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

Helpful How-Tos & DIYs • Tips & Techniques • Info & Inspo  

Projects from our Paint & Design Studio in Australia. Inspirational and instructional how-to tips on chalk, milk and mineral paint as well as refinishing furniture, upcycling and before and after projects!



                                          
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TOP FIVE Tips for Painting Wicker

10/6/2015

14 Comments

 

1. Be Prepared to Get Messy!

This isn't a job for the timid...in fact, 
I think it's the messiest job there is in painting.
But the effort is worth it.
If you come to the game prepared to be splashed and splattered 
with paint everywhere...it can actually be fun.
Why not get the the kids involved? 
Enjoy the ride...
Pretend you're at Holi, the spring Festival of Colours in India!
milk-painting-wicker-cane-mmsmp
Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in Linen

2. What's the Best Paint to Use?

Many people think spray paint is the way to go with wicker or cane.
I'm not a fan. It will chip and peel and really, 
knowing what we know about our health and the planet...
we just don't need those nasties. 
Plus, I hate the drips!
A paint sprayer is certainly an option and I would absolutely
recommend a sprayer if doing an outdoor set or 
a large number of pieces.

My go-to is Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint and a brush.
Why? 
A couple reasons. 
The first is that a little goes a long way.
I find MMS Milk Paint to be quite economical.
Secondly, because it's easy to control the consistency and amount.
Mix up only what you need and add water or paint as needed.
Lastly, I love how Milk Paint grabs onto a surface and 
will withstand the elements. 
I used Miss Mustard Seed to stencil my front porch, I've used it on 
terracotta and ceramic pots and I've used it on 
outdoor furniture (see below) all with great success.

4. Use a Throw-away Paint Brush

Take advantage of the mixing process
to mix your Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint thin and runny.
This works in your favour!
The paint will run through cracks, crevices and seams 
doing the hard work for you. 
Mix you paint thin and let it pour through the weave.
miss-mustard-seed-milk-paint-cane-wicker
Just a wee bit on the messy side!
mmsmilkpaint-mixer-mixing-milk-paint
Mixing Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint in Ironstone with this handy Mixer - find it in the online shop, $11

3. Make it Thin and Runny

There's no way around it....it's messy business! 
And this little tip is going to make it even messier.


This is another instance with Milk Paint where the brush is everything.
With one exception — do not use a quality brush.
Yup, you heard me.
Instead look for a low-quality, natural bristle brush 
from the hardware store.
It's the very best option.
natural-bristle-paint-brush-milk-painting
Use a brush you don't mind ruining — this is one coat, notice the colour
The natural bristles grab and hold the MMS Milk Paint 
and you can use the brush like a tool to shove, slide and jam 
and distribute the paint into the nooks, crannies and corners of the wicker.  
Twist the brush around and even rub it back and forth 
with the nap and against it to soak the paint through.
It works surprisingly well!

Be warned the brushing action will flick the paint around
and it will leave plenty of bristles behind.

I bought one of these $2 brushes at the local hardware store
specifically for painting cane. 
It's rusting after one wash, I certainly wouldn't use it for proper painting,
but it does THIS job spectacularly well. 
No need to be careful or gentle!

hand-painting-antique-cane-chairs
Anna using MMSMP in Ironstone to paint a pair of antique cane chairs
I find that the "fuzzy" wickers like seagrass,
jute, hemp, etc... are a bit tougher to get true colour. 
Perhaps it's a byproduct of mixing the paint so thin?

Deeper paint colours appear lighter than usual
(as shown in the photo above of the wicker basket painted in Flow Blue). 
Here is one coat of MMSMP in Kitchen Scale
 over light to mid-tone cane, the colour is quite flat:

5. Colour Selection & Number of Coats

Mixing the Milk Paint thicker would 
help the colour, but then it wouldn't be as easy to 
saturate the wicker — I suppose it's best to pick your battle! 

The colour will get there, but due to the thirstiness of wicker 

(unfinished behaves differently from shiny/varnished)
it will likely take one coat to saturate the surface and then a second or even
third coat (and sealing) to bring out the true colour of the paint.
And  then there is dark-coloured wicker...something to keep in mind!

I love how MMS Milk Paint freshened my antique cane outdoor chairs.
They were a very sad, yellow-y colour with rust  on their gorgeous legs.
painting-seagrass-jute-hemp-milk-paint
Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, one coat of Kitchen Scale
upcycling-restyling-antique-furniture-australia
BEFORE: Antique wicker chairs given a new life with MMS Milk Paint
adelaide-painting-design-studio-milk-paint
BEFORE: Turning wicker-painting on its head with Milk Paint!

I used the whitest of the whites in the 
Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint range, Ironstone. 
See how the yellow is peeking through a bit?

