These French grain sack dining chairs are a favorite of mine!
Our French grain sack dining chairs always get a lot of attention, with lots of comments
and questions about them each time they show up in a photograph.
So I thought I would share again how I created their look.
If you’ve been following me for awhile, you know that I love grain sacks and french chairs, so
combining the two was a perfect combination.
I found this great set of four French dining chairs at an estate sale, and I knew they would be perfect to upholster in some of the old grain sacks that I had been collecting.
The French grain sack chairs in our new breakfast room.
The dining room in our previous home.
When I found the chairs, they were in great shape, just needing a little updating!
When buying used chairs, always make sure that they are sturdy, and they are safe to sit on.
Turn them over to make sure that the springs are all intact.
I’ve learned this the hard way!
I’ve bought vintage chairs in the past that were beautiful, but I couldn’t sit on them!
I didn’t do my due diligence, just grabbed them because they were so pretty and a good price, but
once home, realized what a mistake I had made.
Here is what the four French dining chairs looked like when I found them.
Before
And here is what they look like now, after their transformation!
It’s amazing what paint and new upholstery can do to bring a chair back to life!
The paint highlights all the beautiful details in the wood.
I love how they turned out!
I began their makeover by stripping the upholstery, and giving them two coats of white chalk style paint.
Then I distressed the wood with a bit of sanding, and finished with clear and dark wax to bring out the details.
If using dark wax makes you nervous, like it does me, then you might want to use my homemade glaze to add that age old patina.
I always have a stash of vintage grain sacks in my storage.
I pick them up whenever I find them at a reasonable price.
Two of the grain sacks had the look I wanted, so I chose them for the back of the chairs.
Using the old upholstery as a pattern, I cut out the new pieces for both sides of the back of the chair.
To be on the safe side, I always cut about 1/2″ larger than the pattern and then trim off the excess
once it’s stapled onto the chair.
You can always cut the extra fabric off, but you can’t add more if it’s too small.
Unfortunately, I know this from experience!
The graphics on antique German grain sacks have always attracted me, especially those that have the farmer’s names and dates stamped on them.
Unfortunately, they are extremely expensive and rarely have I ever taken the leap to pay their high prices.
I knew that I could get the same look by using a stencil and stamping the graphic onto the vintage
grain sacks.
Using a black fabric paint and a stencil brush, I placed the stencil in the correct position and stamped it with the fabric paint.
Carefully lifting the stencil, I waited a few minutes for the paint to dry, and then stapled the grain sack into the back of the dining chair.
Once it was stapled into the back of the chair using a staple gun (I use a pneumatic staple gun), I
trimmed off the excess fabric.
Using a drop cloth for the seat, I cut out the pattern, again using the old upholstery as a guide, and
stapled it onto the seat of the chair.
Once everything was stapled, I trimmed the excess fabric.
Then I covered the raw edges and staples with gimp trim, using a hot glue gun to adhere the gimp.
I love how they turned out, with all of them being just slightly different.
The backs also received a stamped number, and one of the grain sacks was monogrammed with “VI” which also shows on the back.
I love all those little details.
The vintage grain sacks aren’t terribly difficult to find, but they can run the gamut on prices.
You can find lots of them on Ebay and Etsy, and at most of the larger antique shows such as Scotts in Atlanta and Roundtop Texas.
Periodically, we will have them for sale in our online shop.
The same look can be created by using reproduction grain sacks from Online Fabric Store or
upholstery grade burlap from Save on Crafts.
You can also create your own grain sack by using drop cloths and stenciling the stripes on, which I
show you how to do here.
I have a weakness for French chairs and find it difficult to walk away from any that I find at a good price, and our garage seems to have quite a few stacked up!
Getting this set finished has inspired me to get started on the rest of them!
I hope you have enjoyed this little transformation!
I would love to hear from you so let me know if you have any questions!
Be sure and pin it to your favorite Pinterest board!
And if you’d like to see what we are pinning on Pinterest everyday, you can follow us HERE.
Cheers,
Cindy
An unbelievable price and I absolutely love the new look.
Manifique jai toujours un faible pour les chaises et les fauteuils quand je fais les brocantes je trouve que votre idee de pochoir est superbe la derniere fois que j avais envie de sac de toile pour un fauteuil j ai pris un drap ancien et ensuite j ai brode long mais le resultat sympa .
cordialement
Merci beaucoup pour vos mots doux!
