Paint Wicker Furniture: Step-by-Step Guide

Stop spending hundreds of dollars on new wicker furniture! Learn how to paint wicker furniture with a few simple steps and make it shabby chic.

You may also enjoy this rattan furniture in the Wicker Furniture: Spring Back Porch Ideas post.

Old Wicker Furniture Chairs

It is expensive to purchase a new wicker piece of furniture these days, with prices upwards of $500+ per piece. For just $15, you can buy three cans of spray paint and recycle old thrifted wicker pieces quickly and easily, bringing new life to old furniture.

I found these two tired wicker furniture chairs a long time ago on Facebook Marketplace for about $125 each.

They had white paint and were very shabby chic when I bought them.

They’ve since been painted yellow, and now they are the dark brown color they are today.

Paint Wicker Furniture

Can you paint over wicker chairs?

Absolutely, it can be a speedy and easy paint job upcycle, too, which is my favorite kind!

I prefer spray painting wicker furniture, as it’s so much easier and the best way with all the texture and gaps in the wicker weaving.

How to Choose Your Spray Paint

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I chose Rust-Oleum’s Deep Blue Gloss to use as the spray paint for today’s painted outdoor furniture wicker chair.

How to Spray Paint Wicker Furniture

Step-by-Step Process

How long does it take for painted wicker furniture to dry?

I let the first coat of spray paint dry for about an hour and then reapplied a second coat, letting it sit for another hour. It may appear dry to the touch at this time, but I always give my painted wicker furniture pieces 24 hours before I begin to use them.

You can see this chair with one fresh coat of paint here. The brown still shows through, requiring a second coat for best results, getting into all the crannies of the wicker.

And here is the wicker furniture chair after two coats of paint on the backside.

Oh, and you may also appreciate this DIY project, How to Refinish a Wood Table in Less Than 1 Hour post.

Be sure to walk around the wicker furniture looking for uneven finish parts. Painting wicker can be tricky due to its intricacies, and you’ll want an even coat of paint.

You May Also Like These Blue Shabby Chic Decor Ideas Too:

I love this deep blue color for a home on the coast. It reminds me of my friend Molly in Maine over on Instagram and Kim from Shiplap and Shells at her 100-year-old cottage on the Puget Sound.

But as for today, it’s the start of mud season here in Vermont, so I added two white faux sheepskins to each blue-painted wicker furniture chair for this shabby chic, comfortable style.

What is Mud Season?

Mud Season is the period between winter and spring when thawing occurs. It is informally referred to as Vermont’s fifth season. This time period depends on the weather, but historically, it begins around the snowmelt in late March or early April and finishes in early June.

And, of course, Ella, our Bernese Mountain Dog, immediately jumped up to try it out…

I haven’t decided whether to keep this wicker furniture here in Vermont, sell it at my vintage booth, or maybe bring the chairs to the coast this summer for a modern look.

You may also appreciate this 16 Easy Spring DIY Ideas You Can Start Today post.

Do you have any tips or hacks you would like to share for a painted wicker chair?

You may also enjoy this How To Create An Inviting Front Porch with Wicker Furniture post.

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I recently tried out a new electric spray gun and loved it. Next time it would make this particular project go so much quicker, too. See more in the My First Time Using a Paint Sprayer, What You Need to Know post.

It’s a great way to paint wicker furniture for a new look.