After the challenge of getting the first coat on these beauties I needed a break. 
So they moved out of the studio and sat on my front porch until 

I was lucky enough to have Shop Girl Anna 
paint the much-needed second coat.
Picture
DURING: The chairs after one coat of MMS Milk Paint in Ironstone
The chairs looked pretty great after two coats,
 but still needed a "touch-up third" meaning 
I ran a brush here and there as needed.
restoration-antique-cane-ratttan-chairs
DURING: Shop Girl Anna doing her thing with Milk Paint in Ironstone
custom-design-paint-service-adelaide
Beautifully updated antique wicker chairs...prefer NOT to paint? Check out our Custom Design Service!
I'm pretty darn happy with the result. 
I didn't seal the chairs, not for any reason other than 
I wanted them out enjoying the front porch asap! 
I may eventually treat them to a coat of Hemp Oil.

When painting wicker, I have reasonable expectations. 

I enjoy the process, the mess and especially the transformation.
But I'm not patient enough for perfection. 
Which suits me fine, I actually prefer the beauty of imperfection.

Here's a little project I did today using 
Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint leftovers. 

It took less than five minutes:
painting-outdoor-decor-woven-rattan-basket
BEFORE: An outdoor woven rattan basket in need of some attention
custom-mixing-colour-mmsmilkpaint
DURING: Used a custom mix of MMSMP inside and Eulalie's Sky on the outside to give this rattan basket new life
painting-outdoor-decor-furnishings-accessories-australia
AFTER: Loving this! A new life for this outdoor basket
It's amazing what one quick coat 
of MMS Milk Paint can do to revitalise tired cane, rattan, wicker, etc... 
I love the new life given to this outdoor basket used to hold
wood for the chiminea.
 Inside is a mix of leftovers that includes Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint 
in Ironstone, Grain Sack and Trophy. 
The outside is pure, gorgeous Eulalie's Sky
 leftover from stencilling the front porch.

I hope you find these tips useful.
Do you have any cane, wicker or rattan items 
that can use a lift? 
I'd love to hear about them. 
Even better — send me your photos!



ONE MORE THING: I found this information on cane vs. wicker interesting.

It is roughly interpreted from the website www.differencebetween.info

Cane is a grass and wicker, on the other hand, refers to the process through which cane furniture is made. 
It may also be commonly used to refer to pieces made from a woven fiber from various plants, 
such as bamboo, cane, rattan and/or palms. 
At times, the fiber may even be plastic or resin or a combination 
of plastic, resin and/or natural fibers.

It's all here...for the love...
Sada
14 Comments
jackie
11/6/2015 12:41:43 am

OH MY GOD! In love with these beautiful wicker chairs! Absolutely beauriful! I painted a wicker storage box and my cat scratched it! after I stroked my muscles off ; (

Reply
Sada
30/7/2015 03:36:57 pm

Oh no Jackie!!! Bad kitty!!! But we do love those furry little beasts, right?!! xxSada

Reply
Erin
19/6/2015 10:53:10 pm

Amazing chairs. Lucky girl to find them....talented to fix them.

Reply
Sada
30/7/2015 03:37:51 pm

Aren't the just gorgeous? I do love their lines. You are very kind, its so easy with furniture that is beautiful to begin with!!! Thanks so much Erin!!
xxSada

Reply
Angelina link
26/7/2015 03:51:52 pm

Thank you for sharing your tips. I really appreciate that. And your pieces look beautiful.

Reply
Sada
30/7/2015 03:38:53 pm

Hi Angelina,

You are very welcome! I hope they are of some help!! Thank you very much for your kind comment and for visiting and taking the time here!! It's very much appreciated!
xSada

Reply
R. Prosser link
15/4/2016 12:14:29 am

Thank for tips, very useful. I really like your writing style and how you express your ideas.

Reply
Lori Isabel link
25/4/2016 01:37:42 pm

Its beautiful!... What an awesome art you have done.. I loved it.. I am not good at that painting but a surely I will need a Southern Painting Contractors in Fort Worth for my house.. Thanks for these beautiful ideas.. Keep exploring.

Reply
Russell Bryan link
21/8/2017 04:01:48 pm

I love your DIY. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Terence Scott link
18/12/2017 05:07:37 pm

These tips are awesome. Thanks for sharing!

Reply
Deborra Cameron
5/5/2020 10:41:40 pm

Thank you for your great article Sada! I have an antique wicker outdoor love seat in need of some TLC. I have read that there is an outdoor additive to add to paint. Would you suggest this? I love Miss Mustard Seed and used it to paint some pine benches. On the note of pine benches, might you know best sealer to use

Reply
Ann KAVANAGH
2/7/2020 12:33:08 pm

Hi there, do you have to use the bonding agent with the milk paint when painting wicker chairs? Thanks so.much!

Reply
Grant Bird link
7/10/2020 10:49:05 am

You could double up and make an abstract splatter paint art piece while painting a wicker chair at the same time! Messiest job in painting indeed!
Grant - <a href="https://hendersonpaintersnv.com/"></a>

Reply
https://www.housepaintersnorthshoreauckland.info/ link
11/2/2021 02:43:21 pm

What is the best spray paint to use on wicker?

Reply



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    My name is Sada, I'm a painter-girl obsessed with all things old, imperfect, beautiful and useful.
     
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