      
Kitchen and Bath
Better
Bar Stools On A Budget
By
Simon Phillips
Here are some ideas for making your well-used kitchen bar stools
more attractive on a very frugal budget.
There's no need to spend a lot of money on expensive
materials - the things used here are common household items that
you might already have in your cupboards, or could find for just a
few dollars in the dollar store. For very little money and a bit of effort on your part, it's
possible to give bar stools a makeover and greatly improve their
appearance.
Removing
watermarks - believe it or not, watermarks can be effectively
removed from wooden bar stools by rubbing them with either
toothpaste or mayonnaise, then leaving them for a few minutes.
You may need to make several applications before the water
stains are completely removed.
Getting
rid of heat marks - citric acid is good for removing heat marks
from wood. So, all
you need is some lemon juice, as lemons are full of citric acid.
Rub it onto the marks to remove them.
Removing
drink stains - all sorts of drinks can be spilled on bar stools.
If they're not wiped off straight away, alcoholic or
milk-based drinks can leave nasty marks. You should be able to remove these by rubbing them with
ammonia and a damp cloth.
Polishing
wooden stools - you should be able to give your kitchen stools an
instant lift by giving them a good old polish.
But rather than use expensive spray polish, make your own
from olive oil and a couple of drops of lemon juice.
Making
your own seat covers - if the material on your bar stool seats
looks dirty or faded, or is just in need of an update, recover
them yourself. Most
seat upholstery is attached with staples.
Use a screwdriver to pull out the old staples and remove
the old material. Then
simply put your chosen fabric over the top of the seats and use a
staple gun to fix it in place.
It's best to use a fairly thick and hardwearing fabric. Old denim jeans are ideal, or use some cheap tea towels or
napkins from the dollar store.
A kitchen stool
recovered using a tea towel from the dollar store.
photo - M. Alexander
These
are just a few easy tips for giving old bar stools a smart new look for very
little money.
This article was contributed by Simon Phillips of www.getbarstools.com
where you can find discounts
on kitchen bar stools as well as handy hints on how to
refinish the ones you've got.
Decorating
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