Wicker chairs makeover in bold red!
Last summer I spotted my aunt giving away a couple of wicker chairs on her Facebook page on a “first come first serve basis” I jumped on them! They were so darned cute I couldn’t help myself! They were a bit beat up and needed a good bath but I really thought that they would clean up just fine. I don’t have ANY experience with wicker furniture but these two were on my list to get done as early this spring as I could. So, I stopped by Ace hardware after I left work one Friday and picked up three cans of outdoor tinted primer, three cans of outdoor red spray paint and two cans of spray-on outdoor sealant. Then, I covered my garage floor with a tarp on Saturday morning and got to work!
You see here where the worst of the wicker damage was. After some debating I realized there wouldn’t be any “real” fixing it for me that morning but I thought I could at least support the wicker enough so no more damage would happen and, also, down play the damage as much as I could. I grabbed some wire from the barn and just started strapping it all down and together as best as I could.
I also flipped both of the chairs over and put a cross of wire under the seats just for a little added support. All in these wicker chairs were certainly sturdy enough but I wanted to help them out and prolong their lives as long as I possibly could.
I used a tinted primer and put it on HEAVY. These were probably the easiest pieces of outdoor furniture I’ve ever painted in the sense that they were so dry and desperate that it was impossible to make a drip lol. However, painting wicker is not easy, I hit it from every side and angle I possibly could and I still sit down in these chairs and notice places where you can see a hint of blue still showing through. After doing two heavy coats of primer I then put two heavy coats of red paint on them as well. Over the course of the entire day I finally put on one heavy coat of spray on outdoor sealant and tucked them away in a safe spot in the garage to dry for 24 hours.
All in I am pretty excited for how these little wicker chairs turned out!
I had one last outdoor table cloth left over from my Goose hunting chairs to sun loungers project that I simply wrapped those big cushions in and tied them underneath with baling twine. These little wicker chairs are amazingly comfortable! Granted my husband tells me they’re a little low to the ground for him, well I’m not a very big or tall person so they’re about right for me. You kind of fall and “sink” into them – these are some real relaxation chairs right here!
Sorry for the wet photos guys! I knew I should have taken the after pictures yesterday afternoon when it was sunny out. We’re getting just pounded with storms right now, which is good because we really need to the rain, but maybe not so good for after pictures of red wicker chairs!
Anyway, thanks for stopping by guys!
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I’m Tarah!
It’s been a hell of a ride since I started this blog and renovated and moved into this old farm house back in 2015. I got married, divorced, lost my doggo soul mate, spent two years as a single gal, remodeled everything, threw my back out countless times and was even found by an amazing guy in my own backyard! (The story behind Storyhardt Farm.)
Around here we’re totally fearless when it comes to bettering our home. We love to refinish old furniture, re-purpose old pieces, build it from scratch and totally renovate anything that needs it! If we can do it – so can you. We’ve got some serious plans for this old farm and, for first time ever, I have a real partner!
This is gonna be so much fun!
You can also find out more about the amazing Grandma behind this blog who moved in to this old farmhouse with my Grandpa nearly 70 years ago!
Fabulous!
Thank you Kathy!
Wicker is so hard to spray paint, your right! Those little, un-painted spots hide way down in the cracks . . . I’m glad you persisted though 🙂 These look really cute, I like the bold red! Thanks so much for linking up to Friday’s Furniture Fix!
Thank you Melanie! 🙂
I think the bold new look is terrific, Tarah. The fabric you chose is so fun and is a nice match with the red paint. Thanks so much for linking your posts up with us regularly at Vintage Charm. It’s so nice to have you party with us 🙂
Thank you so much Diana! At first I wasn’t sure about the fabric but it has definitely grown on me!
I absolutely adored how they turned out! Love the red and the cushions. Have a great week!
Thanks for coming by!!
What an amazing transformation!! Thanks for sharing on the Pleasures of the NW’s DIY party-and don’t forget to leave a comment at the party – Next week’s features that also leave a comment get pinned and tweeted!
Thank you Helen, will do!
Aw you really made them shine again, these two wicker chairs are lovely! The colour is perfect and the cushions look super! I just drove by a wicker chair the other day, it was in bad shape and I didn’t really know how I could fix it… shame, now I wish I had picked it up!
Hey Katrin, I would love someday to learn how to really “fix” wicker but the paint sure spruced them up!
What a great makeover! I love the color of the chairs, too. Thanks for sharing with us at Funtastic Friday.
Thank you Sherry!!
Your chairs look awesome. I saw that red and I just had to click on them.
Thank you Angela, I love the red too!!
Nice save. The new color makes them so cheery and they look great. Thanks for sharing this on Merry Monday.
Thank you Erlene!
What a transformation! I love red and they are so darn cute!! Thanks for sharing them with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thank you Jann!!
