I knew when my son was about one year old that I wanted to get him a really cute toddler chair to read and sit in. I saw all the character chairs at the chain stores, but there weren't really any popular movies that fit the nautical theme in his room. I LOVED the upholstered chairs that looked like adult chairs and the Thomas the Train chair just didn't have the look I was going for. I looked online and found this chair by KidsKraft for around $150. I have since purchased two other items from KidsKraft that are in my son's room that I love, so I do appreciate the quality of their workmanship, but this price just seemed a little steep for something that would be outgrown so quickly.
So I did a little more searching and found a plain blue chair on Walmart.com for only $45. Surely, I could turn a plain chair like this into something like the chair that I really wanted. Besides, the ottoman wasn't really on my wish list anyway. It was time to head to the craft store!
A little rope, four buttons and I was ready to go! I already owned some fishing wire and a needle and thread to sew with. I think it turned out super cute and the supplies at the craft store cost less than $10! Total cost of the chair $60! Way less than half of the one I found online plus I was able to customize the colors the way I wanted them!
Note about the current state of the chair: Somewhere between the dog and the toddler, the buttons are no longer on the chair. Once they started getting loose, I decided to take them off for safety reasons. Hot glue might have been an option to keep the buttons on, but I like the chair without buttons too.