• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The Crafting Chicks

Ideas and Inspiration to Create Your Life.

  • Home
  • Meet the Chicks
  • Advertising/PR
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Printables
  • Recipes
  • Holidays
  • Life
  • Sewing
  • More

Home, Home Decor

Mod Podge + Fabric = Beautiful Barstools

by Brooke · on July 5, 2010 · 52 Comments ·

370 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet

beforeafter-modpodge-fabric-barstool

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.
old-barstools

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”. 🙂

spraypainted-black-barstool

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!

spraypainted black barstools

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-modpodge-fabric-barstool

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

measure-for-modpodged-fabric-on-barstool

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.

cutting-fabric-half-circle-for-modpodge-barstool

I pinned the semi-circle pattern on the fold of my fabric and cut out the fabric to create my circle.

first-modpodge-layer-on-barstool

Next I used my foam craft brush to smear a layer of Mod Podge onto the top of the barstool.

modpodged-fabric

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.

modpodged-fabric-barstool2

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! 🙂

modpodged-fabric-barstool3

modpodged-fabric-barstool

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!

For over The Ultimate Collection of Mod Podge Crafts (400+) jump to THIS post.

Save

About Brooke

is the author of this post. Wanna know more about the Chicks? Click here. :)

Comments

  1. Jamie Bare says

    July 5, 2010 at 10:17 am

    Brooke! These are so cute-what a great idea! i think i shall make them for my basement with zebra fabric! I LOVE it!

    Reply
  2. Ellie g says

    July 5, 2010 at 10:19 am

    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!

    Reply
  3. Kirsten says

    July 5, 2010 at 10:21 am

    SO STINKIN CUTE BROOKE. You NEVER disappoint!

    Reply
  4. Kim says

    July 5, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    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

    Reply
  5. Amber Meadows says

    July 5, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    WOW! I am absolutely in love with these! What an adorable idea – they would be perfect in my stamping room 🙂

    Reply
  6. Nikkala says

    July 5, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    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?

    Reply
  7. Mother★Lode says

    July 5, 2010 at 10:11 pm

    What a gorgeous transformation!

    Reply
  8. Amy says

    July 6, 2010 at 3:46 am

    These are amazing!!

    Reply
  9. Casie says

    July 6, 2010 at 8:36 am

    These are absolutely amazing!!!

    Reply
  10. Karen says

    July 6, 2010 at 9:56 am

    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

    Reply
  11. [email protected] says

    July 6, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    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.

    Reply
  12. Christe says

    July 6, 2010 at 8:20 pm

    I. Love. These. Barstools!!!!!
    You took something that I’ve seen a thousand times and made them really special and lovely!

    Reply
  13. Jill @ Barnes Yard says

    July 7, 2010 at 8:01 am

    Oh my gosh, love it, love it! What a difference it makes!

    Reply
  14. Rhiannon @ From the Heart says

    July 9, 2010 at 5:41 pm

    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.

    Reply
  15. Laura says

    July 10, 2010 at 9:34 am

    These are great. I will have to keep this in mind when I get bar stools for my kitchen.

    Reply
  16. Jen Morris says

    July 10, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Such a cute idea! They turned out great and I love the damask!

    Reply
  17. Brooke says

    July 10, 2010 at 5:39 pm

    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!!

    Reply
  18. Sasha Holloway says

    July 11, 2010 at 3:03 am

    I love it .. I just jazzed up a desk I got from IKEA .. and girl that mod podge is the BOMB .. love it ..

    Reply
  19. Blue Artichoke Interiors says

    July 11, 2010 at 11:17 pm

    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.

    Reply
  20. Debbie says

    July 12, 2010 at 9:30 am

    I am so going to do this to my stools!!
    Love this and mine could use a makeover : )
    Happy Monday!

    Reply
  21. Tausha says

    July 12, 2010 at 11:01 am

    LOVE these! Great idea! I am going to redo mine today! Thanks so much for the inspiration. Fabulous!!

    Reply
  22. Rita @ TesoroFino.com says

    July 13, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    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!

    Reply
  23. Rachel says

    July 14, 2010 at 4:04 pm

    Wow, what a great makeover. These are fantastic! Thanks so much for the inspiration, I’ll be linking.

    Reply
  24. Leticia says

    July 21, 2010 at 11:38 am

    This stool is the cutiest ever!
    Thank you for sharing!
    Have a good day!
    Leticia
    http://www.msbinglesvintagechristmas.com

    Reply
  25. healthy mamma says

    August 7, 2010 at 11:21 am

    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.

    Reply
  26. Parenting for the Craft Impaired says

    August 16, 2010 at 6:27 pm

    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

    Reply
  27. Megan (knitstyle) says

    October 15, 2010 at 8:36 am

    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!

    Reply
  28. jessica says

    January 22, 2011 at 12:51 am

    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!

    Reply
  29. Mod Podge Amy says

    August 13, 2011 at 6:24 pm

    Very pretty – what a great revamp!

    Reply
  30. WhyCuzICan says

    August 19, 2011 at 12:17 pm

    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

    Reply
  31. Kendra says

    August 20, 2011 at 10:57 pm

    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!!

    Reply
  32. Natalie says

    January 29, 2012 at 8:24 am

    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!

    Reply
  33. Lynae says

    March 11, 2012 at 8:33 pm

    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!

    Reply
  34. Shelley H says

    March 28, 2012 at 9:49 am

    So cute! I can’t wait to try this. I’m guessing it will work on different kind of chairs…love, love, love this.

