d*s reader leona jaeger kindly shared this great diy project she just finished. leona said, “i rescued this chair from a yard sale and decided it needed a little happiness (and in my world a dose of aqua and a bold flower or two does the trick).” i’d love to try this project on on a flat bench, credenza, or dresser (maybe an simple, affordable ikea version) with a fun stencil or craft punch. maybe something like these. thanks to leona for sharing.
[more before and afters next...]
19 Comments
This chair is super cute. Where did you get the flower design?
Did you make it?
I also had the thought that it would be fun to get some wall decals to use on furniture for a project like this and the one you suggested for an ikea cabinet.
Amazing! I wish I could not just see the potential in pieces like that, but act on it like leona did. How long did it take to do this?
This is lovely! Did you use a stencil or draw the flower freehand?
That’s really nice!
Oh, I love this chair – I’ve got a few chairs that I painted years ago that need some updating – wonderful inspiration! I’ve also used the oversized foam stamps that are easily found at someplace like Michael’s with great success. Once you get past the very juvenile butterflies and beach balls there are generally some good botanical patterns to be had.
what kind of paint was used? I did some commissioned furniture pieces in college but I think I was using the wrong paint – never came out this smooth.
A how-to on this would be great! Did you use stencils and how did you wrap them around the dowel pieces? Beautiful job!
Beautiful makeover! I’d love to know a bit more about how Leona did it.
Thank you, Grace, for posting this!
Thanks for the comments! : )
I didn’t use any type of stencil. The design is done freehand; I sketched a rough thumbnail draft on paper, just to work it out in my head a bit.
I lightly sanded the chair, put 1 coat of primer and two coats of aqua (interior eggshell) paint. I lightly sketched the pattern onto the chair, then did 2 coats of an acrylic craft paint and finished up with a couple coats of a clear/matte varnish (from a craft store). I wanted to make sure it would be easily wiped clean without damaging the design.
Thanks again for the compliments! You’ve encouraged me to be sure to tackle the two other “yard sale treasures” that are in my garage!( I plan to sell them when I’m done.)
Thanks, again, Grace!
Happy Thursday,
Leona J
That is LOVELY!
What a great job. Really a trash to treasure work. I have done outdoor Anarondack chairs. Painted them green, then stamped ferns in a lighter green on them. The cheap foam stamps from Michael’s worked well. I did not use the correct paint and it flaked off.
wow that is lovely…you should think about taking custom orders :)
What a talent you are! Is the chair for sale?
such a creative idea and so well executed. absolutely lovely. and inspiring.
I love this! I love to paint furniture and this is great inspiration! Fabulous.
Absolutely beautiful girl. I love the color and the bold flower. Keep up the creative ideas, and colors.
Absolutely beautiful, you did such a great job, I love the color and the bold flower.
Loved the colors and your flower is wonderful! For years I did just that – garage sale chairs, tables, high chairs – sanded and painted them with fun acrylic semi-gloss house paint and then free-hand little flowers, vines and leaves and ladybugs etc. followed by a protective coating of clear non-yellowing acrylic. It’s great fun and anyone can bring fun life into an old throwaway!
Wow! I always knew you were talented! It’s beautiful. Great job!!
Leave a Comment