Furniture stores offer a wide selection of chairs in different stylistic styles. It is also possible to order such an item from a professional craftsman. He will fulfill the order, taking into account the slightest requirements. During production, the master will use any materials (components) chosen by the client. Such pleasure is not cheap. If the services of a craftsman are too expensive, it is better to make a comfortable chair from plywood yourself at a minimal cost. Such furniture will become an original decoration of the room. It is much more valuable than store-bought analogues.
It is also possible to order such an item from a professional craftsman.
Applying ornaments is another interesting way to decorate furniture.
Benefits of working independently
Making furniture with your own hands is an exciting activity that has many undeniable advantages.
- Possibility to create a unique chair design. Stores offer a limited selection of chair models. It’s easy to create a unique design yourself, which your neighbors and loved ones have no analogues.
- Saving money. To make a chair from plywood, minimal costs will be required. You will only need to pay for the raw materials.
- Gaining invaluable experience. Template furniture has long gone out of fashion. Today, products of original design are valued. Not everyone can make them themselves. After a good practice in making chairs, it is easy to learn a more complex craft.
- Ease of operation. For many, making chairs yourself seems like something complicated and burdensome. In fact, the work will not take even a few hours, and the process itself does not require any expensive tools and materials. The main rule is to strictly follow the instructions. This article makes very clear recommendations. They will help you get the job done quickly.
- An opportunity to surprise your family. Handmade chairs will be an excellent gift option for any occasion. A gift like this is doubly nice.
Such furniture will become an original decoration of the room.
After painting, the product is also varnished.
It will be ideal if you use fabric identical to the fabric of the furniture located in the room to decorate the chair.
Some general information
Whatever one may say, it is a rocking chair, especially one standing in the garden or near a lit fireplace, that many associate with comfort, a pleasant evening in a narrow family circle, peace and quiet. In such an environment you can have a great rest and relaxation by reading your favorite book or watching a good movie. The rhythmic rocking movements of the rocking chair will help you get ready for sleep and simply feel peace, which is so rare in modern life, filled with bustle and heavy thought processes.
Rocking movements increase concentration
On a note! Scientists have proven that rocking movements with a certain rhythm calm a person and increase the concentration of his thoughts. Sometimes it is sitting on a rocking chair that can solve serious life problems and problems.
It is still unknown exactly how and where the very first rocking chair came from . Usually many people associate it with old England, fireplaces and rugs. At the moment, there are two main versions of the history of the origin of this chair. According to one of them, the first rocking chair was invented by the Viennese furniture maker, experimenter and innovator, as well as a fan of bent wood, Michael Thoneta in the mid-19th century. However, there is one more fact that casts doubt on this version. Thus, at the end of the 18th century, the word “rocking chair” was added to the English dictionary, and since the 1800s, such chairs began to be produced by many English furniture manufacturers. But the fame and peak of popularity of rocking chairs came precisely in the 19th century. They were used mainly by rich and aristocratic people, as well as those involved in literary and artistic arts.
Plywood rocking chair
According to the second version, the rocking chair was invented by Benjamin Franklin. In terms of time, this was also the 19th century. But there are those who refute this version, believing that Franklin was just the one who became the first owner of the rocking chair.
In a word, we can say that the beginning of the history of the chair is the 18th-19th centuries. The sources are silent about the rest. And, nevertheless, rocking chairs still remain popular and in demand, and are primarily intended to create a special ambiance and comfortable environment in a certain place.
The rocking chair has its own history
On a note! The rocking chair is still the only non-static piece of furniture.
What kind of plywood to use for a rocking chair?
Preparatory work: we determine the type and size of the structure
Making chairs from plywood needs to be done carefully so as not to spoil the materials. The first stage is preparation. Here you need to decide on key aspects: size, height, type of structure.
Making furniture with your own hands is an exciting activity that has many undeniable advantages.
A product coated with varnish will already look much more attractive.
First you need to decide: why do you need a chair? You may need it in the garage, children's room, or in the country house. For household needs, the chair can have a simple design. For living rooms, it is better to choose original product drawings. A children's chair should be soft, safe, and reliable.
To make a chair from plywood, minimal costs will be required. You will only need to pay for the raw materials.
Today, much more attention is paid to the interior of the room and the appearance of its contents than twenty years ago.
