Well, here we go.....down a new path of painted chairs! Specifically, this painted zebra chair. Wait until you see this fun, whimsical chair overflowing with personality!
My "mermaid" chairs have birthed an entirely new line.....my very own take on a whimsical jungle!
The "before" chair was beautiful on its own with a great stout stature with beautiful curves.
The shape was exactly what I needed to bring forth this design....but the fabric was a challenge!
First...chair prep
I needed to block the bold color and create my own blank canvas. I had never used my magical Dixie Belle BOSS primer on fabric.....but it makes a great color blocker so I gave it a try.
It took two coats of BOSS white.....with light sanding in between the two layers.....to get me the exact surface that I was after. It did NOT make my fabric crunchy.....but it did change the feel from soft polished cotton to a firm outdoor cushion feel.
It's important to note that polished cotton is the fabric to look for when considering painting on fabric. Any smooth fabric with NO pile or raised texture...especially NO velvet....is best....if you want to paint a design.
*** I am NOT dying the fabric....I am painting it! This does not work on velvet in my opinion. Velvet becomes very hard and scratchy no matter how much effort I put into it.***
Step-by-step painting the zebra chair
I painted the chair in two coats of Dixie Belle's Soft Pink.
I drew my animal design in chalk until I had it just the way I wanted it.
I then traced over the chalk with a sharpie marker.
I then measured out my stripes on the seat cushion and marked those up with marker as well.
Now its time to paint!
I began by painting every other stripe with DB Peony.
While I had the Peony on my brush, I decided to do a deep tone shadow of Peony on the back of the chair as well. I used the paint on my brush and a few spritzes of water to create this look.
I then laid the chair down and began to bring the zebra/giraffe to life.
This part is so easy....as easy as coloring in a coloring book!
Once I started.....I entered my creative high and continued to create this whimsical beauty without documenting with photos! AHHHH....total blogger fail!
I do have a three-part series on YouTube where I prepped and painted parts of this chair on live video. You can find that HERE.
I also wanted to show you a few products (besides my go-to Dixie Belle paints) that I used that were game-changers for this project:
The stamps were used to create the subtle background (butterflies), this gorgeous floral headpiece (fronds, lady shallot, painterly roses), and the cameo necklace piece (backplate) for the whimsical mixed-up creature!
The detail in these stamps is mind-blowing...just look at the veins in this green leaf
This entire halo of flowers took NO time at all to create...yet it looks like a masterpiece!
The leopard print that you see on the arms...is my understated touch of elegance...LOL! I love using these foils from Artistic Painting Studio.....and the APS foil adhesive is the best I've ever used! You just brush on the adhesive...wait 30 minutes.....rub on your foil sheets of choice.....and voila! This specific foil is wild leopard spots. I'll be using more of these in the very near future!
I added WoodUBend molds to the back of the chair......as final touch of detail without competing with the over the top detail on the front!
You know I'm a huge fan of these molds as they add so much character to otherwise blank spaces! Just paint.....heat......glue.....and enhance.....or heat....glue....paint and enhance....whatever order your project requires.....they allow you to create quickly and efficiently without having to wait for dry time or cure time!
I love this chair so much.....from every angle!
I love what it represents......be yourself...fly your freak flag.....stand tall.....do your thang!
I love how the colors play off of one another!
I love that this is a chair that someone is actually going to put in their home and enjoy it every single time they walk by it!
It makes me want one!!! How do I not have my own?
You'll see another one very soon.....again....not my own.....but another order has already been placed and I can't wait to share it with you! Until then, I'd love to share my mermaid chairs and whimsical hydrangeas chair. Also, did you know you can paint leather chairs too? You can see my painted leather office chair here and I loved it so much I decided to keep it in my own home office.
Ready to paint your own chair? You're in luck...I have a 2+ hour video tutorial that will walk you through every step.
See you next week!
XOXO,
Tracey
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