Cindy ~ I love the chairs! I am confused, however. For the back of the back of the chairs, is that stapled also? I know there are 3 layers – the front, padding and the back. Is gimp trim applied to the back also? Sorry, I am a novice. Thanks so much!
Hi Carolee! Yes, there are three layers to the backs of the chairs: the front grain sack, the padding in the center, and then grain sack again for the back. These three layers are put together and then stapled as one into the frame from the front. Sometimes there will be gimp added to the back, but for these I didn’t feel the need to do so because the back is actually stapled in from the front of the chair. I hope this makes sense!
That is absolutely gorgeous! Great job!!
I’ve been racking my brains how to do the back of the chair (I usually staple the seat from underneath) and you’ve just showed me! Thank you so much ☺
Where did you prchase the stencils?
The stencils are from https://www.maisondestencils.com
So missed hearing from you. You’re my favorite blogger. I’ve reupholstered and painted a Louis chair that I use in my office thanks to your tutelage. Came out fabulous. You’ve inspired me to look for new dining room chairs. I think I’m ready for my next challenge. Cheers my friend. <3 Cindy
That’s wonderful! Thank you so much, Cindy!
I love these chairs! Thank you for sharing step by step directions. Where do you find the stencils reflecting the French name? Thank you!!
The stencils are from https://www.maisondestencils.com
Where did you find the marvelous stencils?
The stencils are from https://www.maisondestencils.com
I love, love, love the chairs you did. I have my mother’s almost exact dining set and you have given me inspiration to refinish it. Thanks so much for sharing!!!
Where did you find the stencil?
The stencils are from Maison de Stencils, http://www.maisondestencils.com
I have been meaning to recover or make slip covers for my dining chairs for quite some time. I loved your stenciled chairs so much that I immediately went to the stencil site and ordered an assortment! Thank you for sharing all the info and pics of the steps to recreate your look! Jill
Jill, that’s wonderful! Enjoy!!
I love everything you do! You are so very talented!! I wish we lived next door to each other and you could give me classes! I always look forward to your posts you truly inspire me… thank you xoxo
Ronda, you are so sweet! Thank you so much! Your kind words have made my day!
Nice job, I am inspired!
Unfortunately no grain sacks or even the fabric are easy to find here in Australia, the reproduction ones at about $10 at the site you mentioned were nice, but the postage at $50 is a killer! Especially when $50US at the moment is about $73AUD! :O That works out in total about $90AUD a grain sack for me & that’s for a reproduction!!
Why postage to Australia from the US is always ridiculous I don’t know, the UK is further away but postage is quite reasonable. Oh well, will just have to DIY my own pattern like you did on some plain burlap, but I do so like the stripe.
Cindy, may I ask where you found the stencil? I adore these chairs!!
Pamela, the stencils used for this project are from Maison de Stencils, http://www.maisondestencils.com
You are so talented. What an amazing transformation. I love the chairs. They are so unique and charming. It is so refreshing to see something different than a big chain store find with a vase of pink peonies. Your style is so tasteful and curated. Thank you for the inspiration.
Your sweet words made my day! Thank you so much, Deborah!
Cindy, I love the chairs transformation! May I ask where you purchased the stencils? I love them and am looking for large ones like these. Thank-you!
Hi Pamela! The stencils came from http://www.maisondestencils.com!
Is there foam on the back of the chairs?
Yes, there’s a layer of foam on the backs, sandwiched between the two pieces of fabric.
Hi I’m Cindy. Loved the marvelous transformation of the chairs however my question is on the incredibly beautiful and very unusual mirror. Is it possible to purchase today or is it one of those lucky finds from an antique shop?
Thank you
Marty
Hi Marty! The Italian mirror in the dining room is original to the house….the owners left it when they sold the home to us. Unfortunately it isn’t for sale, but if that should ever change, I will be glad to message you!
Cindy I have followed your blog for some time but have been too shy to ever comment. Your house is so beautiful and everything you do is so tastefully done. Your blog is my very favorite and I find you so pleasant! Please keep up the beautiful work, I always look forward to seeing what you do!
Thank you so much, Melanie! And thank you for following along, it means so much to me! Please leave me a comment more often, I love hearing from you!!
Thank you! I will comment more often. I also wanted to tell you how much I love seeing your darling schnauzer Ruby Lou. I had a miniature schnauzer for 14 years. His name was Mr. Humphries. We lost him this past July. I adored that dog and I love seeing your Ruby Lou posing for the camera. My boy loved to have his picture taken too. It always makes me smile to see your pretty girl!
