When my grandparents offered me these vintage aluminum children’s chairs, I gladly accepted them. At the time, my cousin was pregnant with her first child and I knew these chairs would be a perfect gift. We had played on them throughout our childhood and I was excited to give them new life.
Cost: About $45
Materials
- Chalk Paint
- Polyuruthane
- Foam Padding
- Staple Gun Staples
- Fabric
Tools
- Paint Brush
- Screw Driver
- Staple Gun
- Scissors
How to Refinish Aluminum Chairs with Chalk Paint
To begin, I took apart the old chairs. The frame was one solid piece. The wooden seat was still intact. So, I simply ripped off the old padding and fabric.
Step 1: Prep and Paint
First, I scrubbed the chairs thoroughly with a wire brush. This removed any raised rust. Then, I wiped until clean. I set up an area in my garage with towels for painting. I painted them in three coats. The first coat worked as a base. The second coat evened out the color. The last pass filled in any areas that needed to be smoothed.
Once they were completely dry, I finished with a layer of polyurethane.
Step 2: Making the Seat
The seats were easy to assemble since I could reuse the wood. I traced the outline of the seat onto the foam and cut it. Then, I folded the fabric over the sides and stapled beneath.
Step 3: Reassembly
With the seats and frame complete, I used the original screws to reattach the seat. The final result was a simple update to make the chairs useable again.
Video
You can watch my video of the steps here:
Ready for a New Generation
The paint colors and fabric were inspired by my cousin’s bright, world-traveler aesthetic. Her daughter’s room is blue and her home uses a lot of global-inspired art.
My son and his cousin were gracious enough to pose with them before they played.
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