DIY Upholstered Wingback Chair and First Impressions

One of two doll wingback chairs is finished. I chose to cover one of my chairs with a worsted
 wool. Dyed with multiple colors, primarily a russet combination, this chair will look charming in
our doll's library.

       Though there are many types of wing chairs, there are two standard wing styles - the flat wing and the scroll wing. Our wingback chair is a flat wing. 

       Chairs like these were first made in England during the 1600s. The purpose of the "wings" was to enclose the head or torso areas of the body in order to provide comfortable protection from drafts, and to trap the heat from a fireplace in the area where the person would be sitting. Hence, in historic times these are often used near a fireplace.

       This is an advanced craft for teens or adults. So little ones might request it from an older sibling, parent or grandparent as a special gift. I also suggest that crafters watch several videos about upholstering doll furniture prior to attempting to build one on their own. Many miniaturists cover this topic in videos or on their websites. You will need to enlarge their patterns for 18" dolls and switch out heavy cardboard for their foam board or paper materials. I drew my own patterns but there are many free patterns for similar chairs to mine on the web.

• Miniature upholstered arm chair with free template from Bentley House Minis
• DIY miniature no-sew armchair tutorial by Kixkillradio Miniatures

Above you can see that I have covered the
basic chair structure and soon will begin to
sew and attach the interior pillows.

Supply List:

• cardboard
• masking tape
• upholstery
• round needle (also called a curved or upholstery needle)
• wooden blocks for legs
• tongue depressor for chair aprons
• paint or stain for legs
• matching threads
• wood glue or tacky craft glue
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• buttons for pillows
• poly-batting for chair cushions and pillows

Step-by-Step Directions:

• Download a pattern, copy a pattern from a library book, or purchase a pattern. 
• You may need to size the pattern up for a larger 18" doll.
• Cut out all of your cardboard pieces from very heavy cardboard. Some of you may choose to use wood for the project. I make most of my doll furnishings with cardboard but wood is good too.
• Assemble the wingback chair's body with either wood glue or tacky white glue. Take the extra time to wait for the glue to dry hard before covering it with fabric.
• Measure and cut fabrics as you go, turning under the rough edges, neatly cutting and clipping corners. Apply small amounts of hot glue on these to attach the fabric neatly to the chair parts.
• Glue down a felt covering to the interior seat of the chair after everything else has been covered with fabric and glue.
• I use a curved needle and matching thread to stretch the fabric seams tightly against the frame. This step is optional and could lead to greater frustration if you are not a sewer. However, it will make your upholstery work look professional in the end.
• Measure and cut the both the back and seat cushions, inserting seam allowances if necessary. Do not over stuff the cushions or your doll may not be able to sit securely into the chair. As a rule you should always use less filler here, instead of more.
• Now glue on the chair legs using a wood glue, if your legs are made from wooden blocks. 
• Glue on the chair's apron using cut tongue depressors. These lend strength to the legs!
• Finish the legs with a paint or stain. Hot glue a chair skirt or a fabric trim of some sort around the apron only if you prefer.
• I permanently attached the upper and lower cushions to the seat with hot glue. This is optional as well. I felt it necessary for play; children have a tendency to loose things like chair cushions and tiny pillows.

Left is the wingback chair body made from heavy layers of cardboard, glue and masking tape.
Right, you can see that I used a hot glue gun to initially attach the fabric upholstery. After this
 step, I went back and sewed in stronger seams by hand using a curved needle and matching thread.

Left is a picture of the underside of both chairs. This is where I used wood glue to attach the chair feet.
 The feet are made from child blocks and then reinforced with large wooden tongue depressors, (aprons)
trimmed to fit between the sides of the legs. Right, pictured here are the legs as seen from the side without
the skirts sewn on.

Left, I brushed on a light, brown stain onto the legs of one chair. Then glued on the tree skirt.
The second chair, not pictured here, I chose to leave the skirt off and simply covered the aprons only in fabric.

First Impressions

"This old-fashioned chair would look lovely in our library." Sophie says.
Poppy says, with just a hint of remorse, "Oh how I wish my knees could bend!"

"Who is this? She sure seems affectionate around Sophie." Poppy thinks.
She does not know that Sophie has a younger sister.

Skylar, Sophie's little sister slides into the room wearing her slippery
 knee socks! She dances in front of the arm chair, using her robotic arm
 moves. Finally she sits down with ease into the arm chair bending at the knee.

"Skylar, you are so lucky to have elbows and knees!" Sophie begins to chastise
her sister. "Look how neatly she sits in this comfy, cozy chair!" Poppy exclaims
 with a little envy in her voice.

Sophie thinks, "My little sister can be such a show off sometimes.
She could use a few lessons in manners."
 Poppy thinks, "This girl is amazingly flexible!"
Skylar says aloud, "I am small...but...mighty."

Sophie says, "Every person has a special gift, Skylar; don't forget to be
considerate." Skylar and Poppy's eyes meet; They will soon be good friends
and share in many adventures.

Skylar is lounging in the upholstered arm chair that I will
include in our dollhouse library room along with many other
interesting things.

Sophie shakes Poppy's hand and tells her she is looking forward
 to a playdate with the younger girls. Skylar waves
goodbye, as she bounces up and down on the new arm chair.

More Friends To Play With and Learn From:

• Peggy Stuart's dolls are "Welcoming the Newcomer"
• The Reflection in Me HD - animated film
• Wise words from Kid President