Well if you ask me, a little red spray paint makes everything better.
Happy Thoughts of Home. 🙂
I totally agree! Thanks Stacey!
These look so great!! 🙂
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Thank you!!
Those look great, I wouldn’t have been able to pass those up either. Great job!
Thank you Christine, red spray paint makes everything better!
That pop of color is spot on I love it! Great makeover
Thank you Mary!
The chairs look great. Red is a happy color and they do look so comfy. It is a good place to relax in your pretty red chairs.
Thank you Debra, I think red spray paint improves almost any situation!
Like night and day, what a beautiful makeover! Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, have a great week.
Thank you Sandra!!
Those chairs are awesome! Wicker really is hard to paint or stain, and it looks like you did a great job. I love the idea of using outdoor table cloths for the cushions, too. Thanks for sharing at the #happynowlinkup!
Thank you!!
Oh gosh … these are adorable chairs! I love how you refurbished them xo
Thank you!!
Love how the wicker chairs turned out. Great job!
Bev
Thank you Beverly!!
An awesome color and a job well done. Ana amazing transformation.
Kathleen
Bloggers Pit Stop
Thank you Kathleen!
You’re so creative to think of wire to support the wicker. I wouldn’t have thought of that!
Thanks Carol!
Wow, these really are stunning, especially with the pretty fabric you used on the seats. Pinning
Thank you Marie!
I cant seem to ever pass up free pieces to refurb either, lol! Your recycle project came out beautifully! Thanks for sharing it at Fridays Furniture Fix!
Thank you so much Brenda!
The red is a great improvement… really fits the country farmhouse theme. They look much better. 🙂
Thanks!
Love those chairs. Very nice.
Thank you Patrick!
The bright red chairs with the colorful cushions make such a cheerful statement for you deck! After painting, you can’t see where you wired the broken places. They now have a lot more life left in them. I bet that when she put it on FB, your aunt knew it would be you who came to pick those chairs up. ha-ha
Hey Carol, thank you! And, yup, when my aunt saw my reply she said, “I knew it would be you, can’t wait to see what you do with them!”
These look amazing in red! They look so much more modern. I would love to have those on my deck!
Thanks Cassie!
I love the red, I know what you mean about wicker Tarah, I painted a laundry basket white – you think you have everywhere but I still spot bits I missed !!
Thanks Amber! Yup painting wicker is definitely time consuming, I can’t imagine not using a spray can to do it but I have read about people using a paint brush… I wonder if it would be easier to get in the nooks or harder like that?
The bold red makeover really makes these little chairs pop. Such a nice backdrop with the barn and the super shiny wood patio. It just says come sit here and enjoy the moment.
Spray painting is not my favorite activity, I am currently working on some outdoor chairs and its a struggle to see every little bit. I cannot imagine how hard wicker is to cover. Well done.
Hey Leanna, thank you! Yeah spray painting is definitely not my favorite activity either but I am really considering investing in a “real” paint sprayer some day. I spent hours upon hours hand painting our outdoor furniture and it really broke me lol
I am not your neighbor, and I am already green with envy! Wow, so beautiful!!!
Thank you Ivory, have a great weekend!
What a beautiful makeover. I love your choice of colors and fabric.
Thank you Miriam!
Wow…you sure did pick the perfect color….loving the red. Thanks for sharing this with us at the Waste Not Wednesday link party. Hope to see you back again this week.
Thank you!
Love the shape of these chairs! You really have them new life…they look great 🙂
Thanks for joining us at last week’s Reader Tip Tuesday. I’m hoping you join us this week: http://www.jodiefitz.com/2017/08/29/reader-tip-tuesday-weeks-craft-recipe-party/
We’re open all week & growing. Hope you have a GREAT weekend. xo
Thanks so much!
I love your choice of color! The red looks awesome, and it’s just the color I’ve been looking for. Can you tell me where I can find it and what the name of the color is? Thanks!
Thank you so much Toni! The color is one of the few colors available in Rustoleum spray paint, look for the bright red one 😉
These turned out beautiful! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Homestead Blog Hop!
Thank you Ann!
Hi Tarahlynn, I have painted three wicker chairs in my time. You did a fabulous job! Boy, O Boy it is difficult to get the coverage. I love your colour choice! I just received an antique wicker rocker for free! Free is always the best! I have gone back and forth with what colour I am going to use, but after seeing yours’ it sealed the deal!😃 I’m going red.
Thank you for sharing. Once winter is over I shall start my project. I was reading this is a group? I’m looking into it and will share when I am done.
Take care, Stacylyn😊
Thank you Stacylyn! This was my first time tackling wicker and, yep, they are a bugger to get full coverage! But totally worth it, those chairs were so comfy and lasted us many years!