How to Repair Furniture Scratches- Rainbow Rocking Chair

My porch is long and skinny and hard to decorate. I used to have a bench on the porch, but after I moved it to the fire pit area, it’s been empty. We’ve been missing that spot to sit so I’ve been on the lookout for a replacement piece of furniture. I figured a rocking chair would be perfect- especially if I could make it rainbow! Here’s how I did that and I’m going to share some tips for how to repair furniture scratches. 

How to Repair Furniture Scratches- Rainbow Rocking Chair

I found this rocking chair for $65 on Facebook Marketplace. I thought it would be perfect! From the pictures, the finish looked beautiful, but in person, it was rough. I still brought it home. It was obvious it’d been left out in the elements and damaged by the sun and probably snow too. The paint was cracked all over the whole piece.

SUPPLIES

• wood filler
• sander
• TSP
• white spray paint
• paint- Beloved Pink, Ballet Rose, Coral Fountain, Frittata, Corn Stalk, Green Aqua, Tinted Ice, and Early September

step 1

Start by sanding. This’ll make the furniture look worse, but it’s important to remove any peeling furniture. If it cracks off later, it’ll just look bad again.

step 2

Next, fill any cracks or damage with wood filler. I apply with my finger and keep a wet rag handy to clean off my finger. Let dry, and then apply a second coat of wood filler so the cracks are fully filled.

Once the wood filler is dry, sand it so the wood filler is flush with the painted finish. Then clean well with water and TSP.

Again, at this point, the furniture looks awful, but the finish should be nice and smooth!

step 3

And now, it’s time to paint. This is an exciting point because you can see all the hard work paying off! I like to use spray paint for outdoor furniture because it stands up so well to the elements. 

I do a few light coats of paint. It’s best to time spray painting so that it can dry overnight before handling it.

step 4

Finally, I decided to finish the chair by painting the slats in the seat in rainbow colors! It’s subtle, but fun. I, obviously, am a girl who loves a pop of color! Here’s the colors I used- Beloved Pink, Ballet Rose, Coral Fountain, Frittata, Corn Stalk, Green Aqua, Tinted Ice, and Early September. I buy sample bottles of paint in a satin finish. 

after

And here it is! The finished rocking chair! It fits nicely between the garage and the guest room door. Our house is weird with the layout (there’s three doors on the porch), but I embrace that vintage charm. Especially with this cutie rocking chair!

We live on a busy street so don’t sit much out here. But for the occasional time, this is perfect! Don and I like to pull out a book from the little library and this chair is big enough for a snuggle. Plus, I think it looks so welcoming to have a rocking chair on a porch.

Do you like the rainbow finish? 

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