How to Paint Metal Patio Furniture So It Looks Like a Million Bucks

Have you been wanting to learn how to paint metal patio furniture like a pro? Then today’s your lucky day! Check out this tutorial for all the details.

Painting Gives New Life To Decor

Isn’t paint wonderful? Not only does it come in a wide variety of colors and textures, but it truly can make a world of difference with even the most unappealing items. In fact, I would dare to say that over half of the items I own end up getting a few different coats of paint every few years. Yikes!

For instance, I’ve only been living in this new house my husband and I purchased back in March, and I’ve already painted my kitchen cabinets. I’m crossing my fingers I won’t get that bug to repaint them anytime soon because it was a HUGE project!

Anyways, with all of that being said, I found myself wanting a new patio set since it blended in wayyyy too much with our house siding. However, after looking at my budget and then the prices I saw for the sets I liked… it was quite apparent that my good ol’ trusty friend paint, would need to rescue the day!

How to Paint Metal Patio Furniture Like a Pro

All you need to do is follow these easy instructions, and you’ll have a new-looking patio!

Tools and Supplies

• Metal Patio Furniture
• Mineral Spirits
• Paper Towel
• Old Cardboard or Tarp
• Rust-Oleum Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze
• Top Coat Varnish (in Satin)
• Kraft or Wrapping Paper
• Painter’s Tape
• Scissors
  

Instructions

• First things first, you’ll want to clean your metal patio furniture with a paper towel and Mineral Spirits (or another similar cleaner) to ensure that your paint will stick.
• Once it’s dry go ahead and tape up all of the areas of your furniture that you do not want to get painted.
• Don’t laugh. I used Disney princess wrapping paper because I couldn’t find my kraft paper! Believe it or not, it worked out really well. 

• Next, it’s time to paint. I used my all-time favorite Rust-Oleum Metallic Oil Rubbed Bronze and lightly sprayed one coat on my metal patio furniture.
• Don’t forget to do this step on an old piece of cardboard or tarp! 

Looking for more inspiring DIY projects?

• How to Paint and Distress Metal Bar Stools
• Mason Jar Pendant Light
• Repurposed Table Turned Wood Tilt Out Trash Can
• 14 Industrial Home Decor Ideas

• I needed three coats to cover every inch of my chairs evenly, but just make sure you give your paint plenty of time to dry before adding a new layer.
• Last but not least, add two coats of your top coat varnish to protect your paint from wearing off too quickly. 
• In fact, if you plan on using your chairs on a daily basis I would probably add another two coats of your top coat on top of those to give it as much protection as possible!

And that’s all! I still have a long way to go with my back porch, but at least I’m one step closer to figuring it all out. 

What kind of projects have you guys been creating lately?

I hope you have a great week, and chat with you soon 🙂

If you loved these ideas then you’ll definitely want to browse some of my other DIY projects that are full of step-by-step tutorials as well as freebies galore! Can’t wait to see you again!

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This post was updated in October 2022.