How to Make a Colorful Patio Table

Colorful patio furniture draws the eye.

Patio furniture devoid of color often looks cold and uninviting, especially if it's worn and old. Fresh colorful furniture, however, encourages friends and guests to have a seat and stay a while. Color also draws the eye, helping your furniture blend into your landscape and pull attention toward your favorite backyard getaways. Colorful furniture also livens up a bland backyard, making it look lively and inviting. One of the best aspects about redecorating your patio is that you don't even have to purchase new furniture; you can repurpose pieces you already own.

Things You'll Need

• Sandpaper
• Soft cloths
• Paint, many colors
• Paintbrushes
• Water (optional)
• Bucket (optional)
• Stencils (optional)
• Outdoor furniture sealer

Instructions

1. Examine your table and consider the shapes that make up the whole. Decide on a pattern or system for painting the table. For instance, you may choose a different color for each panel on a wooden table. For a metal table, you may paint the border and legs one color and the table top itself another.

2. Sand down the entire table with fine sandpaper. This rids the table of burrs and makes the surface better able to hold paint. Wipe down the table with a soft cloth to remove grit from the sandpaper.

3. Choose a paint technique for your table. A table with a large, solid top may benefit from stenciled designs. Wooden tables take color washes, or watered down paint, quite well.

4. Water down paint by diluting it with 1 part water to 2 parts paint. For instance, if you have a gallon of paint, add 1/2 gallon of water to it. Use the color wash as you would ordinary paint.

5. Allow the paint, color washed or not, to dry overnight. If you want to use stencils, arrange and rearrange them on the table until you find a design you like. Use just a little paint at a time to fill in the stencils. Use undiluted paint on color-washed surfaces and contrasting colors on solid-painted surfaces.

6. Allow the stencils to dry overnight. Apply two coats of outdoor sealer, waiting two hours in between coats.

References

• Share Landscaping Ideas: How to Make a Colorful Patio Table
• Sensational Color: Create Your Outdoor Lifestyle with Color