DIY Tire Chair

Old tires are in abundance everywhere and we all change the tires on our cars every winter and spring. So, why not reuse those old tires for some fantastic DIY projects like this beautiful DIY tire chair. Tires are great to work with and they are probably the best material to start off your DIY career. This great DIY tire chair can be made in just couple of hours and it’ll last you for years to come.

First of all let’s see what do we need for this project:

• a tire (new or used one)
• two pieces of MDF boards 1/4 inch thick (size depends on the size of your tire)
• drill
• jigsaw (for cutting MDF in circle if it isn’t already cut)
• screwdriver
• hot glue gun and at least six tubes of glue
• natural twisted sisal rope 1/4 inch thick
• protective sealer and a brush

Before you start with the project you must thoroughly wash the tire. If you have a new tire than you can skip this step. Use strong detergent to wash the tire and rinse it outside with a hose. Let it dry completely, it takes about three hours. Then wipe the tire with a clean dry cloth to prepare it for the project. Next step is to cut the MDF. MDF or Medium Density Fiberboard is a material similar to plywood but it’s much harder and more durable. You must cut the MDF in a circle 2 inches smaller than the outside diameter of a tire. It’s best to use jigsaw to cut the MDF because it’s very hard to do this with a hand saw.

If you don’t know how to use a jigsaw, you can check our How to use a jigsaw tutorial. When you are finished with cutting, place the MDF on the tire and drill three holes around the edge of the MDF. Make sure that you drill through the MDF and all the way through the tire. Use screws a size thicker than the holes and screw the MDF on the tire. Repeat the process on the other side of the tire. The base for your new DIY tire chair is finished and now you can start with the upholstering.

Take your natural twisted sisal rope and place it in the middle of the MDF. Don’t ever use plastic rope because the glue will melt it and it will not look good. Natural twisted sisal rope is made out of natural fibers and you can buy it in any hardware store. First take you hot glue gun and put some glue in the center of the MDF on the top of your DIY tire chair. We advise you to use hot glue gun because the glue is dry almost immediately and if you use regular glue you have to wait for glue to dry. Glue the end of the sisal rope and press well, then put some glue around it and start to shape the rope in a snake pattern. Remember to take your time and to put the glue before each line.

Continue to glue line by line and remember to press the rope firmly. If you done everything correct you should cover the top part equally. Slowly start to cover the sides of the chair and after first two lines turn the chair upside down. This is the best position for gluing the rope to the sides because you can press the rope to the tire and down at the same time. Continue to cover the sides until you come to the MDF base and then simply cut off the remaining rope. You don’t need to cover MDF on the bottom because it will be on the ground but you can do that part also if you want to have double sided DIY tire chair.

Your new DIY tire chair is now finished and all you have to do now is to apply the protective sealer on the rope. Don’t skip this step because otherwise the rope will be hard to the touch and you will have small whiskers of rope everywhere. Protective sealer isn’t expensive and you can get it anywhere. Simply apply it to the rope with a brush and leave it overnight to dry. If you want to paint your chair then you don’t need to apply the protective sealer because the paint will do that task. The next day your new DIY tire chair is ready to use. Try it out, it’s easy and fun to make.