Sitting Pretty
Set the stage for your own pre-spring sanctuary! Whether you dig them out of a pile of leaves and cobwebs in your own back yard or pick a couple up at a garage sale, reviving some beat up old chairs is a great place to start.
What you'll need:
Chairs Borax, sponge and water
Newspaper
Acrylic paint
Pencil
Paintbrushes in various sizes
Give the chairs a good wipe down with some Borax dissolved in water to get rid of that grimy dust and winter muck. For those baked on birdie treats, try a little sandpaper or steel wool.
Lay down some newspaper or a drop cloth then brush on a fresh coat or two of paint. Vary the saturation level by thinning the paint with water to make a stain or color wash.
Sketch a crude flower design on the chair with a pencil. Draw just a couple or cover the whole thing. Don't forget the back!
Now fill them in. Tap into your inner impressionist, realist, neo-expressionist or pop art persona and just keep workin' it until you hit the mark. Don't be too hard on yourself, though. It's only paint. Do-overs are always in the cards. Besides, mistakes are most often marvelous.
Bright Idea:
If your chairs have been previously painted, give them a once over with some 180-grit sandpaper to give the new stuff something to stick to. And, hey, it never hurts to prime.
