Rocking Chair Refresh

Project: Clean, sand, paint, and seal a rocking chair with chalk paint and wax.

If you have a worn-out rocking chair that could use a fresh look, you’re in the right place. With a little chalk paint and some easy steps, you can give your chair a beautiful, updated finish. So, grab these supplies and give your old rocker a new look.

These steps are super easy, no matter your painting experience!

If at any point you notice anything off about your chalk paint job, have no fear! I love how this chair turned out, but I made some major chalk paint mistakes to start. If this happens to you, click here to read my post, "Don't Make These Chalk Paint Mistakes"!

Step 1: Clean the Surface

Cleaning Supplies

Steps to Clean:

1. Spray the entire chair with cleaning spray.

This spray comes as a set with GreenEZ stripper and the furniture sealer. This product can be used prior to stripping or sanding to prepare your surface.
I did not dilute the spray because this furniture hadn’t been cleaned in a while. If you have a light cleaning job, you can dilute it.
If you don’t have a cleaning spray, you can also use equal parts vinegar and water.

2. Let the spray sit for 15 minutes.

3. Scrub chair with a microfiber cloth.

Use an old toothbrush for hard to reach areas.

4. Wipe furniture down with water using a microfiber cloth.

You don’t want to soak the furniture.

5. Continue steps 2-4 as needed until the chair is clean.

I needed to repeat these steps twice. I also needed to use a screwdriver to remove some areas that had leftover tape on it. Note: I should have used a scraper, but I couldn’t find my putty knife so I improvised. 🙂

Step 2: Sand

Sanding Supplies

Steps to Clean:

1. Sand the entire surface of the chair.

Make sure you get into the nooks and crannies. I usually start with 220. This particular chair needed a rougher grit. Decrease your grit as needed to create the finish you desire.

**Note: I love researching DIY stuff and people were saying that sanding spindles is super hard. I didn’t find it difficult at all. I just cut a long strip of sand paper, put it around the spindle, and rubbed it back and forth. I rotate just to make sure I got the entire spindle. Super easy!

If you need some help deciding what grit to use, read the article, “How to Choose the Right Sandpaper Grit for Your Project” from Better Homes and Gardens. If you want a quick simple guide: the lower the grit, the more abrasive the sandpaper, the higher the number, the finer the sandpaper.

2. Lightly use an electric sander to get deep grooves and chips (optional).

Chalk paint doesn’t require heavy sanding, however this rocking chair had a lot of nicks. I needed to use the electric sander with a higher grit.
This may be common sense, but it’s worth saying. Electric sanders are more powerful than manual sanding, therefore, always start with a higher grit and work your way down. You can always decrease the grit, if needed.

3. Finish sanding off again with a 220 strip of sandpaper.

No matter the grit you use for your desired smoothness, make sure to always go over your furniture with a 220 to finish. This will help your paint go on smoothly.

4. Dust chair off with microfiber cloth and then again with damp microfiber cloth. Use a small brush to get into little nooks and crannies.

3. Paint and Wax

Painting and Waxing Supplies

Things to Consider Before Painting Spindles:

Consider buying a spindle brush. I bought this one, and found it really easy to paint the spindles. I think it helped with limiting the drips, too!

Don’t load up the paint brush with paint. Chalk paint brushes are thick and hold a lot of paint. Make sure to use enough paint to cover the part you are painting, but not so much that you get drips.
Be on constant drip patrol! Even if you think there aren’t any drips. Check consistently because they can show up at any time.

There is really no “right” order or sequence when painting the chair, however, when I start with a spindle, I finish the whole spindle before moving onto the next one. It seems like it would be easy to do the front of one and then move to the back, but that could affect the paint job quality. Chalk paint dries really fast. If you start with one side and then it dries before you get to the other, it will create an extra layer and could cause a little line on the furniture. You can sand it out if that happens, but it’s best to avoid it if possible.
If the spindle has an intricate design, paint side to side to avoid dripping. The rest of the spindle can be painted vertically.

Steps to Paint and Wax

1. Wipe down the chair one final time before painting

I did not paint the same day that I sanded, so I started off wiping down the chair one more time with a microfiber cloth. (Microfiber is great because little particles will stick to it.) You can also use a tack cloth.

2. Pour paint in a container

I know this seems self-explanatory, but I’ve seen people paint paint right from the can and then dried paint/fuzzies get into the paint can. Best to avoid that and put your paint in a little cup.
Use your paint brush to get all of the paint out of the crease in the container. It makes putting the lid back on and removing it in the future easier.

3. Time to paint! Flip the chair and start with the bottom.

Flip the chair and start with the bottom. If not, you’ll have to wait until the top is dry to flip and paint the bottom.

4. Let the chair dry for 1 to 2 hours.

Follow the directions on the paint can. In general, chalk paint dries quickly.
The first coat may look super streaky, which is totally normal!

5. Paint the second coat.

Sometimes people lightly sand (by hand) with a 220 grit between coats. This helps to create a smoother finish.
More coats may be needed. Check the coverage after the second coat dries.
Optional: If you want to distress, now is the time to do it. I lightly sanded with a 220 grit in any areas that would naturally distress over time. Make sure to dust off the chair before waxing.

6. Apply the top wax coat and buff.

I applied two coats of clear decorative wax with a chalk paint bristled brush (buffing in between). A little bit of wax goes a long way. You don’t need to load up your brush.
After each coat, let wax dry (up to 24 hours – look at the directions) then buff with a cotton cloth. When buffing, apply pressure to your cloth and buff in a circular motion until your desired shine is reached.
Wax continues to harden over time until fully curing around 2 to 3 weeks.