DIY Rocking Chair Transformation

If you've ever been to our house, you've probably noticed that I love making things with my hands. When we first got married, and there was no "decorating" budget, we had to get creative and make beautiful things out of what we had. It challenged me to recreate and redesign existing things and to make new pieces out of things I could find! Now, I find deep satisfaction in making things beautiful as my creative outlet.

It's funny because we had some new friends coming over recently, and before they came Julip said, "They (the friends) are gonna say things like, 'Did you really make that?', right momma?" She is a pretty observant little girl and picked up on a common question people ask when coming into our home.

These rocking chairs were thrown out for trash on the side of the road. When I first found them, they needed a little work with a hammer and a complete makeover. Dustin was not so interested in them when I unloaded them from our station wagon, but after a few hours of work they were like new! You cant beat free rocking chairs. Thankfully I already had all the materials on hand except for the paint! And the best part is that they actually rock really well! We've been enjoying them so much!

 This is when I first got them home. Pretty bad, huh? 

I first removed all the original seating. Then, after washing and sanding the wood, I painted them a pale blue!  

I found some particle board in a dumpster nearby and used a jigsaw to cut the seat. 

 Then I covered the seat with two layers of batting, some waterproof plastic, and a simple muslin fabric. 

Dustin was so surprised that the falling apart, mossy rocking chairs I brought home could look like this!  

I am, too! 

Next time you see something on the side of the road and it seems like it still has good structure, pick it up, put forth some effort and elbow grease, and you'll be pleased with the end results. I could do this kind of stuff all day long! 

much love, 

Caro