Turning a Chair into a Swivel Rocker

Materials: Ektorp Jennylund Chair, swivel rocker base and hardware, a 2x4, a 1x2, a piece of 3/4" plywood, scissors, wood screws

Description: We had searched tirelessly for a rocker or glider to put in our baby's room.

First of all, they are expensive.
Secondly, they are almost always HUGE. Even if we were able to find one we liked for cheap, it probably wouldn't fit in our itty-bitty nursery.
Thirdly, we wanted a white upholstered rocker but couldn't find one with a washable slip cover and we refused to pay over $500 for something that would be ruined if anything ever spilled on it, (which is inevitable in a child's room).

Everything out there was either too large or way too expensive.

So, what were we to do?
Turn to IKEA, of course.

We found an Ektorp Jennylund Chair in the "as is" section.
It was 45% off.
Why?
It had no legs.

We must have been the only people in the world searching for that chair and planning to take off the legs after we brought it home.
It was meant to be.

We ordered a swivel rocker base from an online chair parts store and simply installed it onto the bottom of the Jennylund.

First, we flipped the chair upside down and cut the black fabric off of the bottom.

The frame of the chair has pieces of wood across the back and the front, but the piece in the front was lower than the one in the back, so we screwed the 1x2 onto the front side in order to make a level surface for the plywood to sit on.

Next, we screwed a piece of 3/4" thick plywood right into those two (now level) "support beams" that run across the front and back of the chair. (The thicker wood was necessary since there is no beam running across the middle of the chair for support.)

In order to make it tall enough for the slipcover to clear the ground, we added two pieces of 2x4, (screwed into the plywood).

Finally, we screwed the swivel rocker base into the 2x4s and...

Tah-dah!

It is inexpensive, the perfect size, super comfy, and has a washable slip cover.
We love it!

See more of the swivel rocker chair.

~ Heather and Christian, Carmel, IN