Updating Iron Patio Furniture with Paint

When we moved into our house, we had no budget left to furnish our large deck, so we had to get creative!  All of our furniture was purchased from Craigslist or thrift stores and painted.  See the makeover on our Adirondack chairs HERE.  This iron patio set started out as a green, rusted monstrosity, with broken straps, that we purchased from Craigslist.  But, I had a plan to make it pretty and compliment our decor!

I took the glass out of the table and spray painted the table and chairs with a black outdoor spray paint.  We ordered a roll of black strapping from the internet and watched several videos on replacing the straps.  The key is heating the rubber by placing it in a pot of boiling water for a few minutes, so you can stretch it enough to wrap it around the chairs.  We got the hang of it after doing a few!

Painted patio set and rug

In addition to the patio set, I also spray painted two lounge chairs and a round table.  We scored the two lounge chairs for a great deal off Craig's List.  They were a hunter green like the patio set and I painted them Gloss Deep Blue to complement the color of the swimming pool.  The round table was from Ollie's discount store and I opted to paint the boring black table a Gloss Apple Red.

While scouring Pinterest for patio ideas, I happened upon pins of painted rugs.  I found an inexpensive, outdoor rug and gave it a painted border for around $20.  I used this post as inspiration for my design.  I just taped off the design using painter's tape and covered the areas I didn't want painted with newspaper.  I used black Rust-oleum spray paint on the rug for the design.  Make sure you wear a mask and paint either outside, or in a well-ventilated area to avoid inhaling the paint fumes.  I also highly recommend this Rust-oleum paint trigger; it really saves your fingers from getting sore!  After painting the rug, table and chairs, and 2 lounge chairs, it was well worth the $7.

We sewed (OK, mostly my husband, because I did not inherit that talent) slip covers from a cheery, yellow and gray striped outdoor fabric, that we found on the clearance rack at Hancock Fabric, to cover the green cushions that came with the set.  The covers have a Velcro closure underneath so we can remove them for washing.  After paint, re-covered cushions, decorative rug, and a new umbrella, this patio set looks brand new!

Updated yellow patio set

What do you think?  Have you ever painted outdoor furniture?

Check out more outdoor ideas at the Outdoor Extravaganza Link Party and on Pinterest:

Follow Real Girl's Realm's board DIY - The Great Outdoors on Pinterest.