TOP FIVE Tips for Painting Wicker

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!

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.

Just a wee bit on the messy side!

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.

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!

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.

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, one coat of Kitchen Scale

BEFORE: Antique wicker chairs given a new life with MMS 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.

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.

DURING: Shop Girl Anna doing her thing with Milk Paint in Ironstone

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:

BEFORE: An outdoor woven rattan basket in need of some attention

DURING: Used a custom mix of MMSMP inside and Eulalie's Sky on the outside to give this rattan basket new life

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