DIY Rocking Chair Upcycle
Give your wooden furniture a fresh update with this chalk paint tutorial from Kerry Villers.
© Noah & the Girls
When the clocks go back and the evenings draw in earlier we all want to feel warm and cosy in our homes. I find myself very drawn to darker colours in winter months. I love how cosy they make your home feel, which is why I chose to upcycle our tired pine rocking chair in a dark Annie Sloan paint.
Upcycling with Annie Sloan is one of the easiest and most satisfying things to do! I love the way it can tie odd pieces of furniture together and dramatically change the look of a room.
© Noah & the Girls
To upcycle your own piece of furniture you will need:
- Sandpaper
- Undercoat & Primer (optional)
- Chalk paint of your choice (I used Annie Sloan in Graphite)
- Clear soft wax
- Clean rag
- 1 round head brush & 1-2 standard paint brushes
Once you have all your supplies together, pour yourself a cuppa, pop on some of your favourite music and you're ready to go!
Step One:
Sand & thoroughly clean your furniture before applying one coat of undercoat & primer. The beauty of Annie Sloan paint is that you don't need to sand and prime your furniture before painting, but I have found that going to this extra effort gives a harder wearing finish.
© Noah & the Girls
- For a more textured finish leave the lid off your Annie Sloan paint or a few hours before painting to allow the paint to thicken.
© Noah & the Girls
Step Two:
I allowed the undercoat to dry overnight before applying 2 coats of colour to the rocking chair. You needn't be super slick with your painting, visible brush strokes add character! If you are painting outside, you'll find the paint dries really quickly. Another reason why I love Annie Sloan paint!
Step Three:
Once your paint is dry, you can get on with waxing. I can't emphasise this point enough, but a little goes a long way! Lightly load your curved brush with wax and brush onto your furniture. Work in small areas, stopping to buff out the wax in stages as you go. To buff the wax rub your clean rag over the waxed area until the furniture has a lovely sheen and you feel the drag on the rag disappear.
© Noah & the Girls
Step Four:
After applying your first coat of wax you can get on with distressing your piece! Take some fine sandpaper and gently rub over the areas where natural wear would occur. For the rocking chair, this would be areas such the arm and head rest, and around corners.
Step Five:
Once you're happy with your handiwork, lightly dust the furniture down and apply 1-2 more coats of wax. Et voila, you have a beautifully upcycled piece of furniture to enjoy!
