Turning flea-market finds and cast-offs into up-to-date furnishings typically requires an expensive and extended stay at an upholstery shop. So when I discovered that The Furniture Joint, in Manhattan's East Village, offers a 12-hour, experience-based upholstery course that teaches a thrifter to rehab a tired chair, I signed right up.

After the class, I attempted my first project: a worn Louis XV-inspired chair with carved fleur-de-lis details and pretty cabriole legs that were overpowered by a dowdy fruit-patterned fabric. With help from the shop's owner and course instructor, Matthew Haly, and interior designer (and fellow student) Jennifer Eisenstadt, we made over the chair in a single day.

Price point: For the average DIYer, upholstery will prove itself a challenging but rewarding activity that can save on decorating costs. Look for classes at local trade schools, or consult a book that details the basic techniques, such as Upholstery: A Beginners' Guide (Guild of Master Craftsman). Projects that require tufting, pleats, or major restoration are best left to professionals. To strip and reupholster this chair, a pro would charge about $350, in addition to the cost of materials.

Fabric facts: Selecting upholstery fabric involves several important steps. First, consider function: This side chair won't receive as much use as a sofa, so a more delicate material, such as this 100-percent silk "Poppea" fabric from The Silk Trading Co., is appropriate here. Next, the amount of fabric comes into play. This type of chair requires a small amount of yardage, so we splurged on this more expensive fabric that makes a big statement. When estimating fabric yardage, remember to take the repeat into consideration. If a repeated pattern is centered, add half a yard to your estimate. Finally, be sure to smooth out and center the fabric, iron out wrinkles, and then "make nice and measure twice" to avoid costly mistakes.