Chalk & Milk Paint Tips & Techniques. Helpful How-to’s & DIYs

Painting a Cane Lounge Chair with Fusion Mineral Paint

28/11/2017

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I obviously get some sort of perverse pleasure from painting wicker and cane by hand or I wouldn't keep doing it . . .

Vintage wicker basinet painted in Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

Antique wicker chairs updated with MMS Milk Paint in the colour Ironstone

Let's be honest, baskets are pretty easy:

Cane basket painted in Old World Clay & Chalk Paint

Another basket update with our paint!

I got smart on this one and sprayed it —well, I had the husband spray it for me! (Even smarter!)

But let's get back to the project at hand, this beauty. Who was on the side of the road with a magical sign that said my favourite word: FREE

Before: My free roadside rescue

Pretty fabulous, right?

And to brag a little more, it's in perfect condition, not one little thread of cane is loose anywhere. It's sturdy and built-to-last a lifetime.

Although I typically favor Milk Paint on cane, I knew this beauty needed a more polished look and Fusion Mineral Paint is awesome on cane, especially because of the smooth built-in-topcoat.

But first...fabric!

Those of you who know me, know that fabric is another love of mine, I started off looking for something modern, bold and funky but this fabric, it changed my entire vision...now I wanted old school vintage Hollywood glam.

I think I got it!

choosing-upholstery-fabric-furniture-flip

Umm..pineapples, parrots and hibiscus? Yes, please!

A soft pale pink would give me the vintage glam I was after — so what better than Fusion Mineral Paint in Little Piggy?!

There are key points when painting cane or wicker by hand. The first? Don't rush it. Make sure it's a project that doesn't have a deadline. Try to enjoy the process. Oh yeah....you'll probably curse yourself at some point. One last thing, plan to get messy. Really messy. Probably most important though is that if you are a perfectionist, maybe pass on this project.

Besides these points, there's really not much to it except time.

I'm fortunate that this cane was weathered enough to cut the real shine, so Fusion Mineral Paint grabbed on and held tight with absolutely zero prep.

An interesting thing about the colour Little Piggy, it looked white as I was painting and in photos, but as it sat a bit, with time, the blush pink shade became more apparent.

I can count on one hand the number of projects that have taken more than one pot of Fusion Mineral Paint. This was one of those rare beasts because Fusion is a paint that gives and gives, it always go farther than you expect.

By the way my Cling On O45 NAILED the job. I typically recommend using a throw away brush so you can cram into every corner and niche, I abused this brush, shoved it, dragged it, twisted it into crevices, honestly, its in as good of shape as when I started. Cling On Brushes are unbelievable.

It looked like this when I sent it off to get the cushion made. And by time it got back I was excited to get painting again:

painting-outdoor-furniture-australia-paint

This last part was amazing. Akin to therapy. I could see my vision coming together. You know that feeling?

So the lesson in this is.....paint cane? Don't paint cane? I'm thrilled with the result, but it had it's very testing moments mainly to due to the size of the project. Most likely if you came to me asking if you should paint a GIANT cane lounge chair, I would shoo you away with the advice to buy, rent, borrow or steal a paint sprayer especially if little bits of cane showing here and there in the cracks bother you.

I, however, love it. The result is exactly what I wanted so this has moved to the top of my all-time-favourite-ever projects!

My talented niece is the talent behind these photos, Sarah David Photography.

Photos: Sarah David Photography

It's all here...for the love...
Sada

What We Used:

Cling On Paint Brushes — OVAL

A$33.95 - A$40.00

Hand-crafted in Holland, these brushes minimise brushstrokes and leave a velvety smooth finish.

Extremely easy clean up while maintaining their unique oval shape. Tipped and flagged for exceptional cut-in capabilities and virtually no shedding.

High quality, no-rust stainless steel ferrule and 100% synthetic (vegan-friendly) bristles for use with all water-based paints. Will last up to 9 times longer than ordinary synthetic brushes.

O35 Brush: Medium-sized brush for all-purpose painting, large or small projects
O45 Brush: Large brush for bigger projects, applies a lot of paint quickly — can be heavy for smaller hands

A must-have in every upcycler and painters' collection.

TIP:
Do not remove the string-it helps give the bristles direction and tension. For new brushes, pull on bristles to remove loose hairs. Soak for 30 minutes before first use. If you notice brush strokes, there is too much paint on your brush.

You may also be interested in:
Cling on Round Brushes
Cling on Flat Brushes
Wax Brushes

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