5. If the chair you're refurbishing has a padded seat, strip off the old cloth and padding and throw them out. Cut a piece of the polyester batting (available at any fabric store—looks like a blanket of snow) in the shape of the chair pad, so that it hangs over the sides and wraps around to the back by about 2 inches. Using the staple gun or the upholstery tacks, keep the batting in place with a few tacks. Cut a piece of cloth so that it wraps around the chair pad slightly more than the batting, then staple or tack all round the fabric.

6. When the chair is dry, screw the chair pad back into place, and you’re done!

Savvy Tip: If you choose a darker shade of paint, one coat might be enough to paint the chair. The more coats of paint with sanding in between, the nicer the finish you’ll get. But just remember, sometimes good enough is good enough… the chair WAS free.