Conquer the Summer With This Easy Refinishing Project

 

I love when the cold weather finally goes away and Spring rolls in because that means the garage sales will be going on every weekend!  Hubby stopped at a local garage sale and scored a super cute patio bench for $15, but it was in bad shape.  The finish and color had faded badly and the paint on the wrought iron had chipped and rust was beginning to peek through.  It needed help!

How To Refinish an Old Patio Bench

This is a picture of what the patio bench looked like before:

 

I have refinished a few pieces of furniture, but never have I done anything with wrought iron.  I was a little intimidated, to be honest, but it was actually very easy.

I started with sanding the wood slats on the bench.  Most of the finish had worn off, so this part was easy.  There was a gunk on the wood, so I sprayed a vinegar and water mixture (half and half) on it and let it set for about 10 minutes, then scrubbed it with a rag and it came off.  The vinegar mixture helped cleaned the iron part, too, so I could assess the chipped parts.  I rinsed the whole bench off with water and let it dry.

I then used a scrubby dish sponge to remove the loose paint chips and rusted areas on the wrought iron.  You can also use an emery cloth or paint scraper to remove the rust.  Note that you do not have to remove all of the paint, but it should be smooth and not chipping, so the new paint can adhere properly.

Once the wrought iron is ready, I used large pieces of tablet paper (from our homeschooling days) and taped off the wooden slats so I wouldn’t get green paint on them.  (It can always be sanded off later, but I do not like creating more work for myself!)  You can use a good old fashioned paintbrush and paint can of primer, but I opted for a spray can of paint with primer that was made to prevent rust and is safe to leave outdoors.  I followed the directions on the can and sprayed the wrought iron sides with paint/primer.  (Be careful not to spray too closely or it will drip.)

I then removed the paper and tape and stained the wood.  It was VERY dried out, so it really absorbed the stain.  It ended up darker than I had planned, but that’s okay!  When it was dry, I wiped it with a cloth and then applied two coats of finish.  Keeping the kids off of it was hard, but they had to or I would have ended up with ruined clothes and a ruined bench!  

I love how it turned out!  Like I said, it did turn out a bit dark and it actually looks black, but it works!

 

I loved the new bench, but felt like I needed something else for our summer barbecues and evenings on the back porch.  I would love to have an outdoor egg chair!

I spotted an old pot that I had given to the boys to play with because it had chipped so badly and wasn’t safe for cooking anymore.  It was awful!  

I quickly and easily turned it into a ice and beverage holder by using the leftover paint/primer for the wrought iron.  I covered the handles with paper and tape and sprayed the inside and outside of the pot.  Once dry, I filled it with ice and it kept my drinks cool!  Trash to treasure, y’all.. repurposing all the way!

 

The Rubbermaid Refill Reuse™ bottles are perfect for all of us.  They hold 20oz of beverage, have a finger loop for easy carrying, have a leak proof lid seal, and fit in standard cup holders (hello road trips!)  They’re also BPA free and dishwasher safe.

I love putting fruit in these when I fill them up, so they will be cold, flavorful, and refreshing when we pull them out of the fridge!

Hubby and Baby Brother were instantly fans:

 

Are you ready for summer?  I’d love to hear about how you prepare to conquer the summer!!