How to Spray Paint Wicker Furniture

Today, I want to share with you how to spray paint wicker furniture. I’ve wanted to paint the wicker furniture on the front porch – black – for probably a year now. But you guys, I’ve just been too nervous to actually do it.

You know how much I love the color white…it’s my favorite color…I mean, white is totally my jam.

I guess I was just nervous I would paint it black and then I would hate it, you know? Or it wouldn’t come out like I had envisioned.

Has that ever happened to you?

Well, last week, I was on the phone with one of my clients when I heard myself say, “It’s just paint. If you don’t like it – don’t sweat it – paint can be changed.” And I knew it was time to pony up!

I spent the next few afternoons painting the wicker furniture on the front porch with Rust-Oleum Spray Paint in Canyon Black and I kind of love it.

Here are a few tips to remember when spray painting furniture if you’re thinking about taking the plunge too…

Safety First:

• As always take proper respiratory precautions and wear protective hands, face and clothing before starting any spray paint project. 
• Use a drop cloth or tarp to protect your surfaces and spray paint outdoors in a well-ventilated area.
• Prep your wicker furniture by brushing off any loose paint chips, dirt or debris with a soft-medium bristle brush depending on the age/condition of the wicker.
• You can read more from our post, Spray Painting 101: Tips & Tricks here. 

Clean Well: 

• Then use a shop-vac with an attachment to vacuum into the nooks and crannies of the wicker.
• Use a damp microfiber cloth to carefully clean the wicker.

Choose Wisely:

• Make sure you use the right paint for the material your furniture is made from. You’ll also need to consider the elements (indoor vs outdoor; covered porch vs exposed patio, etc.) when choosing a spray paint as well.

• If you have chairs to paint, consider painting them upside down – legs first. This will help you see the amount of coverage you have/need as you’re painting the front, backs and seats of the furniture.

• Start by spray painting left to right, then stand behind the piece of furniture and spray right to left. This will help to give you better coverage which is not always easy with wicker.

Allow plenty of time to dry between coats of paint:

• Spray paint dries fairly quickly and you may be in a rush to apply multiple coats of paint in a short amount of time but it’s worth the wait.
• Weather elements like heat, cold, or humidity will affect the adhesion of the spray paint so make sure you’ve given your pieces plenty of time to dry between coats.

Double check your paint job: 

• Wicker is one of those tricky mediums where it may look like your paint job has settled perfectly from one angle but it looks completely different from another angle.
• Double checking your work with fresh eyes will you ensure the coverage is consistent.

Determine if you need a top coat: 

Most of the time, I don’t use a separate top coat for pieces of wicker I’ve spray painted that will be going under a covered area like our front porch.  Bar stools or heavily used items are a different story though.

Do your research in advance so you’ll know if adding a top coat is right for you.

Keep in mind seasonal weather, can greatly affect how much pollen, dirt and debris will get into the nooks and crannies of your wicker furniture.  While black can offer a classic and stately look, it will require additional upkeep throughout the year. 

I hope these tips have helped!

It’s definitely a blessing to be able to give our wicker patio furniture a bit of a refresh. We’re in the final stages of cleaning up (read cutting up and hauling off downed trees) from Hurricane Irma so it feels like a fresh start for our porch and a great way to kick off the upcoming holiday season.

And that’s something to get excited about!

In the meantime, be sure to check out our Thanksgiving porch featuring our spray painted wicker furniture here and our Christmas on the font porch tour here. 

Until next time, I’ll see you on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest.

Many blessings,

CoCo