DIY TUTORIAL: How To Paint A Wicker Loveseat

© Christy Hydeck -Don't tempt fate, karma or my lawyers by stealing.

I know, I know... it is has been half an eternity since I posted a blog entry. There is good reason for that, but I am not at liberty to divulge any more information ... yet.

I came dangerously close to axing this project from my blog.. (moi=picky, picky)... cuz' I wasn't feelin' the iPhone shots that I quickly snapped to share my re-do. Sadly, my DSLR camera was a mere 50+ feet inside, but alas, I couldn't be bothered. You know how it goes when you're in the-noone-disturb-me-im-changing-the-world-creative zone.

I scored this Pier 1 patio love-seat off of Craigslist. However, it was in far worse condition than the seller mentioned and desperately needed some tender loving care. As the photo says, it really is a cheap + easy revamp.

So, grab yourself a few things:

Old Wicker Furniture in dire need of a make-over -clean and prime it first for maximum longevity.
Indoor/Outdoor Brown Spray Paint - i like this and this.
Indoor/Outdoor Clear Poly Spray - i like this one.
Plastic Tarp/Sheeting - like this.
Bricks -to weigh down the tarp if it is windy.
A Sunny-ish, not terribly windy day
Sexy Mask Thingy -like this-to prevent breathing it inand suffering the respiratory consequences.
Patience - it is a virtue after all.
Earplugs- if you too have a neighbor who constantly tells you what to do

Then, do a few things to prepare:

I chose not to prime this particular piece. Frankly, I am not sure the condition will stand up much longer than this year - so I didn't want to invest the time in extra work. If you want the finish to last as long as possible, I would strongly recommend priming it after a good scrubbing.

Safety First: put on your im-sexy-and-i-know-it mask. Don gloves if desired as well.
Lay out your tarp in an area away from anything you do not want overspray on. Place bricks on each corner and where the legs of the furniture wil go.
Get all your supplies handy, play some happy music and get ready to work.

Now, let's have some fun:

Shake It Baby! Shake that can for a couple minutes then begin spraying the piece. The can will recommend a minimum distance to keep from it, follow that advice to avoid runs. Spray thinly and evenly in long, sweeping strokes.
After a thin coat is covering the entire piece, wait 30-45 minutes then recoat in the same manner.
To ensure good coverage on wicker, you'll want to flip and turn the piece to spray it from every conceivable angle.
After it is all covered, let it dry for 2 hours before spraying the clear coating on.
Give it 4-6 hours to dry as a whole before moving it back.
It is wise to wait 24 hours before setting cushions on it. I however, put them on after 6 hours with no ill effects.

I like to fill the time between drying and decorating by snapping and processing random shots with my iPhone.

After it has dried, add your cushions.

If you have tendon issues as I do, whine for 3 days about the pain + numbness in your hand/forearm.

I already had the back cushions here (from home depot last summer) and had planned to keep the cushion that came with the craigslist find - until i saw it was swarming with stink bugs. Yuck!! The germaphobe inside me won out over the thrifty side and I broke down and bought a cushion from Pier 1.