I have to confess that this is a bit of a cheat. I learned how to upcycle wooden chairs by watching my craft buddy Leonie do hers.
In my defense, I was with Leonie when she bought the chairs. In fact, I even bought them for her (Leonie’s like the Queen in that she doesn’t carry cash!).
Also, as I did see the transformation first hand I think that gets me off the hook a bit. I did help her with the painting.
Leonie doesn’t have a blog and really doesn’t do social media. She has nowhere to share her fabulous thrift store upcycle. Therefore, I’m really doing a friend a favor, by showing off her drab to fab upcycle.
I could have pretended that it was my upcycle. You wouldn’t have known any better, but Leonie reads my blog.
Fabulous Colourful Ikea Upcycled Chairs
It turns out that these wooden chairs we upcycled were in fact old IKEA chairs. So this is not just any old chair upcycle but an IKEA hack too.
The chairs were picked up for a bargain at a local jumble trail. Jumble trails are a British equivalent to garage sales. They tend to be organized in neighbour hoods so that everyone has their jumble sale at on the same day at the same time.
The idea is you walk around your neighborhood from one sale to the next. As well as being great for spotting bargains, it’s a great way to meet the neighbors.
These chairs must have been the bargain of the month, they were bought for only £10 for all six. For my US readers, that’s about $2 a chair BARGAIN!.
There wasn’t much wrong with the chairs. They were just some old IKEA dining chairs. Structurally they were sound but rather drab with lots of scratches and marks.

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What You Need To Upcycle Wooden Chairs
- White chalk furniture paint
- Chalk paint finishing wax
- Round chalk paintbrush
- Rowan Big Wool for cushion pads in black, blue, green and pink.
- Round seat pad inners
1.. First, the chairs were washed down with soapy water to get rid of any dust and grime.
2. The beauty of chalk paint is that you don’t need to do much prep before painting. Once dried the chairs were painted with the chalk paint.
As the chairs were being painted a lighter color 2 coats of paint were applied. After the paint had dried a finishing wax was rubbed onto the chalk paint to seal it and protect the chairs.

3. The cushion pads were the real show-stoppers of this upcycle. They are actually very simple to make, they are just basically one giant round granny square. Even if you are a beginner crocheter, I’d give this project ago as it is a very simple pattern to follow with no complicated stitches.
Rowan big wool was used in a combination of colors; black, blue, grey, green, and pink. If you look closely every cushion is different in the way the colors are combined.
If you can crochet, then these cushion covers will not take long to make. Most good crocheters can make them without a pattern but if you are a beginner you should be able to find a pattern on Ravelery.com.
There is a free pattern on Ravelry for this round cushion using Rowan big wool. You will need to join Ravelry to access the free pattern but it is free to join.
The colorful seat pads really pop against the white chairs and I love how everyone is different. They also add a bit of comfort to the upcycled wooden chairs



Roll on a few weeks after our chair purchase, I visited Leonie’s house for a party. When I walked into the dining room, the first thing I noticed (besides the delicious food on the table), was her fabulous upcycled chairs.
Those rather drab Ikea chairs had been transformed into fresh bright chairs with funky seat pads.
The crochet seat pads were what really transformed the upcycled chairs and gave them personality. Especially as every cushion was slightly different. Not only that but after sitting on them for the evening I can confirm that they were very comfy too.