Having decided on the purpose, it is worth choosing a style direction. The style of the chair should be intertwined with the style of the room. If the room is decorated in a classic direction, then folding plywood chairs should be truly graceful. They need to be painted and then varnished. For a country style, a product without any special decoration is suitable, while a Provence room needs a chair decorated with fabrics.
The main rule is to strictly follow the instructions.
To do this, we cut out the foam rubber in the shape of a seat, cover it with fabric, and fix it to the seat with a stapler.
Next, we determine the complexity of manufacturing. It all depends on your initial skills. It is better for beginners to take on simple designs only. Working on them will help you gain invaluable experience that will definitely come in handy in the future. If you have experience, feel free to experiment with complex shapes!
Handmade chairs will be an excellent gift option for any occasion.
The stool is held open with wooden spikes.
A soft seat will highlight the interior of the room and make the process of using the chair more comfortable.
The most important aspect is the size of the product. Creating diagrams and drawings is not a task for beginners. Experts recommend that people without experience use standard sizes. The height of the chair can always be adjusted. The correspondence between a person’s height and the required height of the product is presented in the table.
| Height | Chair height |
| Up to 130 cm | 30 cm |
| From 130 to 145 cm | 34 cm |
| From 145 to 165 cm | 42 cm |
| From 160 to 175 cm | 46 cm |
| Above 175 cm | 48 cm |
Making chairs from plywood needs to be done carefully so as not to spoil the materials.
The seat can be hard, especially if the chair is needed for household needs.
What to consider when choosing a design
A stool is a versatile piece of furniture that can be hidden in a closet or garage if desired. But in order for the finished product to be truly functional, the choice of design must be approached competently . Factors such as the shape and size of the stool, as well as the type of upholstery, must be taken into account.
Stools with different upholstery
Form
When choosing a stool design, you need to pay attention to the shape of the finished product - it should match the shape of the table. For example, if the table is rectangular, then round stools will not go well with it. Furniture items should complement each other.
Homemade folding stools
Upholstery type
Due to the fact that the plywood stool will be used intensively, it is advisable to select types of materials for upholstery that do not require special care. Such materials include eco-leather, flock and other washable options. Of course, the color of the upholstery should be combined with the interior of the room.
The upholstery should be durable and low maintenance
Chair dimensions
Another important criterion that you need to pay attention to when choosing a stool design. To make the products convenient to store and use, their height and width should allow stools to be placed under the table. This rule does not apply to bar stools, because they should initially be high.
DIY stool ladder
Preparing materials
The following materials and tools will help you make a chair with your own hands:
- sheet of plywood (2 cm thick, dimensions – 600x900 mm);
- foam rubber (70 mm thick);
- furniture fabric;
- sheet of cardboard (dimensions 600x900);
- pencil;
- ruler;
- Sander;
- construction stapler;
- PVA glue;
- electric jigsaw;
- self-tapping screws;
- conductor for furniture assembly;
- hammer;
- bolts with sleeves.
Having decided on the purpose, it is worth choosing a style direction.
An assembly jig is not a home tool
Furniture
A chair or armchair is usually a compromise between ergonomics (in other words, comfort) and practicality.
A simple wooden or plywood seat is practically not dirty and can be easily washed if necessary. There will never be untidy stains from sauce or fat on it; Your cat probably won’t even think of sharpening its claws on a wooden seat.
The price of practicality is convenience: a horizontal flat seat and an equally flat back are quite tiring during long work or during a feast.
On the other hand, all types of soft furniture upholstery constantly suffer from all of the above troubles. Light furniture fabric darkens within just six months of active use; The presence of animals or children at home aggravates the picture.
Furniture made from bent plywood has the advantages of both solutions:
- The shape of the seat and back evenly distributes body weight over the maximum area, reducing fatigue from a static posture and without impairing blood circulation;
- At the same time, caring for such furniture remains extremely simple. It does not require re-upholstery; Removal of dirt is reduced to simple wiping using mild cleaning agents.
Ergonomic plywood chair.
Let us clarify: over time, small scratches often appear on the varnish and polishing. A chair made of bent plywood can be easily polished with a felt wheel or defects can be removed by re-varnishing.
