How To Upcycle An Old Wooden Chair Into Beautiful Garden Decor

Are you looking for ways to add some unique and creative touches to your garden? Look no further than your old furniture! With a little bit of imagination and some basic tools, you can turn old furniture into beautiful garden decorations. How to upcycle an old wooden chair into beautiful garden decor.

As luck would have it, one day I was driving home from picking my kiddos up from school and there happened to be an old wooden chair sitting on the side of the road with a handwritten sign reading “FREE”.

Cue the happy dance!

I did what every craftaholic would do. I pulled over and stuffed the chair into my minivan (my kids have been begging me to get rid of my van for a long time…NEVER! It’s the best hauler for crap found on the side of the road! 😂 )

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As soon as I got home and unloaded the chair onto my patio, I did have a little bit of remorse. Why on earth did I need another chair and where in the heck would I put this thing?

But of course, those silly thoughts quickly moved out and I devised a plan to recycle this old chair into a garden decoration painted all pretty and with flowers; a great garden art chair! I figured I could place it under the Old Window Into Outdoor Garden Decor I painted not too long ago.

The Process

• 1. Wash chair with White Lightning Cleaner
• 2. Paint chair with Dixie Belle chalk paint
• 3. Apply Belles & Whistles Sunflower furniture transfer design
• 4. Seal with Gator Hide

Let’s go into all of this in deeper detail. **Be sure to watch my full video tutorial at the end of this post!

Chalk paint for old wooden chair

I get asked a lot of time what is the best type of paint to use when painting furniture? For almost all projects, I recommend using chalk paint. I just absolutely love how easy chalk paint is to apply and how quickly it covers the surface, as well as the durability it provides for the long-haul.

Chalk paint is a fantastic choice for painting old wooden chairs. It requires minimal prep work and can be applied directly to the surface without sanding or priming! Woot woot!

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How to prepare an old wooden chair for chalk paint

The first step is to clean the chair thoroughly to remove any dirt, grime, or grease. I clean all of the furniture pieces I’m going to paint with Dixie Belle White Lightning. I’ve never found a cleaner that cleans so thoroughly.

Following the thorough wipe down with White Lightning, use a clean, wet cloth and wipe down the entire surface to make sure that there is no residual cleaner still on the furniture.

What is the best way to apply chalk paint to a chair with spindles?

The chair I found on the side of the road had a spindle back. Painting a chair with spindles can be challenging, but there are some tips and tricks that can make the process easier. Here are some of the best ways to apply chalk paint to a chair with spindles.

1. Use a small brush: When painting spindles, it’s best to use a small brush that can fit between the narrow spaces. A round brush or a small foam brush can work well for this purpose
2. Thin the paint: Chalk paint can be thick, which can make it difficult to apply to spindles. To make the paint easier to work with, you can thin it down with a little bit of water. This will make it easier to apply the paint evenly and prevent drips
3. Apply 2nd coat: if a second coat of paint is needed, apply the additional coat when the first coat of paint is dry

Applying furniture transfer designs

Artistic rub-on furniture embellishments are such a fun way to add a decorative touch to a painted chair. I absolutely love using furniture transfers to take painted pieces of furniture to the next level! Check out these projects I’ve done:

• How To Apply Decorative Transfers to Drawer Sides
• Dixie Belle Magnolia Garden Transfer
• How To Apply Transfers to Wood To Make Small Signs
• DIY Wood Circle Ornaments Using Transfer Designs

Furniture transfers can be applied to various surfaces, including wood, metal, and glass, and come in a variety of designs and styles. Transfers come in different sizes and designs, so you can choose the one that best fits your project.

Sealing chalk paint

While wax is a popular choice for sealing chalk paint, it may not be the best option for furniture that will be heavily used or exposed to moisture. Since I planned to put my chair outside in our garden area, I needed to seal the wooden chair with Gator Hide, a product by Dixie Belle that repels water.

Video Tutorial