Update a cane stool

Update an old cane stool with fresh paint and new fabric.

Resene upcycling for good with Sarah Herring - Project 10

Finished project

You will need: Resene Lustacryl semi-gloss waterborne enamel paint in Resene Coast, Resene Quick Dry waterborne primer undercoat (500ml), Sander or rough grit sandpaper, Scissors, Staple gun and staples, Suitable fabric for the cushion (Sarah used a standard sized cushion cover), Testpot brush.

Tips and tricks: If you want to introduce an extra colour, you can mask partway around the stool legs and paint a second colour so that the stool legs look like they have been dipped in paint.

Finished project

Upcyling for good

Step one
Remove the cushion. This old cane stool had an existing cushion but the cover had been painted over with blue paint. Because Sarah knew it would be hard to sand back and repaint the cushion cover, and also because she wanted to give this stool a new look, Sarah removed the cushion from the stool and recovered it..

Step two
To recover the cushion, Sarah used an existing cushion slip and cut it to size. Then she wrapped it tightly over the cushion and secured it with a staple gun.

Step three
It’s important that you use a suitable fabric for recovering a seat or chair because it needs to be strong and durable. Once the cushion is recovered, put it to one side while you work on the rest of the stool.

Step four
Old furniture is likely to be dusty and dirty. Clean, sand and then prime the stool, using Resene Quick Dry. Always wait for the undercoat to dry before proceeding.

Step five
Topcoat your stool with two coats of your chosen colour. Sarah chose to paint the stool in Resene Coast, which is a nice moody colour that suited the cushion fabric.

Step six
Sarah applied two coats of the top colour with a testpot brush. It can be hard to paint a surface like cane, so it is important to wriggle your brush around and make sure you don’t miss any bits!

Step seven
Once the stool is completely dry, secure the cushion back in place. And there you have it, a quick and easy way to refresh what was a tired and old cane stool.

Upcycling for Good

You can find a huge range of treasures, from ornaments and picture frames, to furniture and toys at your local Salvation Army store that you can easily upcycle with a little Resene paint and some imagination.

"Our Family Stores are full of treasures generously donated by members of the public. We value these donations and try our hardest to re-purpose and sell as much as possible. We’re all about re-using and recycling, so teaming up with Resene on Upcycling for Good was a perfect match. Resene’s products and tips are a natural fit with our pre-loved furniture and accessories, which are usually great quality but could sometimes do with a lick of paint to ensure they fly off the shelves.

Each year, nationally, our stores save 16,000 tonnes from landfill. This initiative increases the value of the donated product, improves the range of goods for our customers, and furthers The Salvation Army’s mission and Resene’s community activity.” Gareth Marshall, The Salvation Army's National Family Store Manager.

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Resene Paints (Australia) Limited – www.resene.com