This tutorial on how to upcycle wooden chairs featured under the letter C in the A to Z of upcycled crafts.
I have another wooden chair upcycle on Pillarboxblue with my personalized map chairs. There is also a tutorial on how to upcycle an IKEA office chair in denim.
For more fabulous DIY furniture ideas visit the DIYideacenter.
Ola
Hi! Visiting From My Repurposed Life. I love how crisp and fresh this look is! So refreshing.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you? They certainly do look much brighter than before.
Amber
I love the colour and the cushions what a bargain !!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, the colours are great.
Debrashoppeno5
You took the chairs from bland to beautiful. And they do look comfy.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you!
Katy SkipTheBag
What a beautiful upcycle! I love the colors of those pads. Thanks for sharing on Waste Less Wednesday Blog Hop!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you.
Sandra
$2 a chair, what a steal! I would have bought them and scooted out of the store quickly in case the price was a mistake. Great job and I’m happy you were with Leonie that day.Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, have a great weekend.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you so much and thanks for hosting.
Wendy
The crocheted cushions rock! I loved this post, because I’ve considered posting projects I’ve helped a friend craft. Crafting is like a disease, isn’t it? lol
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, more like a drug very addictive.
Keri
Claire, the makeover these chairs received is great! Love those crocheted cushions!!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you so much, the cushions are a hit.
Sue Purdy
These are fabulous. I love the bo-ho crochet chair cushions too. They are so sweet. Thank you for sharing.
Claire Armstrong
Cheers and thank you!
Carol ("Mimi")
Very pretty! The colorful crocheted cushions really stand out against the fresh, white chalk paint on the upcycled chairs. These chairs look good as new, now — and for just $2.00 each!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, I know what a bargain!
creativejewishmom/sara
lovely claire, love the colors of the cushions! thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, I thought you would like the colours as your site is so colourful.
Brenda Young
Adorable makeover, I love addition of the crochet seat cushions they really make it for me giving them a great vintage vibe! Thanks for sharing them at Fridays Furniture Fix!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you !
Julie
I love your long explanation of why you were forced to write this post even thought the upcycle was not technically yours. I buy it totally, in fact I think it would have been rude not to share this rags to riches chair story.
They turned out fabulously. We have wooden ikea chairs, a slightly different style and they don’t really go in our new house (I say new house, it’s been nearly 2 years now!) they would look great in white like this…… A job for the summer methinks, thanks .
Claire Armstrong
Thank you Julie, yes I just had to share them. It is amazing how a lick of paint can transform things.
Cecilia
Wow you got a great deal on those chairs, Claire. Love the bright cushions against the fresh white! Thanks for sharing @Vintage Charm!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you so much and thanks for hosting.
Chelsea @ The Johnsons Plus Dog
What a great friend you are 🙂 I love the way these turned out. Chalk paint to the rescue!
Claire Armstrong
Thanks, chalk paint is amazing stuff. I can’t believe we used to use horrible gloss paint on furniture years ago.
michelle
Those are the cutest cushions ever!!
Claire Armstrong
Yes I think you’re right they are, thank you
debbie
The chairs are stunning. What a little white can do, amazing. Such a good idea to hijack your friends project and feature it on your blog, it deserves to be seen.
thanks for joining TADA! Thursdays
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, yes she didn’t have anywhere to share it and I thought it deserved an audience.
The Patchwork Fairy
Love those chairs and the crochet pads in the jewel colours. Very inspiring.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you so much!
Toni | Small Home Soul
That is a great bargain on those chairs and they look better in white. And those cushions are too adorable, love the colors.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, Toni.
Chelc | Inside the Fox Den
How fun and colorful! Great job!
Claire Armstrong
Thank you!
Denise Bryant
You are a GREAT friend and Leonie did an awesome job on these chairs. Love them.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you and she’s a good friend too.
Jeannee~Shepherds and Chardonnay
They definitely look more fabulous in white! Beautiful chairs! Love the colorful cushions!
Jeannee
Claire Armstrong
Cheers and thank you!
Kim~madeinaday
These cushions are too cute! Love how they pop against the white of the chairs!
Kim
Claire Armstrong
Thank you KIm.
Dru
Wow! $2 a chair. How lucky are you? Isn’t it amazing what paint can do? They look totally different. Love them.
Claire Armstrong
Yes an amazing bargain.
Maureen
Those cushions are fabulous! They really pop on the newly refreshed dining chairs.
Claire Armstrong
Wthank you. I think it’s the colours she chose.
janet trieschman
those cushions!!!
Claire Armstrong
I know !!! THanks
Amanda @ The Kolb Corner
What a steal at $2 a chair! And those cushions are so bright and fun!
Claire Armstrong
Thank ou so much Amanda, and thanks for organising.
Ashley ~ 3 Little Greenwoods
Those colorful pillows make me happy-happy! I’ll definitely be on the lookout for chairs to upcycle soon.
Thanks so much for the DIY inspiration!
{BIG hugs}
~ Ashley
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, I think the cushions make the chairs.
sherry
Those chairs look amazing and what a great price you paid. I love the cushions too.
Claire Armstrong
Cheers and thank you!
Kim
I can’t even get over how adorable the pads are and how they pop on that fresh white! She (and you too!) did an dorable job!!!
Claire Armstrong
Thanks, I would like to take the credit but she did all the work. I just helped her buy them.
Erlene
Those chairs were a bargain! Your friend did a fabulous job repainting and adding the fun crochet cushions. The chairs look so fun and cheery.
Claire Armstrong
Thanks, I do like their cheeriness.
Lora
What a steal on the chairs, can’t beat that! I love the cushions!
Claire Armstrong
Thanks, they were an incredible bargain.
Mary
I’m always amazed at what a little paint can do. So many people cannot see past what’s in front of them to see potential. These chairs look great.
Claire Armstrong
Thanks, it never ceases to amaze me how a lick of paint can transform something.
Victoria @DazzleWhileFrazzled
Great transformation Claire! Love the term “jumble sale”. That’s new to me here in the US but it sounds better than “yard sale”! Visiting from Thrift Store Challenge.
Claire Armstrong
Thank you, I like the word Jumble sale too. When it’s outside people’s houses it’s called a jumble trail as normally quite a few houses in the neighbourhood participate at the same time so you just wander from one to the other. Otherwise, Jumble sales are community events held in places like Church halls and schools. We also have car boot sales.
MEDINA GRILLO
Oh wow love those crochet cushions! Sp pleasing to the eye 🙂 Great job claire!
Claire Armstrong
Thanks, I love those cushions too. The colour combination is great.