Now, let’s see if I can keep them alive. Must remember—water.

Moral of the story:  It’s never too late–at least, not yet! 

  REALLY true confession…These are not MY flowers…but I wish they were!

My eyes fell on our round dining set. Ahhh…My starting point. We have spent many hours and many dinners sitting at our non-descript, Home Depot-basic-green-iron table and chairs. We’ve been through four umbrellas that met their ends by weather, sun, or rot. (I never remember to take them into the garage…I really liked that yellow one…) The table had a few sections of rust and peeling paint. The same for a couple of the chairs.

 This is a fairly easy project and makes a big difference in the appearance of the rear of our home. The only difficulty was that the project took more paint than I had planned, thereby costing more money. It was still worth it, though, and with the new $40 umbrella that I purchased at Bed, Bath, and Beyond (with a 20%off coupon!), it could be new.

1. Clean and dry iron furniture.

2. Cover area under the furniture (and anything around it–like walls, if you are not outside) with dropcloths. You might think of skipping this step, but don’t. Rustoleum spraypaint was meant to last, and it will. Even on your garage floor, windows, or deck. Take the time and prepare the area.

3. Use a small, stiff brush to remove pealing paint and rust, if you choose. (I found paint that said it would go right over rust. Time will tell…)

4. Read the directions on the can. Then, paint. The kind of paint I used was Rust-oleum Hammered finish spray paint. It was about $6 a can, and I needed four cans. The directions tell about recoating time. (It’s less than an hour or more than 48 hours, so plan ahead.) Use a steady back-and-forth motion, and be sure to spray from every side. My furniture has lots of lattice-like metal, and I did not want to see any of the old color peeking at me from the one angle I did not paint.

5. Let dry (I let things ‘cure’ for about two days in the garage) and enjoy!

***A couple of tips: Spray painting is easy, but messy. Wear a disposable latex glove on the hand you use. You also might want to use a mask. I know they’re geeky, but you will breathe in some of the paint mist. I can’t imagine that would be good for your lungs or nose! Also, if you estimate accurately and don’t have to make a run to Lowe’s, the whole project can be completed in about an hour and a half.