How to Paint Chair Spindles the Easy Way
The venue where my son and his bride-to-be will be married has a tree that they want to stand under. The only problem is that there’s a propane tank visible in the background, so they need a backdrop to hide the tank. I searched Pinterest and sent them an idea I loved made out of old doors with a chair sitting inside. But … they didn’t love it and wanted something more rustic. They did love the painted chair idea, so I headed to the thrift store to look for one to make over with homemade chalk paint. Here’s the chair I found for $9. Nothing fancy, but I loved the spindles.
I didn’t catch my husband in time, and he thought I would need to sand it before painting. Wrong! That’s the beauty of chalk paint. No sanding or prep work is needed.
I knew they wouldn’t want the chair cushion, so I removed it.
I didn’t want to paint the chair with spray paint for two reasons: 1) I hate the smell of spray paint and 2) I like brush strokes. But if you’ve ever brush painted spindles, you know what a pain In the rear it is! Good news though. There’s an easier way! I mixed up a batch of homemade chalk paint using paint left over from my Patriotic Drink Bucket. If you’ve never made your own chalk paint before, you’ll be hooked once you do. You can make any color you want, and it’s a great way to use up leftover paint. The only things you need to make it are chalk powder (affiliate link), water, and latex or acrylic paint.
- Add 2 Tbsp Chalky Paint Powder to 1 Tbsp Water.
- Mix well, making sure to get out all lumps for an even, creamy texture.
- Add mixture to 1 cup latex/acrylic paint – any brand or color.
Whisk it well and scrape the sides to make sure all the chalk powder is blended in.
Now for the easy way to paint those spindles! Grab a regular household sponge. I cut mine in half so it was easier to hold. Wear gloves and dip the edge of the sponge in the paint. Don’t saturate it, or you’ll get lots of drips. Hold the sponge in the palm of your hand and start twisting your way around each spindle. I did two coats. That’s the other wonderful thing about chalk style paint. It dries fast. The first coat was dry by the time I did the second coat.
Here’s after the second coat.
I made a quick video to show how I did it.
Now to add a rustic seat in the gaping hole.
My husband cut pallet boards to fit and used a nail gun to attach them to the base.
I’m not sure if they’ll need the banner or not, but I needed something to hang on the back for photos. The tutorial for the banner is HERE.
Here’s the chair from the front.
We’re less than 10 days away from the wedding! I can’t wait!
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Vaya con Dios,
The chair is so cute…and I’ll have to try the sponge idea! Thanks!
I’ll never use a paint brush on spindles again, Linda. Using a sponge was so much easier!
I have brushed it on this will be so much easier, thanks.
It is lots easier, Marlene. I spray painted our kitchen chairs just because I dreaded doing the spindles, but I wish I would have used this method. The spray paint didn’t hold up well at all.
Awesome! I recently finished painting 4 chairs with chalk paint and the worst part were the spindles. I have 2 more to go but will definitely do it this new way. Thanks so much for the tutorial! (PS- the wedding chair is so charming!)
Thanks Linda, and good luck finishing the rest of your chiars.
Cute, Angie. I like the blue color and I definitely want to try mixing up some chalk paint. Can you color it with craft paints? They are latex, aren’t they?
Do you seal the chalk paint? With poly or wax?
Normally I prefer wax BJ,but poly is fine too with darker colors. Light colors tend to yellow with poly over time.
I’m in love with the blue and then the natural stained seat! I have a chair I inherited that has an ugly finish and an even uglier green Naugahyde seat cushion. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much for sharing such a great idea!