I DIY a lot of items around my house. I DIY in part to save money, but also because I generally love the process of seeing an idea turn out. Now, I say generally because there are a few DIY projects that I start and hate the entire time I’m doing… like painting.

DIY Painted Table & Chairs

I always think that I will enjoy painting something because it is so much more inexpensive than buying new and it always yields a big transformation. I just have no patience for painting. Event though I’m not a huge fan, paint was a big part of my DIY makeover for my summer porch.

 

DIY Outdoor Painting Projects - A Well Crafted Party

 

For our outdoor dining area we decided to paint an old kitchen table that we owned and a couple of thrift store chairs. I am not a painting expert… mostly because I dislike the time it takes to do painting projects. I’m an afternoon DIY girl—when it takes days or weeks to complete I put it off as long as possible.

Take this table… I bought the sanding tools, paint, sealer and drop cloth 3 years ago to make our old kitchen table work for an outdoor table. I have finally gotten around to painting the sucker! (And, to be totally honest, I still haven’t sealed it. That has to happen before the next big rain!)

The chairs came with I think six coasts of paint on them prior to me wanting to paint them. I got them for a steal at $5/ chair, but the sanding work took forever and they still weren’t perfect before painting. I did know that I wanted the chairs to have a worn look, so I am not disappointed with how they came out. They too will get a couple coats of sealant before the next big rain.

Looking to paint your own wood items for outdoors? Check out these sources I used for tips:

DIY Process

I actually ended up lightly sanding the table and heavily sanding the chairs (though, as you can tell from the above photo… probably not enough for a nice professional looking paint job. I went with Rust-Oleum spray paint for both projects. The chairs got several coats of the Gloss Warm Yellow Paint and the table got a flat white spray. I am using a roll on polycrylic protective finish on both projects. I will not be keeping the items out during super inclement weather, but wanted to still protect them for the occasional shower.

After DIY Outdoor Table - A Well Crafted Party

DIY Outdoor Table - A Well Crafted Party

 

I can’t deny that paint makes a huge difference. I love my outdoor table and chairs enough that I will likely go through the pain and agony of painting many more times in my life. Seeing it in my yard makes me happy each and every day!

What do you think about DIY Painting projects? Love them or hate them? Have one you are proud of?? Link below! I’d love to see!


 

Updating Post to say that I’m linking up to the following Link Parties:

  • Skip to my Lou Made By You Mondays 
Author

Jenni is a blogger and marketing professional in Portland, Oregon. A Well Crafted Party is a blog about all the little things to celebrate in life. Follow Jenni or A Well Crafted Party with BlogLovin, RSS feed, Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest.

11 Comments

  1. This looks like quite an undertaking! I wish I had your motivation and focus. I love the idea of finding old furniture and repurposing it or giving it new life, but I always fall short in my follow through. Your whole setup here is GORGEOUS! Thanks for sharing, cheers!
    Danielle recently posted…#FridayFavoritesMy Profile

  2. Great job especially because you don’t enjoy painting! Feel free to let me know next time you have a painting project – much like weeding gardens, painting helps me maintain my zen. 🙂
    Jen recently posted…Two days in Arches National Park.My Profile

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