Sometimes, it’s just hard to let go of the old and unused things you own because of its sentimental value, especially when it comes to furniture. Even if you’ve already purchased new and improved dining set (or even just a newer, more comfortable set of dining chairs), you may find it difficult to get rid of those old chairs simply because it has been with you for a lot of parties, celebrations, dinner dates and awesome mealtimes with the kids – the memories are just there. If you can relate, you can give your old chairs new life around your home by using clever upcycling tricks.
1. Make a drink stand
If you got a vintage chair with a hole on the seat (where a cushion once has been), make a drink stand out of it. It will bring a rustic touch to your hotdog and barbeque parties with your closest friends, or for outdoor get-togethers during summer. Simply look for a nice, galvanized bucket with handles that can fit in the hole on the seat, and refinish the chair if it looks really dated already. Then, add ice and drinks to the bucket and there you have it!
2. Create a coat rack
Before you sadly throw out that once-beloved but beyond-repair chair, think of how you can make use of its pieces. A back of a chair can be used as a coat rack. Cut the back from its base, spray paint it with colors you want and add hooks at the bottom and/or along the flat back body – just be creative and go with the flow of the chair’s style! Then, mount your creation on the wall of your mudroom and wow your guests with a unique coat rack!
3. Make a dog feeder
Since you already upgraded your dining area, it’s time to upgrade your dog’s dining experience, too. If your dog is tall, elevate his eating and drinking bowls so they wouldn’t need to crouch to their bowls on the floor. You only need to sand down two chairs, then cut out a section in the center of the seat to drop in the stainless steel bowl. It must look like a little drop-in sink on a countertop, but instead, it’s a bowl on an old chair. Now you’ve got a specially-made, gorgeous place for your beloved dog to dine.
4. Craft a comfy outdoor bench
If you’re the handy and crafty DIY mom type, you will enjoy making this idea. Get your old, wooden chairs (probably two to three, depending on how long you want your bench to be) and turn them into one single bench with a custom-made cushion that ties them all together. Sand, prime and paint your chairs to your color of choice. While you wait for the paint to completely dry, make a cushion by getting paddings that can cover the width of your bench-to-be and sew them all together. Create a base for the bench using a piece of wood with the same length and width of the chairs put together, and look for a fabric with a design you love – this will serve as cover for your bench’s cushion. On a clean surface, place the fabric (right side down), the pad on top of it and then the wood base on the topmost. Pull excess fabric on top of the wood and use a staple gun to secure the fabric and padding in place. That will be the underside of your cushion base. And finally, secure the base on the chairs you’ve painted by screwing it at the bottom.
5. Make a towel or scarf holder
Old chairs that have simple, parallel lines for the back works great as a holder for towels and scarves. Simply remove that chair back, paint or refinish it if you want, then nail it on your bedroom, closet or bathroom wall to serve as your new hanger. You may also add hooks on the available space to store belts. It’s a simple yet adorable organizer for your hanging needs.
6. Create a rustic garden shelf
A chair with broken legs still has so much potential. Though it means it lacks support to stand on its own, the seating can still support things you can place above it. Display your porch plants or a pot on a broken chair mounted on the wall. Let the old seat be the shelf and the back of the chair be a gorgeous accessory.
7. Transform an old chair as shoe storage
If you need additional storage for all that shoes, especially for the shoes you usually use, repurpose an old chair for a ready storage where your shoes can be easily picked up. Get a chair with an empty seat (just the whole frame), or remove the seat from your chair and leave just the frame. Buy a wire basket with the same size and shape as the middle of the chair and tie it to the bottom of the chair with a twine. Put it by the door of your bedroom or in the mudroom. Place your frequently used shoes in there, and you can hang them from the back and sides, too.