Update Metal Lawn Furniture

When spring finally hit (okay, it seemed to completely SKIP spring and go into ridiculous, over the top dog days of summer around here) I ventured out to the deck to spruce it up and ready it for the season. I scrubbed the plastic deck railing WITH A TOOTH BRUSH and a scrubby brush (cleaning product was moot, the thing only wanted elbow grease so I obliged). I also scrubbed the bright white metal table and chairs that hang out on the deck. Then came this mess....

They look a little "wonky" in the photo, but that's just because they're such a mess. They're very sturdy chairs, they just needed a face lift. This was a pretty easy project. I went to my neighborhood Home Depot and picked out a spray paint that noted that it could be used on metal (in the past, I've spray painted metal items with NONmetal spray paint and done OK, but there's always the chance that you're going to get runny paint that won't stick, so beware).

Seen here: Rust-Olean Deep Blue Ultra Cover

I brought home my paint and prepped the chairs and table by wiping all debris off with a damp cloth(scrubbing if necessary) then letting them dry. Once they dried, I simply took them into the yard (see that pink and purple grass under those ugly chairs? That's a previous spray paint project. You may protect your grass with a drop cloth or newspaper, but I personally just mow it out later!) and gave them a through coat. There were a million crevices so be sure in YOUR project to look at: table leg/arm bends, top and bottom of bars, and other areas you wouldn't normally notice... unless they're the wrong dang color, THEN you can see it. 

See The color difference? Wonderful!

This project took almost two cans of spray paint. Not bad for fancy new chairs. To add to the effect, I bought them luxorious new cushions from Gordman's marked down for the end of the season. The cushions were a splurge at $16 each, but those chairs were so darn cute they deserved it!

So, what do you think? I hope you absolutely love it as much as I do! Be sure to leave a comment and tell me what you think, and I'll answer any of the questions you have about this project!

Update A Dated Piece of Art

I've lived in my current home for about a year now, and recently visited a local thrift shop for the first time. I'm not sure how I went so long without going to any of the nearby thrift shops, because I've always been drawn to them everywhere I go. Regardless, I'm glad I went! On my first trip out, I found two nice sheets for $2 each, a set of white canvas curtains for $1.50 that I'm going to scrap for other projects, a totally AWESOME chair that will get it's own spotlight on here when I get around to reupholstering it, and these two charming art pieces for a buck a piece:

Cute, right? My two favorite animals, I do believe! That very serious owl is super glossy and very well maintained. I'm not sure what, if anything, I would change about it (maybe add a pop of  bright color around the outer edge?). For now, though, I like it just as it came. The same could not be said for the panda shadow box. While it is hard to see in the photo, the panda is printed onto the front glass with a "shadow box" style frame behind it. I'm considering finding some neat mementos to put inside the frame, but for now some paint and paper will suffice! Here's how it happened:

Step 1: Gather Supplies 

Step 2: Remove The Card stock backing. I kept this piece (even though it was warped) and used it as a sturdy backer for my new background paper.

 

Step 3: Paint the Frame color of choice

Step 4: Secure the new background paper with tape and add embellishments if desired (I made some little paper bamboo strips! I taped those too!)

Step 5: (This part takes a little patience to get it done right) Simply pop the newly decorated background  into the back of the frame. Stand back and enjoy!

A frame like this is PERFECT to get your hands on. You can change the background to match your decor, add little trinkets to keep them on display, and it doesn't take long to change the frame color with a little craft paint. I hope this inspires you to take on your own little craft projects. Thanks for stopping by!