I found this vintage rocking chair at a yard sale last summer for $10! It had been sitting outside in the rain for awhile, so I didn’t really want to pay very much for it. But when the owner said $10 I figured I could afford that, even if it was a little weathered. I just loved the curves on it and thought it was a really unique piece of furniture. I had it sitting on my front porch last winter, unpainted, but this year I thought it would be fun to give this rocking chair a little paint job. Here is how I gave this vintage rocking chair a makeover using crackle medium and Fusion Mineral Paint homestead blue.

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Step 1: Sand

The first thing I always do with my furniture pieces is give them a light sand. This rocking chair had a bit of the old finish left in some areas, but it was flaking off and pretty rough. I used my palm sander and sanded it all using 60, 80, and 120 grit. Then I sanded by hand all the curves and areas I couldn’t get to with the palm sander.

Step 2: First coat of crackle medium

Since this was an older piece of furniture, and since I planned to have it outside, I wanted it to have a bit of a weathered appearance. I started with some crackle medium, and applied it with a foam brush. I didn’t do it all over, but concentrated on the areas that would generally have a little more wear.

Step 3: First coat of paint

Then using a furniture paint brush, I applied a layer of Fusion Mineral Paint Homestead blue. When I paint furniture I try to do lighter coats and make sure there are no paint drips. I started on the bottom of the chair with all the curvy areas, then worked my way over the rest.

Step 4: Second coat of crackle medium

Once the first layer of paint was dry, I did a very light sand using 180 grit sandpaper. Then I applied another thin layer of crackle medium to the same general areas that I did the first coat.

Step 5: Second coat of paint

After the crackle medium was dry (about 30 minutes), I applied the second coat of homestead blue using a paint brush.  This paint dries pretty fast, so I only had to wait an hour or so before moving on to the finishing steps.

Step 6: Distress

When I do furniture flips, I tend to go for a more modern look with minimal distressing. I wanted to try something a little different with this one to give it more of a weathered appearance. I used some 180 grit sandpaper to go over the entire chair, but focused on the corners and the curves to reveal some of the wood underneath.

Step 7: Seal

And the final step is to seal the paint. For this, I chose to use General Finishes High Performance top coat in a flat finish. This is a water based finish but doesn’t yellow, and I’ve had really great results using it in the past.

Vintage Painted Rocking Chair

I love how this chair turned out. I think the deep blue paint and the distressing really bring out the beautiful curves of this vintage rocking chair.  I added a bit of plaid and some fall mums, and that’s pretty much it for my fall decorating!