How to Make a Victorian Looking Adirondack Chair

Adirondack chairs look beautiful painted in a rainbow of colors or decoupaged for a Victorian look.

Whether it is plain white, pastel pink or shocking red, an Adirondack chair is a charming and romantic staple of the lake-front cottage and is equally at home in an English country garden. One of the most whimsical decorative accents for an Adirondack chair is decoupage. An Adirondack chair and decoupage go together like a horse and carriage, sharing a common history: the Victorian era. The chair was invented during this time in New York and named after the Adirondack mountains, and decoupage flourished in Europe at the same time. For the Victorian era's botanic, nature-inspired imagery, there is no more perfect match than the functional, flat paddle arms and strong slat back of the iconic Adirondack chair.

Things You'll Need

• Paper or tissue images
• Decoupage medium
• Sponge
• Rags
• Plastic gloves (optional)
• Artist brushes
• Outdoor acrylic polyurethane sealant or varnish

Instructions

1. 

   Adirondack chairs are equally at home on the beach or in an English country garden.

   Cut out Victorian-style images from thin paper such as wallpaper, gift wrap, art posters and books. Ensure the painted chair's surface is clean and smooth, free of dirt and dust particles. Position an image on the chair's surface. Trace around the image lightly with a pencil, and set the image aside. Working quickly in one foot sections, apply the decoupage medium to the chair with a brush or sponge applicator.

2. Place the image into the tracing. Press with a sponge to eliminate bubbles, creases and excess decoupage medium. Smooth and flatten the image working outwards. Check the image over the course of an hour to ensure no air bubbles have formed under the paper. Continue working over the entire chair, adding your images and smoothing. Let the chair dry completely for about one week.

3. Apply three to five coats of varnish or acrylic polyurethane to the completely cured chair.

Tips & Warnings

• Place your decoupaged Adirondack chairs in a shady area to avoid direct contact with sunlight. Extreme heat may damage the decoupaged surface or cause fading.

• Keep your decoupage-decorated Adirondacks under shelter in inclement weather to prolong the finish.

• Cut out images with sharp scissors for a nice, clean edge.

• Ensure the images are on thin paper that does not obviously protrude above the surface of the chair.

• Always work outdoors or in a well-ventilated area.

References

• Craftown: Instructions: Decoupage
• Canadian Gardening: How To Revive Tired Garden Furniture With Decoupage
• The Artful Crafter: Decoupage
• Decoupage.org: History
• Victorian Mag: "Learn the Art of Decoupage": Leslie Lynsley

Resources

• "The Fine Art of Decoupage"; Lyn Cochrane; October 2001
• "The Victoria Scrap Gallery"; Dee Davis; July 2003
• "Absolute Beginner's Decoupage: The Simple Step-by-Step Guide"; Alison Jenkins; 1999
• "Victorian Decoupage: Source Book With 10 Projects, Including 100 19th Century Scraps, Embossed, Pre-Cut and Ready to Use"; Michell Lovric and Maggie Philo; April 1997
• Blackberry Designs: Decoupage Images