Recently my kitchen barstools got a makeover–with spray paint, Mod Podge, and fabric! It was a pretty simple project that makes a huge impact.
My husband and I got these barstools when we first got married. Through the years they have been used, battered and beaten up a bit through 2 moves and 3 children. 
I decided I wanted to get rid of the old oak and scratched white paint and give the barstools a classy facelift–with a couple of cans of black semi-gloss spray paint. This is the picture of the stools in my garage waiting to get their shiny new “do”.
Now, I am definitely not a pro spray painter. But I have a cute friend who is! Brooke (yep, same name as me!) has an awesome website called All Things Thrifty. She has fabulous tutorials, such as Painting Furniture 101 with great tips and advice on how to use spray paint to jazz up your furniture. It’s amazing what a difference it makes!
But I wasn’t quite finished with just the black barstools. I decided I wanted to add more design and flair by using fabric in one of my favorite prints–damask. So I decided to use my trusty Mod Podge to add my fabric to my barstools! I love how it turned out! And even better, no sewing machine necessary!
Supplies for Mod Podge Fabric Barstools:
- Mod Podge–I used glossy for this project (or you could use any decoupage medium or craft glue)
- foam craft brush
- fabric
I used a dinner plate to get the dimensions for my fabric because that’s how I roll. I liked how the plate didn’t cover the entire top of the barstool, and how it left a little bit of a border. I traced the plate onto some thin cardboard, cut it out, and then folded it in half into a semi-circle.
I pinned the semi-circle pattern on the fold of my fabric and cut out the fabric to create my circle.
Next I used my foam craft brush to smear a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of the barstool.
Then I placed my circle of fabric onto the Mod Podge layer, smoothing it out and making sure to get rid of any air bubbles. I let it dry for about 10 minutes and then I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge on top of the fabric. Don’t be scared when it looks like a layer of white craft glue! It will dry clear, I promise! Mod Podge is awesome, love that stuff.
Let it dry completely for a few hours, until it is no longer tacky to the touch. You don’t want cute little bums to get stuck when they sit on the stool!
I am really happy with how it turned out! I think I am going to add more layers of either clear acrylic sealant, more glossy Mod Podge layers, or perhaps some clear polyurethane for an even glossier and cleanable finish. It might even be fun to add different coordinating fabric to each stool for a bit of an eclectic look. But for now my “new” barstools look fabulous in my kitchen! I’d call this makeover a success!
Linked at these parties:
Lucky Linky Tuesday at Lucky Star Lane
Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Brooke! These are so cute-what a great idea! i think i shall make them for my basement with zebra fabric! I LOVE it!
Oh my goodness, Brooke! Awesome doesn’t even begin to cover it! This involves so many of my very favorite things……
Black & White
Damask
Mod Podge
I LOVE these and might need to marry them! Isn’t the transformation from that less than delightful honey oak, to that awesome black, amazing? Honey Oak haunts my dreams at night. ALL our wood is that color. And we don’t get along. I want to spray every inch of my whole house. (the wood parts)
Great job!
SO STINKIN CUTE BROOKE. You NEVER disappoint!
At first I thought you did a lace stencil!!! I love the fabric! My stools are pretty beat up – might have to tackle!
Kim @ http://frostmeblog.blogspot.com
party inspiration
WOW! I am absolutely in love with these! What an adorable idea – they would be perfect in my stamping room
One of you Mod Podge queens needs to do a post about the tricks and secrets to Mod Podging. I always get bubbles. And my projects area always tacky even after they are completely dry. What am I doing wrong?
What a gorgeous transformation!
These are amazing!!
These are absolutely amazing!!!
Brooke n Brooke! LOL I love the barstools! They look absolutely gorgeous painted black but that fabric seat..that puts it over the top gorgeous! Great job!!
-Karen
Oh my gosh, who doesn’t have those bar stools? You out did yourself on them! I love how you roll, using the plate as your template is so something I would do! They look awesome.
I. Love. These. Barstools!!!!!
You took something that I’ve seen a thousand times and made them really special and lovely!
Oh my gosh, love it, love it! What a difference it makes!
Great Job! i love the damask fabric. I have been looking for inspiration to update my stools just like this and I think this is a great idea other than just painting them.
These are great. I will have to keep this in mind when I get bar stools for my kitchen.
Such a cute idea! They turned out great and I love the damask!
Oh, everybody, THANK YOU SO MUCH for all of your sweet comments! They all have made me feel happy.
I’ve been wanting to do something with those old barstools for ages, so I’m glad I finally bit the bullet and took care of them. 
Feel free to email us your pictures if you do YOUR barstools, I’d love to see what you all come up with!!
I love it .. I just jazzed up a desk I got from IKEA .. and girl that mod podge is the BOMB .. love it ..
Such a great transformation. This could be done with 12 x 12 sheets of scapbooking paper or a wallpaper remnant too to coordinate a room. Visiting from Tatertots and Jello.
I am so going to do this to my stools!!
Love this and mine could use a makeover : )
Happy Monday!
LOVE these! Great idea! I am going to redo mine today! Thanks so much for the inspiration. Fabulous!!
Now that transformation is easy and its end-results are gorgeous! Great job. Stop by and become a “follower” and let’s share each others creativity more often!
Wow, what a great makeover. These are fantastic! Thanks so much for the inspiration, I’ll be linking.
This stool is the cutiest ever!
Thank you for sharing!
Have a good day!
Leticia
http://www.msbinglesvintagechristmas.com
very cute! I love ModPodge too! I first used it to make an artists canvas portrait of my baby in a tutu. Amazing how it dries so beautifully.
I’m trying this as I type…well the hubby is doing most of the work for some reason ( I told him I wanted to do it, I guess he got excited about it).
Anyway we cut the stools down for use in my daughter’s playroom. Right now they are painted and we bought the fabric tonight. I am getting really nervous about the Mod Podge part. I have never done this! I hope it turns out!
M
Wow, these look great! What a creative way to change up the look of something you already have. Might have to try this out for myself!
Just a tip if you find your painted bar stools leave black marks on your pretty wood island or breakfast bar. Mine did (I painted stools green a handful of years ago) just over the years as the kids scooted them back under the counter and they banged or scraped against the wood.
To get the paint scuffs off your counter, use a very fine steel wool pad, and scrub at the marks with the grain of the wood. The marks will come right off the finished/polished wood cabinetry without damaging it. I don’t know if it works on painted cabinets like beadboard, but it should if they’re lacquered or urethaned.
HTH!
Very pretty – what a great revamp!
TOTALLY COOL!! Thanks for the photos, and details– gotta put this one in my ever expanding file of “Man, I GOTTA try this out” goodies!
Visiting from like at Mod Podge Rocks! today
~Suzanne
Fantastic! I am going to refinish a side board and wanted to add damask panels to the doors but I didn’t want to have to buy more damask paper. I never thought of fabric! And I just happen to have several squares of the exact same fabric you used! Most excellent!!
I was just curious, do the bums ever stick to the chair because of the Mod Podge? I find that even some blocks I used MP on forever ago sometimes stick to the shelf they are on. Or did the problem get fixed when you sprayed it with something else? Please let me know! I am super interested. I am thinking of doing something like this to my coffee table and would love to know. Thanks!
I’m so glad I saw this! I have three old bar stools that desperately need a facelift and this is just the ticket. Thanks for being so creative!
So cute! I can’t wait to try this. I’m guessing it will work on different kind of chairs…love, love, love this.
I love this idea. We just found some old wooden snack trays. I am going to try this!
{ 5 trackbacks }