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Have you been to a yard or rummage sale and seen cool wire patio furniture that has seen better days? Have you priced new patio furniture that is bland, soulless, and expensive?

Take a chance, spend the $25, and spend a day creating the patio furniture of your dreams with this relatively simple craft. A little effort, a little imagination, and a little elbow grease will give you the fundamentals to help you create your own unique outdoor environment.

Age range: Adults
Time to complete: 4 hours (over several days)
Difficulty level: Intermediate (must use power tools!)

Things you’ll need:
Tired, nasty wire patio furniture
Spray paint formulated for metal/outdoor, any color
Power drill with wire brushes
Manual wire brush
Safety glasses
Paper mask
Soap/water, scrub brush
Dry paint brush

Things to do:
1. Hunt Craigslist, garage sales, and rummage sales to find your furniture. Look for pieces with personality. Ensure that any rust is superficial, that it doesn’t compromise the integrity of the furniture. Bargain! If the owner wanted, they could update their own furniture! They’re trying to sell the stuff so they can buy new. And they think you’re nuts for paying good money for their nasty old furniture! Negotiate price, overload car and roof, and bring it home.



2. Wash furniture with soap, water, and a scrub brush to remove spiders, dirt, and rust. Please remember to wear your safety glasses!
Use a stiff brush to remove as much dirt as possible. Use a small wire brush to remove visible rust and obviously flaking paint.

3. Let the furniture dry completely. Bright sunshine works great!
4. Now for the fun. Put on the safety glasses and mask, attach a wire brush to your power drill, and start removing paint and rust in earnest! Go slow and take your time. Let the drill and brush do the work, you don’t need to push too hard. The surface will look terrible, but you aren’t trying to get all of the paint, you just want the surface smooth. Work in small areas; finish one before you start the next or this will take forever! Every now and then use the dry brush to clean the piece to check progress. You can stretch this part out over many days if you want!

5. Once the furniture is smooth and the dirt is gone, you’re ready for the most fun and satisfying part, painting!
6. Shake your spray paint well, put on your mask, and start applying paint according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spray a thin layer over a large area instead of a lot on a small area. Keep your paint can moving. Overspray, don’t stop at the edge, spray past it for best coverage. Once everything is painted, let it sit and dry completely. Repeat these steps and apply another thin coat. Let it dry. If everything looks good, you can stop. If not, add one more coat.

7. Let the piece dry completely, and then dry some more.


8. Place your furniture, add pillows, and enjoy!