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.

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 more. #paintmetalpatiofurniture #howtopaintmetalfurniture #paintmetalfurnitureideas #paintmetalfurniturecolour #outdoorliving #diypaintmetalpatiofurniture

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!

diy paint metal patio furniture

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

paint metal patio furniture

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. 
how to paint metal furniture
  • 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! 
paint metal furniture ideas

Looking for more inspiring DIY projects?

paint metal furniture color
  • 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!
paint metal patio furniture

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?

outdoor living

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.

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12 Comments

  1. Thank you for your step by step on spray painting outdoor furniture. I purchased an outdoor metal couch that said it was gold but it was more of a dull gray. Do you think Rustoleum in Gold with a clear gloss top coat(s) will do the trick? Does it actually come out a shiny gold? Thank you!

    1. Hi Gianna and I’m so glad this post has been helpful 🙂 A clear gloss topcoat will definitely help you achieve a shiny gold color. Best of luck, and send me a photo when you’re all done. I bet it’ll look amazing!!

  2. This is just what I was looking for! Question….if my metal patio furniture has some rust do I need to do something extra to prep that?
    Thanks!
    Marla

    1. Hi Marla and what a fantastic question! I would definitely first remove any loose rust and then apply a primer. It doesn’t need to be perfectly removed, but the best that you can would be great. Feel free to add a few coats of primer on top of it as well so your paint will adhere to the surface. Best of luck and happy DIY’ing 🙂

  3. Hello. I understand you used the rust-oleum spray for the border of the chair . How about if I need to restore the seating and back part ? What do you recommend? Rust-oleum spray too? My chairs are very similar to yours. What color should I use? I appreciate any kind of information. Thank you!

    1. Hi Silvvia and great questions! I personally wouldn’t spray paint that particular material unless your chairs are just for “show”. If your chairs are like mine, I’m guessing the seating and back part is very flexible and I’m afraid that the paint would peel off super quickly with much use. However, if you wanted to use them I would suggest buying a cushion or even possibly creating custom cloth coverups to hide any of the mesh/color that you do not like. Please let me know if you find a solution that works better than my suggestion(s). I’d love to know about it!! Hopefully this helps and best of luck 🙂

  4. Hi, there LZ! Great tips! I have these exact outdoor dining chairs! I wanted to ask, what size is the outdoor rug? Saw yours and now I need one for my outdoor dining table!

    1. Hi Martie! Thank you so much and that’s a great question. This particular rug is a 5′ x7′, but I truly wish I had bought a 8′ x 10′. 🙂

    1. Hi Elda and great question! The key to getting the crisp edges is using painter’s tape. It’ll allow you put down multiple layers if the first one (or two!) don’t cover everything. Trust me, I’ve had to add little bits of the tape in certain places if it doesn’t initially go down where I want it to. Best of luck and have a great weekend!

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