Maybe you have some furniture in your home that looks a bit worn and needs a little sprucing up. Or maybe you just bought an old table or chair at a flea market or thrift shop that looks like it has seen better days. Old furniture often has paint that is faded, cracked, or chipped. Regardless of the problem that you are facing, it's easy to give new life to old furniture with a few coats of paint.
1 Protect your work surface with a drop cloth or with thick layers of newspapers. Work in an area that is well-ventilated. For your safety, wear long sleeves, gloves, pants, shoes, and safety glasses.
2 Remove paint or old varnish with a paint stripper. Always read and follow the instructions listed on the can of paint stripper. Use a brush to apply a thick layer of paint stripper to the entire piece, working from the top down. Check that you got into all of the small crevices. After 15 to 30 minutes, check the progress of the paint stripper by scraping off the old paint with a plastic putty knife or steel wool. If it removes easily, continue to scrape the rest of the paint off. But allow the paint stripper to set 5 to 10 more minutes if it's difficult to remove paint.
3 Remove any chemical residue or debris with mineral spirits and a clean rag or a scrub pad. Allow to dry. Sand furniture lightly with 220 grit sandpaper to remove rough spots. Remove debris from sanding with a tack cloth.
4 Apply a high quality oil-based primer to the piece of furniture with a paint brush. A primer will create a smooth surface for the paint to adhere to. It will also conceal any old stains on the furniture. Allow to dry.
5 Apply 2 base coats of latex paint to the furniture with a paint brush. Always wait for the first coat of paint to dry before adding a second coat for a smooth professional finish. Allow to dry completely.
6 Tape a stencil to the area that you want to paint with painter's tape or masking tape. Select stencils such as spirals, flowers, ivy, grape vines, fruits, or stars to personalize your furniture piece.
7 Dip your paint brush into a paint color that accents your base coat. Don't overload the brush because that can create messy and blotchy designs. Use a tapping motion to apply paint to the middle of your stencil opening. Or use a swirling motion to apply paint against the stencil openings. Move the brush outward as you work. Repeat this technique until you have created the designs that you desire.