Some useful tips
- Plywood is inexpensive. It will last longer if it is made of birch. Birch wood is durable, easy to process, and easily tolerates painting and various finishes. You cannot use sheets of plywood that are too thin. Be sure to stick to the specified thickness. A thin sheet will not support the weight of a person, it will break, and can even lead to injury.
- An assembly jig is not a home tool. It can only be found from a person who has long been engaged in the independent production of furniture structures. If you don’t have such a tool, it’s better to purchase one. He will help you assemble the chair structure as professionally as possible.
- It is not necessary to use foam rubber with furniture fabric to create a comfortable seat. The seat can be hard, especially if the chair is needed for household needs.
If the room is decorated in a classic direction, then folding plywood chairs should be truly graceful.
Plywood is inexpensive. It will last longer if it is made of birch.
Preparation of the drawing
I would also like to say a few words about how to prepare for the subsequent production and assembly of chairs.
You always need to start with preparing a drawing. Even if you liked a certain chair from a photo, you cannot blindly copy it.
You need to clearly understand what dimensions will be in certain structural elements. And for this you can’t do without a drawing.
The project is being developed according to the following plan:
- First, draw a sketch of your future homemade furniture. Already here the dimensions and proportions should be laid down;
- In the form of a diagram, depict the main parts from which the chair will be assembled;
- Finalize each component. Make sure they match the specified dimensions. Especially in those places where the elements will be connected to each other;
- Next comes the development of components in millimeters;
- Apply markings to the sheet of plywood in such a way that it is convenient to cut out the elements, but at the same time you can save as much material as possible. Taking one sheet for each part is impractical. Here it’s easier and cheaper to buy a ready-made chair;
- Based on the drawing and markings, cut out the templates. You can use them to cut the sheet plywood itself.
You don't have to draw everything by hand.
Nowadays you can find many ready-made schemes online. All you have to do is print them out. Or use computer drawing programs. Then print out the finished diagram and get to work.
Step-by-step instruction
Step 1 – creating templates. To do this, prepare cardboard, a ruler, and a pencil. We first transfer the drawing of the chair onto cardboard, cut out all the details, and then transfer them to the plywood itself.
Step 2 – cutting out the parts. To make a chair with your own hands, you need to prepare all its components. They can be cut from plywood using an electric jigsaw. The parts are cut out clearly along the marked lines.
Step 3 – sanding the parts. The chair should come out neat, so all parts need to be carefully sanded and trimmed. If a special grinding machine is not available, then you can use regular sandpaper.
Step 4 – creating holes for the hinges. The location of the holes must be consistent with the drawing. It is better to use bolts with sleeves as hinges. To increase the fixation strength of the sleeves, they should be secured in the holes with glue.
Step 5 – forming the holes for the tenons. The folding chair is held open using wooden spikes. For them, holes should be made with a Forstner drill.
Step 6 – assembly of the structure. Now we assemble the chair according to the drawing. Then make a seat. To do this, we cut out the foam rubber in the shape of a seat, cover it with fabric, and fix it to the seat with a stapler.
Next, we determine the complexity of manufacturing.
The height of the chair can always be adjusted.
If you have experience, feel free to experiment with complex shapes!
Bending plywood
Now we will study the technology: how to bend plywood so that it retains its shape forever and does not lose strength.
In practice, two solutions are used:
- creation of bent-glued products;
- bending with steaming.
Bent glued parts
The essence of the method is gluing a large number of thin layers of plywood onto a shaped template.
The part is assembled from several glued blanks.
Please note: the ideal solution would be to glue individual layers of veneer. However, in practice, it is much easier to find on sale not veneer, but plywood 3-4 mm thick.
Instructions for making an arch or seat with your own hands look like this:
- Several pieces are cut from a thin sheet with a small (2-4 mm) allowance in size. Their number depends on the requirements for the final strength of the product: for a chair, a total thickness of 12 - 15 mm is sufficient, for an arch - 10;
- A template of the required shape is made from wood or other auxiliary materials. It can be solid or framed; the main thing is that its design allows you to attract the glued product to the template. For fixation, clamps, weights or ordinary ropes with gaskets made of slats or bars can be used;
Fixing the workpiece on the template.
- The blanks are coated with PVA glue. Its strength is quite sufficient for reliable connection of veneer layers: if the part is destroyed, the veneer will delaminate rather than the adhesive seam itself;
Attention: the fibers of the top layer of veneer must be perpendicular to the bending axis. Otherwise, cracks may appear.