    Reply
  35. mom2Dolly says

    April 29, 2012 at 4:47 pm

    I love this idea. We just found some old wooden snack trays. I am going to try this!

    Reply
  36. Kaydee says

    July 4, 2012 at 6:57 pm

    How are your bar stools holding up? I love the idea! Definitely want to do this; but I want to ensure they hold up to sitting.

    Reply
  37. Mari says

    August 12, 2012 at 9:59 am

    I found a stool just like your original one at a thrift sale for $1. I just had to buy it! I then searched Pinterest for some good ideas, and came across this. What a great idea! I painted my stool bright blue and added black fabric with purple and blue flowers. It’s so cute!

    Reply
  38. jodie says

    August 8, 2013 at 2:45 am

    can you please tell me what paint to use for this project?

    Reply
    • Brooke says

      August 9, 2013 at 9:34 am

      I just used Rustoleum Black Laquer Spray Paint in Semi-Gloss. If you’re worried about spray paint chipping off you could seal it with polyacrylic on top.

      Reply
  39. Amy says

    December 31, 2013 at 9:00 am

    My mom showed me this page and it is right up my alley! I love gothic decor (which is what your bar stool fits in with) and I have been looking into ways to make my home more of that style. This is amazingly simple to do, too, which totally works for me. Mind if I shared this page of yours on my blog? I have a Home Design section which this would fit right in with.

    Reply
  40. Muckety Mucked says

    February 17, 2014 at 11:06 am

    Cute and creative up-cycle! I have to ask – since it’s been a few years since this post – have you attempted to remove the fabric from the bar stools after it’s been mod podged? I am considering mod podging fabric to line dresser drawers, but wasn’t sure if it would be permanent.

    Reply
  41. peggy says

    April 15, 2014 at 4:57 am

    Have you tried Paper it! by Vintage Market & Design . has a really good finish. I use all their products.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Design Your Own Clock says:
    July 19, 2010 at 9:26 am

    […] you saw my little “trash to treasure” kitchen bar stools that got a much-needed makeover with Mod Podge and some pretty fabric!}  Well, sometimes my husband has a hard time seeing my vision and wants to throw perfectly usable […]

    Reply
  2. What cool/amazing things.. - The Bored Room - MilitarySOS.com says:
    January 16, 2012 at 8:09 pm

    […] Mod Podge + Fabric = Beautiful Barstools I really love this and cannot wait to get back out to San Diego to do it to my own breakfast stools. __________________ […]

    Reply
  3. First DIY: Painting | Lighthearted Thoughts says:
    March 25, 2012 at 8:12 pm

    […] First DIY: Painting Hello people! How’s your weekend? I had to repost this since I accidentally delete it yesterday. Damn! My husband and I got these barstools from a yard sale for $5. So cheap, right? And I decided to paint it one weekend. Haha I just followed the step-by-step tutorial here. […]

    Reply
  4. Great Ideas! says:
    November 25, 2012 at 8:56 am

    […] Daley Life A girl after my own heart – Mod Podged Barstools from Brooke @ The Crafting Chicks Amazing Hand Painted Mural @ Corner House Love, Love this Polka Dot Camera […]

    Reply
  5. Beautiful barstools before and after. - Mod Podge Rocks says:
    February 24, 2013 at 7:31 pm

    […] I’ve seen the barstools above (on the left “before” side) in a lot of houses in my life.  They must be the main barstools available at the barstool store . . . or maybe it’s because the white and pine goes with everything?  If you have them, it’s time to change your barstools from what everyone else has.  Revamp yours like Brooke from The Crafting Chicks did.  It’s quick, budget friendly and uses fabric.  You might even have enough goodies in your stash.  Visit the full tutorial here. […]

    Reply
  6. Mod Podge Magic: The Dresser « Looking Through the Test Tube Glass says:
    July 21, 2013 at 8:48 pm

    […] https://thecraftingchicks.com/2010/07/mod-podge-fabric-beautiful-barstools.html […]

    Reply
  7. DIY Kitchen Stools | drsofa.com blog says:
    October 7, 2013 at 7:45 am

    […] braid rug into a bar stool seat. Another completely transforms a plain vanilla kitchen stool into a custom dazzler using a bit of damask fabric, a bottle of Mod Podge, and a can of spray paint. And for a simple, […]

    Reply
  8. DIY Kitchen Stools says:
    October 10, 2013 at 11:49 am

    […] rug into a bar stool seat. Another completely transforms a plain vanilla kitchen stool into a custom dazzler using a bit of damask fabric, a bottle of Mod Podge, and a can of spray paint. And for a simple, […]

    Reply
  9. Pinteresting – Random » Beautiful Blessings Photography says:
    February 9, 2015 at 12:06 pm

    […] Source: thecraftingchicks.com via Bronwyn on Pinterest […]

    Reply
  10. 15 Fun Things You Can Use as Barstools – Sunlit Spaces | DIY Home Decor, Holiday, and More says:
    June 11, 2020 at 2:33 pm

    […] stools a face lift by repainting and adding a fun fabric print to the top using Mod Podge. Visit The Crafting Chicks for the full […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Recent

All About My Mom Free Printable

Creative Easter Egg Decorating

Valentine Candy Taste Off

Gift Guide for Girls Age 7-12

Gift Guide for Boys Age 7-12

Gift Ideas for Her

Get access to our free crafting guide

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

© 2022 The Crafting Chicks. Website by WP Barista. Privacy Policy

370 shares