How to Paint Wicker Furniture Shabby Chic Style

2 Materials
$30
1 Day
Easy

Do you love shabby chic wicker furniture? Let me show you how I refinished these outdoor wicker chairs with a little love and spray paint.

Old Wicker Furniture Chairs

It is so expensive to purchase new wicker furniture these days with prices upwards of $500+ per piece. And for just $15 you can buy 3 cans of spray paint and recycle an old thrifted wicker furniture piece so quickly and easily.

I found these two wicker furniture chairs a few years ago off of Facebook Marketplace for about $125 each.

They were white and very shabby chic at the time I bought them.

They’ve since been painted yellow, and now the dark brown color that they are today.


Can you paint over wicker furniture?

Absolutely, it can be a very quick and easy upcycle too, my favorite kind!

I prefer spray painting wicker furniture, as it’s so much easier with all the texture and gaps in the wicker weaving.


How to Choose Your Spray Paint

I chose Rust-Oleum’s Deep Blue Gloss to use as the spray paint for today’s project.

  • You’ll want to make sure to use the right paint for the material your furniture is made of. The spray paint cans will list the materials that they work well with like wicker, metal, wood, etc..
  • You’ll also need to consider the elements (indoor vs outdoor; covered porch vs exposed patio, etc.) when choosing your spray paint.
  • I have also found that most local hardware stores will not carry 6+ cans of the same spray paint color as an FYI. So plan ahead!


How to Spray Paint Wicker Furniture

  • Start with a platform. I used an old pallet and 2 sawhorses. But you could use something as easy as old bedsheets. I like to elevate what I’m painting with sawhorses, as it’s easier on the back.
  • Buy all your supplies ahead of time so you don’t run out.
  • Clean the wicker furniture with a rag, shopvac, and/or a garden hose.
  • Sand the wooden pieces like the legs or rockers if needed.
  • I highly recommend painting gloves, as I have yet to find a way to spray paint without getting paint all over my hands.
  • And a KN95 face mask is also recommended to avoid the spray paint fumes.
  • Start by spray painting vertically with the grain of your wicker. Then go back and spray paint the wicker horizontally. This will ensure the paint is getting into all the crevises of the wicker furniture.
  • Spray paint about 8″ inches away from the furniture to avoid dripping and running.


How Long Does it Take for Wicker Paint to dry?

I let the first coat of spray paint dry for about an hour and then I reapplied a second coat, letting it also sit for another hour. It may appear dry to the touch at this time, but I always give my painted wicker furniture pieces 24 hours before I begin to use them.

Here you can see this chair with one coat of deep blue spray paint and the brown is still showing through, requiring a second coat.

And here is the wicker furniture chair after two coats of deep blue on the backside.

Be sure to walk all around the wicker furniture looking for missed spots, as painting wicker can be so tricky with all its intricacies.


You May Also Like These Blue Shabby Chic Decor Ideas Too:

  • Robin’s Egg Blue Rustic Chair
  • Colorful Wicker Chairs Summer Makeover
  • Decorate With Colorful Wicker Furniture
  • A Blue Chair and Side Table

I love this deep blue color for a home on the coast. It reminds me of my friend, Molly in Maine over on Instagram and Kim from Shiplap and Shells at her 100-year-old cottage on the Puget Sound.

But as for today, it’s the start of mud season here in Vermont, so I added two white faux sheepskins to each blue wicker furniture chair for this shabby chic comfortable style.

What is Mud Season?

Mud Season is the period between winter and spring where thawing occurs and is informally referred to as Vermont’s fifth season. Its trademark feature: all the mud. This time period depends on the weather but historically begins around the snowmelt in late March or early April and finishes in early June.

And of course, Ella immediately jumped up to try it out…

I haven’t decided yet whether I will keep these here in Vermont, sell them at my booth, or maybe bring them to the coast with me this summer.

Do you have any tips or hacks that you would like to share when painting wicker furniture?

SHOP THIS POST

I’m so glad you dropped by, and if you are new to my blog, welcome! I hope you enjoyed your visit with us here today at our Home in Vermont.

Be sure to also check out our Home in Coastal Maine where we spend summers and weekends when we are craving a walk on the beach or a visit with old friends.

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Resources for this project:
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Ann | Dabbling & Decorating
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  2 questions
  • Melanie Melanie on Mar 29, 2023

    Does the spray paint hold up to the elements and traffics of setting in them often? By the way, they are beautiful!

  • Cher Cher on Mar 30, 2023

    These turned out fantastic...i just inheritied a completed set of wicker from the elders...I've been considering painting them something other then white...love this blue shade!!

    Thank you for sharing Ann...I too was born & raised in VT...your view is breathtaking but isnt that everywhere in VT???


    Ella did a great job too!!


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