I have a fabulous furniture makeover for you today, friends! I’m showing you how to make shabby chic furniture out of pieces you already have and the results are beautiful!
If you are like me, you probably have at least one piece of furniture that you don’t love the look of but also don’t want to replace. For me it is my dining room set. I really hate the chairs but love the functionality of the table and don’t want to get rid of it. So, I decided to give the chairs a makeover. I’m bringing you along and showing you how to make shabby chic furniture. It’s easy to do and looks amazing when it’s done!
How to Make Shabby Chic Furniture
Some of you already know that I have been a painter for 25 years and have lots of experience with different painting techniques. I’m excited to share this one with you because it is so versatile! I’m using it to transform my chairs but you can do this to any piece of furniture. I’ve also done it on fireplaces, entryways, and doors. It’s really fun with chairs though because you can use the muslin shreds to give them an added layer of shabby chic!
Let’s talk paint…
For this project I’m using Country Chic chalk paint. Country Chic is my favorite but any good quality chalk paint will work too. The great thing about chalk paint is that your rarely need a primer or a finish. It covers so well and holds up well too.
The chairs I’m working on are ones that don’t get used a whole lot so I’m really not worried about their durability. I don’t have small kids climbing in and out of them or anything, they mostly just sit and wait for holidays. If you want to use this technique on something that sees everyday use, like your kitchen table and chairs, you will want to add some added protection.
For durability, or if you like a glossier look, try using Sherman Williams Pro Classic Semi gloss paint. You would need to prime your furniture first but you could definitely make it work. Just chose a white and a beige color and use the same process that I show you in the video.
Shabby Chic Furniture Supply List
- Piece of furniture for painting (I am using by dining room chairs)
- Country Chic paint (Simplicity and Tami Loves Beige)
- Chip brush
- Paint tray
- Sanding block
- Damp cloth
- Muslin
- Scissors
Step by Step Instructions
- Start by lightly sanding your piece of furniture. You just need to scuff it up a bit, not take all the varnish off.
- Pour some of each color of paint into your paint tray and then use your chip brush to dip into both colors and then dab it of in the tray.
- Next, use dabbing motions to apply the paint to your piece of furniture. Continue until your whole surface is covered.
- If you want to add a second coat, lightly sand your surface and then add the second coat.
- While your paint is drying, use your scissor to cut one inch strips in your muslin and tear it to make muslin strips. Then cut your long strip into smaller strips that will fit around your chair spindles or table legs (depending on the piece of furniture you are working with).
- Next, just wrap them around your spindles or legs and double knot them at the back. Repeat until you’ve covered your whole spindle or leg. I also took a few longer shreds, put them together, and tied them into a bow at the top of my chairs.
The Wrap Up…
Obviously we all have different pieces of furniture that we are working with so yours won’t match mine exactly. I wanted to show you what I did in order to inspire you to use a similar method to shabby chic your own furniture! The paint technique is super easy and adding the muslin give the furniture some cute texture and dimension. I just love how my chairs turned out and hope you do too!
Make sure you never miss a Live or discount for my website! Sign up here to receive texts and I’ll let you know when fun things are happening! https://my.community.com/tamilovesvintage
Tami’s cell phone number 740-273-6693
Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram! You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel so you never miss a video tutorial!
If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!
