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How to Restore a Child's Victorian Carpet Rocker

A child's Victorian carpet rocker is a child-size rocking chair with an upholstered seat, back, and sometimes, arms. The upholstery is made out of thick carpet and is usually patterned. Restoring these pieces after decades of use and wear involves a combination of resurfacing the wood portion of the rocker and cleaning the upholstered portions to bring both back to their original condition. Once restored, the chair can be used by your children or it can be a unique conversation piece in your home.

Things You'll Need

Tarp
Latex gloves
Pant stripper
2 - paintbrushes
Scraper
120-grit sandpaper
Stain - your choice of shade
Upholstery cleaner
Rag

Instructions

- 1
  Lay out a tarp in a well-ventilated area, preferably outside, and put on a pair of latex gloves to protect your hands. Apply paint stripper onto the wooden portions of the rocker with a brush if it has been painted. Do not get the stripper on the upholstery. The paint will bubble up. Scrape it away.
- 2
  Sand down the wood portion of the rocker to remove any stray paint or to remove the wood finish currently on the rocker. This is best done by hand because of the detail work involved in the chair's design.
- 3
  Paint the wooden portions of the rocker with the stain of your choice. Paint in the direction of the wood grain. Let the stain dry, then apply another coat. Continue this until you are happy with the shade of stain. You do not want to get any stain on the upholstery.
- 4
  Pour upholstery cleaner onto a rag and dab at any stains on the upholstery. Do not scrub. Let the cleaner dry, then apply again until the upholstery is clean.

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