Much like my other home decor transformations, I’ve been focused on adding color to our home with different projects like the girls’ dressers and my bedroom makeover. I drastically updated our outdoor space a year ago with Moroccan-inspired jewel tones, so I’m going to extend this into the chairs that we have placed around our fire pit. I decided to paint each chair a different color using Rust-Oleum 2X spray paint. There are a couple of things you should know before using spray paint for your project.
What kind of surface are you painting? Whether metal, wood, or plastic, you want to make sure you find a paint that bonds to that surface. Most cans will tell you what you can use the paint on. In my case, I needed to cover plastic, which can sometimes be a little more difficult.
Prep your surface and paint area. Make sure you are in a well-ventilated area; outdoors is best. Make sure you protect surrounding areas from overspray with a backdrop of sorts, like a cardboard box, newspaper, or drop cloth. To prep the piece you are cleaning, make sure to scrub it clean with a little dish soap. Rinse it thoroughly and let it dry.
Learn to spray. Spray paint takes some getting used to, but here are a few things I found helpful. Spray in the direction of the grain. My plastic chairs have a woodgrain pattern as a texture, so I made sure to spray with the grain for a more even layer. While most spray paints are a paint-and-primer combination, if you are painting a dark surface with a lighter color you will need more than one coat. Darker colors, like the green I chose, only needed one coat. You’ll want to spray the entire project at one time and not in stages. Let it dry completely before doing another coat.
Grab the proper gear. Make sure you use a mask and gloves to protect you from the vapors and overspray of paint. Drop cloths or something to cover your surfaces from overspray.
For one chair, I needed two cans of the yellow to cover the dark brown. The green, however, needed only one coat and required only one can. After I was done painting each chair a different color, I decided to use a mandala stencil to paint a design on the back of the chairs. It went with the Moroccan theme I had with lanterns and patterns already in my outdoor decor.
I think the chairs turned out perfectly and fit with the rest of the decor, extending it out into the yard.
Make sure to come back next month to see my trash to treasure project using Amy Howard Chalk Paint!