Oh, I would love that, Melanie! Aren’t Mini Schnauzers the best?!? I love the name, Mr. Humphries! It’s so hard to lose one of these little fur babies. We had another one prior to Miss RubyLou, named Lulu Bean, that we suddenly lost two years ago. It broke our hearts, and didn’t think we were ready for another, but RubyLou found us and rescued our hearts. She is pure joy and we adore her! She loves the camera!
The chairs look absolutely gorgeous Cindy!!
Sheila
xo
I love everything you have done with your home and furnishings! I enjoy your posts and look forward to each one.
Thank you, Linda! That means so much to me!
Gorgeous chairs. They were lovely to begin with and you made the gorgeous! You are such a marvelous talent, Cindy!
Thank you, Sandra, you are too kind!
They are wonderful!! Love the chairs! Simply stunning….and I love grain sacks too….though I find they can be costly….
Nancy
wildoakdesigns.blogspot.com
Thank you, Nancy! Yes, sometimes the grain sacks can be very pricey!
Lovely chairs.
Thank you so much, Oma! Have a great day!
I just discovered your blog and I love it! what type of padding did you use for the chair backs?
Thank you, Linda! I reused the foam that was with the original upholstery, it was just a thin piece of foam, which can also be found at Hobby Lobby. I hope that helps! Thank you so much for following along!
Hi i’m interested to know about your fabric paint. I did some iron-on stencil cushions recently with an inkjet printer and they were fabulous to start with, but the ink is wearing away so I need to do them again with a different method. Does the paint stay put, and do you need to use a chemical fixative. If so what do you use both for paint and fixative. Many thanks.
Hi there! I use fabric paint from Hobby Lobby, and I don’t add a chemical fixative. The paint is designed specifically for painting fabric.
What is color of home trim you used ?
The color of the trim that we used on the chair is Beige, from Hobby Lobby.
Where can I buy the stencils that you used Cindy?
Bridget, all of our stencils came from http://www.maisondestencils.com
I’m actually having a hard time finding chairs. Do you have any recommendations on where to look or sites to look on?
Ashleigh, I have found all of mine at flea markets and estate sales. I would even check your local Goodwill stores!
Ok great thank you so much! I’m obsessed with these chairs and am determined to make them for my new house. You have inspired me! Thanks for the tutorial!
Gorgeous, Cindy!! Did you paint your tabletop? I am a little timid to paint mine, but I want to. If so ,can you give a brief description how you did it? Everything you tackle turns out beautiful.
Hi Kay! The dining table is painted in Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in color Old White. It was very easy. I painted two coats of the Old White, lightly distressed, and then finished with a coat of the Annie Sloan clear wax. After the wax cures 24 hours, I buffed with a soft cloth to get a low sheen. I hope that helps!
You are so sweet!! Thank you. Yes it helps alot!
This is such a brilliant tutorial, I have been wanting to start upholstering a few chairs but have always been rather nervous, but this has given me the confidence to do it, thank you
Always love to see this post! I also copied these chairs and love how they turned out. Had a little trouble with the back, and was wondering what kind of stapler you used. Did you use the kind with an air compressor?
Hi Linda! Yes, I use a pneumatic staple gun with an air compressor. I have found that a regular staple gun just doesn’t work as well.
What size stencil did you use for this?
Sandi, it is a 12″ x 12″ stencil.
If I was told that I could only look at one blog yours would be the one I would pick. I love everything you refinish. I know what hard work it takes to make something worn beautiful again. Thank you for all your tips……
Aw, Rebecca, thank you so much! That means so much to me!
Cindy,
So happy to see you today. I now know why I haven’t seen your blog for awhile. The chairs are beautiful. You are so talented. I don’t think it is fair that when God was handing out talent,you got the most of it!!!! You are blessed.
Thank you for sharing step-by-step how you reupholstered those chairs. They turned out lovely. You made it look so simple, I now want to try it!
Hi Cindy! I adore your blog. I have finally gotten the nerve to start renovating my little craftman’s fixer upper. Where did you find the stencils used on the dining room chairs?
Thank you Dereca! The stencils came from http://www.maisondestencils.com!
those chairs are beautiful you are very talented. can ;you use that fabric paint on a whole chair such as a wingback, or would it ever come out right. I have seen them do it on tv but ;you never know how it ended up looking, close up. Thankyou for your information. I enjoyed your tutorial!
Sincerely, Verla
Thank you Verla! I’m sure that you could paint an entire chair with the fabric paint but it does make the fabric a bit stiff. Hope that helps! Thanks for commenting!
