Repurposed | Vintage Chair Planter

Today’s project is a throwback to my very first piece of furniture I painted with a chalk-type paint.  I learned a lot and was immediately hooked!  I bought it for one project and ended up turning it into a chair planter.  Here’s what the chair looked like when I found it at the thrift store.  

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Over a year ago now I saw a shelf on Pinterest that was made out of the back of a chair. I loved the idea and started looking for a cheap, rickety vintage chair that I wouldn’t feel bad about cutting up.

Of course, I see chairs like that all the time until I start looking for one.  I bought 3 other chairs while looking but they were all sturdy enough so I repainted and used them at home.

Then I found this ugly chair, really cheap ($3.00), at my favorite thrift store.  But when I got it home I realized that even though it was ugly, it was sturdy and I felt bad about cutting it up.  So I decided to paint it.  

Prepping and Painting a Thrift Store Chair

Remember this was over a year ago and I hadn’t used the CeCe Caldwell natural chalk and clay paint that our shop, Paris Flea Market, started selling.  Almost every time I worked a customer would ask me about the paint.  I figured I better try it so I would know how to answer their questions.

You never know what you’re gonna find when you pull fabric off an old piece of furniture.  This chair had a cane seat on it under the vinyl.  It was rotting in places so I just pulled it off, planning to recover the seat after I painted it.

So I picked my favorite color, turquoise.  CeCe makes a color called Santa Fe Turquoise but it was lighter than I wanted.  The color I chose is called Destin Gulf Green.

The main thing I learned from painting this chair is that when you start painting you should NOT start with a chair like this.  See those little spindles on the back and bottom?  Those are much harder to paint and wax than flat surfaces.  After I did this and talked to some other, more experienced, furniture painters they all told me that they’re rather paint a full-size dresser than one chair like this.  Live and learn…

So this piece probably took me longer to paint than any other piece of furniture I’ve done.  One, because it was my first and I wasn’t sure what to expect with this natural chalk and clay paint.  And, two, because of all the thin little spindles on it.

Here’s what CeCe’s paint looks like as it’s drying.  It’s easy to see which parts are dry and which are wet.  The paint is much darker when it’s wet.  I think I did two coats.

The photo below is a close up of the detail on the back of the chair.  I distressed it with just a wet rag… one of my favorite things about this paint!

Another close up below.  I love how this paint distresses.  You can also sand it if you want.  That’ll give you a different look.

Now the story slows down a lot.  I loved the color and everything about this old chair.  My plan was to reupholster the wood seat that I pulled off (not shown in any photos) and use it at home.  But I was working and had a hard time deciding what fabric to use.  So it sat… and sat… and sat.  I got to see it every day but never sat in it.  And the truth is, even though I love the color it doesn’t really fit in anywhere in my house.  

So, almost a whole year later, I decided to sell it.  But I still had trouble deciding on fabric.  Then one day while Bikeman was planting flowers I had an idea.  It should be a vintage chair planter!

{{{ See my other TURQUOISE projects HERE }}}

Vintage Chair Planter

I had just bought some chicken wire to use in some old frames I bought (here’s what I did with them) so I cut a piece, shaped it to fit, stapled it in, and tied the back edges together with wire.  As you can see from the photo it’s not a very neat job but I was going to cover that with coco liner anyway.

Here’s the finished product before we hauled it off to Treasure Island Flea and it sold!  It now has a new home on a lovely ladies front porch!

Follow me on Pinterest!  I have a whole board of painted repurposed DIY projects:Follow Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim’s board DIY | Painting Jewelry Cabinets & Other Found Items on Pinterest.

‘Til the next project,

 Ann @ Duct Tape and Denim

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Originally published on May 12, 2014.  We share at these blog parties.  Featured on: The Round of for Before and After Wednesday on The Dedicated House, Friday Feature on Oh My Heartsie Girl, Friday Finds Linky Party #22 on Tried & True, The Bouquet of Talents Linky Party #134 on Life on Lakeshore Drive, Your Whims Wednesday, Wonderful Wednesday , Crafty Moms Share ,