apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

That oilcloth stuff is bulletproof - we use it to make placemats at our house, they last for years and years.

If you are planning to sew (piping usually requires it) make sure to get a teflon foot for your machine and very strong thread.

Sounds like that project could be really cool, and the chairs will be uber-practical when you're done.

What a GREAT find - I'm no expert on oilcloth but whatever you do with this fun set, please post the "after" photos!

These chairs look great and authentic as they are. Would you consider giving them a good scrubbing and letting them be vintage? Please?

Oilcloth IS for everyday use! If it's good enough for high-chairs, it's good enough for regular chairs. And it comes in THE COOLEST patterns. Amazon has lots of great oilcloth. As for the piping, I don't really know, but if you feel confident about doing it yourself, I say give it a try! I would get bored after two chairs and take the rest somewhere to get them done, though I AM cheap. Cheap and lazy don't really mix well, do they? Hahaha Anyway, good luck!

It's the chair girl here! I do have the chairs in my kitchen now as is and they look great, but I really need to replace the chair pads. They are old horse-hair and it's leaking out the bottom a little bit. Also, the current vinyl is in really good condition, but the texture is quilted kind of and has gold in it. I'm very much draw to brighter colors and feel that these would look great with a cheery pattern on them! They're just kind of dreary right now...

Thanks for the advise so far! I'll definitely send after pictures!

Upholstering in oilcloth can be tricky. I ran a small upholstery shop for a while and you need to purchase a heavier quality oilcloth. There needs to be a strong backing on it. I used to put the cut pieces in a 150 degree oven for a few minutes to soften the vinyl and then stretch and staple. Make sure you staple on the horizontal - you can get rips vertically stapled. There are many great sources on the internet. Good luck!

I love the colors and patterns of "oilcloth" that I bought a few years ago. It gave off such a plastic smell that no one wanted in the house and it spent a long time on the screened porch, http://reviews.ebay.com/What-is-REAL-OILCLOTH-and-what-isn-apos-t_W0QQugidZ10000000000952801?ssPageName=BUYGD:CAT:-1:LISTINGS:5 I wondered about heating it and releasing fumes and read the above. Polyvinyl is not a good fume to release into your space. The link to making it with linseed is an interesting project.

Yes, a friend just bought a bunch of oilcloth, which I too love, and the smell was really something--would take a while to offgas--can't imagine putting it in an oven would be healthy.

I happen to have the same oilcloth, but I don't think it is strong enough. It will probably rip at the stapleholes. Sorry!

My mother re-upholsters her high chair (first for us, now for grandbabies) with oil cloth. It tears after a year or two of wear. She hasn't used super-heavy-duty stuff because she doesn't mind redoing the tiny project every few years, but you may feel differently about a whole dining set of chairs.

Yours may very well be sturdier, I just thought I should share my limited experience.

Hey! I'm the one who sold you those chairs. It's a small, small world.

I love that oilcloth, and can offer no practical upholstery advice. Just wanted to say "hi!"

hehe. thats pretty cool.

I upholstered a wheelchair with it and use the chair for a bureauchair. After one year the seat is torn and have to do it again. The chair is used about 5 hours a day. So if you dont use it alot it can take longer before it is torn.