Hi everyone! It’s Connie from FAFF Designs! I have a bit of a thing for retro wicker and bamboo furniture. This pair of sweet bedside tables were already lovely but had peeling varnish and were a bit dull. Read on to find out how I gave them a vibrant makeover! Wicker can be a bit tricky, but this post has got you covered.

Materials List:

How To Paint Wicker Furniture:

Step 1: Vacuum the nooks and clean with White Lightning cleaner

The first step is to vacuum the cane or wicker areas. The shelf, the top, and the drawer front all got a good hoovering as this can collect dust and ‘bits’ which aren’t always removed when cleaning. I then cleaned as normal with Dixie Belle’s White Lightning Cleaner. 

Step 2: Sand away any flaking varnish

Once they were dry, I used the medium sanding sponge from R.A.D. Pad to scuff sand the surface and remove any flaking varnish. After that, I vacuumed both bedsides again to remove any dust caused from sanding.

Step 3: Use a good brush and paint or use a sprayer

Next is painting (the best bit!). I chose Evergreen from Dixie Belle Paint as it’s a funky, vivid green (also one of my all time favourite colours). I used a Dixie Belle  Oval Small synthetic brush which was the perfect size for painting the legs and getting into the nooks and crannies.

Water is your friend when painting wicker and cane so I used my Continuous Mister Bottle to spritz the surface of the piece. I applied very thin coats of Evergreen as you can see from the image. I use less paint than when painting a standard surface so that the paint doesn’t pool and drip. I also use slightly more water than usual to help work the paint into the weave of the cane.

To see how I finished blinging these ugly old vintage wicker tables out, read more at FAFF Designs here!

Furniture Makeovers, Guest Author, How To

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About the Author

FAFF Designs

Connie is the owner of FAFF Designs. She developed a love of upcycling and painting furniture a few years ago whilst on maternity leave with her son. Since then, her business has grown. In January of 2021, she became a Brand Ambassador for Dixie Belle Paint Company.

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