- The product is fixed and left in a static position until the glue dries completely. For PVA, taking into account the air permeability of plywood, drying usually takes no more than two days;
- Then the surface and edges of the wooden part are sanded and coated with paint or varnish.
The photo clearly shows the edges of the parts that need processing.
An important point: after applying the first layer of coating, intermediate sanding with fine sandpaper is necessary. Otherwise, the raised pile (wood fibers in the top layer of veneer) will make the surface rough.
Solid bent parts
Is it possible to make seats or chair legs from a single sheet of thick plywood? It's possible; however, the likelihood of receiving a defective product in this case will be much higher. The fact is that in order to bend the wood you will have to steam it in hot water or, which is much more reasonable, in steam; there is always a risk of veneer delamination.
How to steam the workpiece?
| Method | Short description |
| Hot bath | The product is placed in a bathtub filled with hot water for 30 minutes and pressed down with any heavy object. |
| Steam chamber | A steaming chamber is assembled from the boards, to which a stream of steam from a boiling kettle is supplied with a hose. Steaming takes 30 – 60 minutes depending on the thickness of the sheet |
| Humidification and iron | The workpiece is generously moistened with water and ironed with a hot iron. The operation is repeated until the sheet begins to bend with moderate force. |
In this case, the steamed part is fixed on the template and left to dry for 7–10 days. If the workpiece is of significant thickness, transverse cuts are first made on the inner surface of the bend in increments of 10 mm; After bending and drying the part, they are filled with epoxy resin or PVA glue, followed by sanding.
The method is suitable for making parts, the inside of which will be hidden from the viewer.
Decoration
Today, much more attention is paid to the interior of a room and the appearance of its contents than twenty years ago. This is not surprising, because original design solutions have come into fashion. A simple chair made of ordinary plywood is definitely not the ultimate dream. It can (should!) be improved with a little decor.
You can use varnish to decorate the chair. A product coated with varnish will already look much more attractive. If you want to add color, you will need a good wood paint. You can choose any color: red, blue, white, brown. It is better to select colors based on the color scheme of the room’s interior. After painting, the product is also varnished.
Applying ornaments is another interesting way to decorate furniture. To do this, you need to use a thin brush and paints of different colors. You can look at drawing ideas from photos on the Internet, or come up with your own. It is better to use waterproof paints.
Fabric can also become a decoration for the product. A soft seat will highlight the interior of the room and make the process of using the chair more comfortable. It will be ideal if you use fabric identical to the fabric of the furniture located in the room to decorate the chair.
It is better for beginners to take on simple designs only.
The most important aspect is the size of the product.
Additional elements or how to improve the cabinet
At the final stage of work, the appearance of the product is finalized. It consists of attaching decor, plugs and handles.
Sliding doors and retractable shelves will add greater functionality to the furniture. For their fastenings, metal profiles or supports for wheels are used. The door strips are secured with special furniture bolts. Profiles are installed in the lower and upper parts of the frame and in the door itself.
Often products are decorated with large mirrors, which must be securely attached to the doors. For this, glue, profiles and special bolts are used. If the model assumes side shelves, they are installed at the final stage.
Then they begin painting and varnishing. In order for the appearance of the finished product to be harmonious, it is worth using special foam. Small pores of the sheets can be treated with a cotton or foam swab.
If you do the work correctly and consistently, even a beginner in carpentry can assemble a cabinet. The process is quite clear and simple.
Where can it be used?
A rocking chair in general can be installed anywhere, be it a room or a veranda in the garden. But most often it can be seen in a spacious living room in a private house or in the garden. In the latter case, rocking chairs are often made of either metal or rattan. The products are characterized by increased strength; when properly processed, they are not afraid of water, are durable and can really not only decorate the garden, but also create a real relaxation area in it. Moreover, the rocking chair will feel great both on the veranda and on the lawn or garden path, where it will not disturb anyone.
Rattan rocking chair
On a note! In the garden you can put not just a rocking chair for one person, but also a real rocking sofa or a bench that can accommodate several people at once.
Also, rocking chairs fit perfectly into the interior of large and spacious rooms, especially those made in a certain style. Of course, with modern design solutions, you should abandon the traditional rocking chair, but a stylized chair will fit even into a high-tech room.
Rocking chair made of boards and plywood
