Barstool Makeover

At one point we had two cats, both with all claws intact.  We also had a pair of faux leather barstools from Target.  You see where this is going?  This is what the stools looked like originally:

Now imagine the cushions with holes and claw marks all over them and the wood scuffed and chipped.  Not very attractive.  When we moved, the stools didn't quite go with the new kitchen, so I knew it was the perfect opportunity to transform them!  Since the kitchen was mainly black and white and our dining set was black, I decided to spray paint the wood frames black.  Originally I had planned to make slipcovers for the cushions out of a colorful fabric because I really needed to be able to wash them easily.  Unfortunately my first attempt at slipcovers failed, but then my mom mentioned that I would need something to help the slipcover grip the vinyl of the cushion to keep it from sliding (especially important with little munchkins constantly climbing on them.)

I started thinking about re-covering them instead and discovered oil cloth, which is wipeable!  Oil cloth comes in the most adorable designs so I was excited to buy some until I saw this:

WARNING: This product may contain chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.

Yikes.  It's probably not as bad as it sounds, but I was a little leery of putting it on the barstools that we use CONSTANTLY.  That's when I discovered laminated fabric!  I ended up choosing the black and white polka dots and bought a few yards.  Here's how I did it:

1. Unscrewed cushion from base
2. Spray painted bases, first with spray primer, then with black and last with a few coats of Polycrylic
3. Cut circles out of the laminated fabric a few inches larger than the cushions (I think I used less than a yard total)
4. Used a staple gun to attach the fabric to the underneath side of the cushion

I love my "new" stools!  They get used and abused every day and they still look great!  I was a little concerned that the laminated fabric might not hold up, which is why I bought extra, but it still looks as good as new!  Oh, and now we're down to one cat, and so far we've been lucky!

Linking up to...

Craft-o-maniac
Lines Across My Face
Cherished Bliss
Primitive and Proper