Some of my favorite DIYs have started with looking at something I love and wondering, could I make my own version of that?
Years ago, I fell in love with a leather butterfly chair I had seen at Urban Outfitters. I loved the relaxed shape, warm leather and slightly collected feel of it—but instead of buying one, I decided to see what I could create with an old camping chair I already had.
The Idea
The camping chair had the basic folding structure I needed, but visually, it was nowhere near the piece I had in mind.
I stripped it back to the metal frame and used the original seat as a starting point for developing a new butterfly-shaped cover. From there, the project became a mix of experimenting, sewing and figuring things out as I went.
For the seat, I layered canvas with brown leather to give it that soft, slouchy butterfly-chair shape, then finished the metal frame in gold to warm everything up. The final construction involved creating a canvas slipcover with pockets that fit over the existing frame, adding the leather layer, and refinishing the base.
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Figuring It Out as I Went
This was definitely one of those projects where the idea came more easily than the execution.
At the time, I was still a beginner at sewing, and there were plenty of moments when I wasn't entirely sure what I was doing. I even broke a sewing machine needle trying to get through some of the thicker folded sections.
But that's also what I still love about this project.
It wasn't perfect. It was an experiment—and proof that sometimes making something yourself is really just being willing to start, problem-solve along the way and see where the idea takes you.
Want to See How I Made It?
I filmed the process as I transformed the old camping chair into the finished butterfly chair.
Watch the DIY Butterfly Chair video below to see the full transformation.