This
before-and-after proves you don't need to be an expert with a drill, sewing machine or paint to customize a piece of store-bought furniture. In a
tutorial,
Treasure & Travels bloggers take an ordinary barstool from
IKEA ($18) and give it new life using a plush, faux-sheepskin rug (
also from IKEA), scissors, a glue gun and gold spray paint. First, assemble the barstool's frame according to the package instructions. Then coat the structure in gold spray paint. "Wait about an hour to do a second coat, and then let it seal for a day," says Tegan Klenner, of T&T. Lay the plastic seat out on the wider square side of the upside-down rug and sketch a rough outline around the seat—making sure there's a 1-inch allowance all around. Use scissors to cut across the lines. Place the seat back onto the cutout and paste the inch or so of material onto each side of the seat. Next, you can place the stool's backrest onto the remainder of rug (holes facing you). Like you're folding an envelope, tightly fold each side in and glue the material down in the center, wrapping the backrest tightly within the rug. Cut two holes into the cover, so you can snap the backrest onto the chair's frame and attach the seat.
