Sitting pretty

Revitalise an old stool with your own hand-printed cover

You will need

• Suitable stool to re-cover

• Measuring tape

• Scissors

• Plain or stripy fabric

• Copyright-free images (from websites such as thegraphicsfairy.com)

• Computer

• Inkjet printer

• A4 paper

• Transfer paper (vycombe-arts.co.uk)

• Iron

• Staple gun

• Calico

To Make

❶ Remove the existing fabric from the stool and measure, allowing 5cm extra all the way round to make sure the fabric can be secured underneath the stool. Cut your new fabric to fit.

❷ Create your design using downloaded images on your computer. As the transfer paper is A4, you may have to repeat the design a few times depending on the stool size. For a mirror image, use the ‘mirror print’ facility on the printer.

❸ Print the design on ordinary paper to make sure it looks right first.

❹ Following manufacturer’s instructions, print the images on to the transfer paper. Allow to dry then iron the images on to the centre of the new fabric. Allow to dry.

❺ Cover the stool with the fabric, pulling it tightly and folding the corners neatly. Secure on the base using a staple gun. Trim neatly and then staple a rectangle of calico to the base (fold and iron the raw edges beforehand) to finish.