Paint Cane Furniture Without Painting the Cane

I have been on the hunt for this rocker for a few months now as I have a loft area in my home that can be seen from outside and the front lobby. I knew I needed a piece of furniture that looked just as beautiful from the back as it does from the front- enter my thoughts being stuck on cane furniture.
I would see them pop up for sale on Facebook marketplace for $50-$100 but I knew I wanted a better deal so I waited until one became at our local Habitat for Humanity and snagged it.
She was in pretty rough shape so I got it for $15! The price was right.
Once I got it home I spent time filling all the knicks and scratches. Wood fill is a putty-like consistency that dries hard and then you are able to sand it down. After the wood filler dried, I lightly sanded the entire chair with 220 sandpaper so that the paint would adhere nicely. Next, I used a multi-purpose cleaner to get all the dust and dirt off of the chair.
Now, we have to protect the cane! I overtaped where I needed to and cut along the edge of the cane with a knife to reveal a very clean and crisp tape line. Then I made sure to push down the tape again along all the cane so it adhered nicely.
Finally, I gave the chair two coats of my favorite Benjamin Moore Advance paint and ta-da! Brand new chair!!
Finally snagged the chair I had my heart set on!
I needed paint, wood filler, and sandpaper to get this one done.
Tape over all the cane and then cut back the tape for a crisp, clean line.
Get to painting!
The cane was perfect and the chair came out great.
Enjoyed the project?
Resources for this project:
Comments
Join the conversation
-
Shirley Hines-Lee on Mar 02, 2022
Love the color. I rocked my babies in mine some 40 years ago. My bentwood rocker is still in beautiful condition, but needs an paint update. I've been pondering white, gray or black. Thinking black has it. Thank you for the inspiration.
-
-
Doreen Kennedy on Mar 02, 2022
Your bentwood rocker looks beautiful. Sure wished I’d saved mine from 1981.
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
How do you fix the chain part of a chair my son broke through it
How do I replace the "rope" on my chair? It is all rotten?
Isn't that what painters tape if for?