How To Turn A Plastic Lawn Chair Into A Chic Upholstered Accent Chair

If you have an old plastic chair in your yard, think twice before getting rid of it. You can easily transform an old lawn chair into a beautiful piece of furniture with some simple upholstery practices — and the best part — you can complete this project with items you may already have laying around the house. You will need a lawn chair, a hula hoop, cardboard, foam padding (perhaps from an old DIY project), and some extra fabric you've been looking to repurpose, and you're ready to create your brand-new accent chair. Even if you don't have all these items on hand, you can purchase them at a craft store or online.

DIY extraordinaire @roxynimmiz, shared an incredible video on TikTok that shows how you can take a mundane plastic lawn chair and revamp it, creating a bespoke piece guaranteed to revolutionize any room. Moreover, by upcycling items you already have, you help to reduce your carbon footprint. Here's how you can have your own plastic lawn chair turned chic upholstered accent chair.

Begin by removing the legs from an old plastic lawn chair. If you don't have a lawn chair, ask a friend or a neighbor if they're getting rid of one. This way you won't need to purchase one, reducing the amount of waste in landfills. As you begin your project, the best way to cut thick plastic is with a fine-toothed saw or a jig saw. When cutting something like thick plastic, you'll need to take extra safety precautions. Wear safety goggles to protect your eyes and always cut on a workbench. 

Once the chair legs are removed, you'll want to add a hula hoop to the remaining frame. Attach the bottom of it to the front of your plastic lawn chair, then attach the top of the hula hoop to the top back of your chair. Secure it firmly in place with strong tape or glue. Next, you'll need to cover your chair with cardboard (think empty Amazon boxes you might have laying around). Wrap it tightly around your chair and hoop until it starts to take shape — be sure to cover all the sides and the base to give it plenty of support before adding the foam. Your foam should line the entire chair — you won't want to see any cardboard once it's covered. You can glue or staple it in place. 

Now that you have the general structure of your chair ready to go, it's time to get creative. You'll need to add fabric, and choosing upholstery is a great way to showcase your style. You can upcycle and use fabric you already own, such as old curtains. If you have access to an old dress made from a silky fabric, you could use this as well. Once you select your fabric, fit it to your chair. If you're comfortable with upholstering furniture, you can measure your chair and use a sewing machine. 

If you're not comfortable sewing your fabric in place, you can pull it snugly around your chair frame and staple or glue it in place. Just be sure no staples are visible. Leave enough extra fabric for a cushion — you can use an old pillow, so long as it fits in the seat of your new chair. You'll also need legs for your finished piece, and you can easily find screw-on furniture legs on Amazon. Choose from wooden or metal legs — these kits come with everything you need to attach the legs to the bottom of any furniture piece.