I absolutely love this bedroom, may try to recreate in my master bedroom. I found the Santos Angel on Ballard, so the base comes off easily so that you can hand it?
Hi Pamela! We used a small Drimel saw to remove the Santos from the base, cutting between the feet and the base. Very easy to do.
Thanks for sharing! I currently am working on, just one. First attempt. Where do you find such gorgeous stencils?
Bobbi, all of my stencils come from https://www.maisondestencils.com
Thanks for commenting!
what a remarkable transformation. The best part is that you saw the possibilities in them when you purchased them at the estate sale. Lovely and perfectly suited for your beautiful home. Hugs. P.S>I invite you to share this post at Katherines Corner. ( you can link up through Saturday at midnight) Hugs!
Thank you Katherine!
Cindy, I so love your gorgeous chairs. Thanks for all of the wonderful information. Was wondering where you purchased the stencils. Love the design.
Thank you Shirley! Stencils are from Maison de Stencils, http://www.maisondestencils.com. They are wonderful stencils, very good quality, and they have a huge variety!
Loved seeing this amazing tutorial on your gorgeous chairs again…and I just saw your response!…:) Have a wonderful week Cindy!
Oh, how I love these! When you say you pick up the sacks when you find them “at a reasonable cost” makes me wonder what that cost should be. I found some very long grain sacks the other day at a place outside of Mobile, (I’m sure you’re familiar with). They were $20 each, and I wasn’t sure if that was anywhere what I should pay. They were long enough to fill and use as a bench or window seat cushion.
Thank you Leslie Anne! Yes, I know exactly which place you are referring to…..and $20 ea is a bargain! Every time I’m down there, I try and pick up a few more for my “stash”. You won’t find them less expensive anywhere! Most go for between $40-$65 ea.
Cindy, I have come to love your blog because you do the work yourself. I love hearing the phrase “I ……” and know that you did the work. Truly impressive.
Thank you Paulina!
Your work is beautiful ….I always look forward to a new post and enjoy reading the older ones several times.
Thank you Gray!
they are just amazing, I’m one of those who oooh and aaaah each time I see them. thanks so much for sharing your tutorial!
Thank you Debra! Hope you’re doing well!
Would you mind sharing your source for the stencil ? I look forward to each and every blog post. Your home is Beautiful.
Thank you Karen! The stencils are from Maison de Stencils, http://www.maisondestencils.com
Love the finished chairs and your explanation of how to. The part that is missing, for me anyway, is how the back is done.
Thank you Ursula! The back of the chair has a piece of foam sandwiched in between two pieces of fabric. I cut two pieces for the back {one for the front, one for the back side}, and “sandwich” the three pieces together {back side fabric, foam, front side fabric}. The foam insert is in between the two pieces of fabric. I then stapled them into the opening of the back of chair. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the great tutorial! Getting ready to do this project on an occasional chair for my living room and was a little flustered about how to proceed. Your instructions were clear and concise. Feeling like I can now proceed with confidence!
Thank you Linda!
Those chairs are just lovely!!! I espcially love the stenciling – Also, as a person who CANNOT sew anything beyond mending a loose button, I can truly appreciate the refurbishment using only staple and glue gun – You have inspired to rethink my own dining chairs! Thank you 🙂
Thank you Lisa!
These chairs turned out amazing. Do you mind telling me where did you get your stencils?
Thank you Dori! Stencils are from Maison de Stencils, http://www.maisondestencils.com
Love what you have done! Have similar chairs I want to gI’ve new life to. What is your source for the particular stencils you have used?
Thank you Linda! Stencils came from Maison de Stencils, http://www.maisondestencils.com
I do believe that I am totally in love with these chairs! Great look!
Thank you Terry!
Wow what a difference! Beautiful, so worth the time and energy! I also love chairs…I can’t resist buying and redoing them! It breaks my heart when I find gorgeous ones that are beyond repair! Thanks for sharing this beautiful transformation!
Thank you Amy!
Which importer in Alabama do you recommend? I use one near Mobile but wasn’t sure if it was the same as you, and I always like to shop locally if possible. Thanks!
Hi there! We probably use the same one….Charles Phillips Antiques and Architecturals!
So much talent in one woman! Truly amazing!
Thank you dear friend!
Love your blog……….where did you purchase the chandelier? It’s beautiful!!
As well as the clock on the buffet… thank you so much for being so responsive.. You truly have a gifts of talent!!
Thank you, Wendy! The chandelier is original to the house, and the clock came from an estate sale!