How to paint furniture?
Painting a piece of furniture gives it a second life and is a great way to refresh a room without breaking the bank. Whether you’re buying an old chest of drawers from a flea market or wanting to make your dining room chairs look chic, you can paint just about anything. Find old furniture at your home or yard sales and antique stores and try it out for yourself for a fun weekend!
Put furniture on hangers.
If you’re painting indoors, a rag or tarp can help protect the floor from stains and make cleaning easier. It also keeps dirt, grass and insects out of wet paint when you’re working outdoors.If the furniture is too heavy to lift on its own, ask for help.
If you are painting indoors, open all windows to ventilate the room.
Paint fumes can be dangerous if inhaled, so work in a well-ventilated area. If this is not possible, open all windows and doors or ventilate the room.
If you only want to paint a specific piece of furniture, such as table legs or a decorative bookshelf front, consider taking the furniture apart and painting it individually.
Use putty and sand to smooth out holes or scratches in the wood. If there are scratches, chips, or dents on the furniture, they will be visible under the paint. Repair with putty designed for wood.
If you leave excess putty, you will get a texture that you can see under the paint.
If you want to maintain the damaged look of your furniture, you can leave the scratches as they are.
Use acrylic paint for smoothing on most projects. Acrylic paint is a good choice for most furniture because it works on most surfaces and is available in a variety of colors. When it dries it gets smooth so it doesn’t have as many strokes as other paints.
Acrylic paint comes in eggshell paint, also known as satin paint, which means it has a slight sheen when it dries, but not much.
If necessary, add 1-2 more coats of paint. Almost all projects require a second layer, and possibly a third layer. Some may even need more, especially if the paint is thin. Repeat the steps from painting to sanding for each layer. Make sure to let the paint dry completely after each coat.
