow - So impressed! You did a great job with the chairs and the curtains! I love a fun project like that. Our chairs are just wood so I don't think I'll get around to re-covering them anytime soon. I love the dish cloth, I'm a huge fan of them. I make way to many. They do come in handy though! I want to learn to knit some, maybe a pattern that is a little less complicated since I'm still in the learning process.
Posted by: Cami | 25 March 2008 at 04:06 PM
That green fabric you redid the chair with is great. Really like the honeycomb pattern on the washcloth, too.
Posted by: Lisa | 25 March 2008 at 04:22 PM
Awesome job on the chairs!! And I'm now feeling very inspired by your dishcloth. Looks like the perfect project for a knitting newbie like myself. I'm putting it on my craft list now!!!! Cheers, Bec.
Posted by: bec | 25 March 2008 at 05:34 PM