Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
By Laura Huff from Wildwood, NJ
Secure anything that might cause splinters or injuries- wood, sand it down- wicker bits, try to weave back into the general pattern of it, and use a glue gun, or Gorilla Glue, if necessary. Then, remember the following rule: Spray paint covers an amazing variety of sins, my dear. Especially with wicker. Take a sample (cats tend to leave a few of 'em, with wicker claw-damage) to your local home improvement place, and have them match the paint.
I would also suggest that you remove the cushions and such from this first, spray it down with a hose, to remove any ambient dust and such, and then let the frame dry well- your paint will adhere much better, if you do this first. Then, spray paint the affected area as needed- it may take more than one pass to cover the damage. Make sure to spray from more than one angle, too- you want total coverage of any exposed (unpainted) areas of your wicker and wood. Let dry, and set it up again! (PS- do not use "off brand" spray paint- stick with the good ones. You do not want to have paint that never dries, etc., on furniture! And be sure to allow it to dry thoroughly, before reassembling your cushions and such.) Good luck! :o)
At Walmart in the fabric department they have little 2 ounce bottles of artist paint of every color you can imagine for 99 cents each. You can put this on with a small brush and blend it into your wicker with your finger. This makes great touch up paint for a variety of items in your home.
If your wicker is natural color and only has a protective finish on it, then you might want to use those wax crayons used to fill nail holes. The paint dept. usually have them.
I bought a rattan chair at a thrift store for $10. It looks like a cat scratched it pretty badly. The rattan flakes off when you rub your hand over it. I thought maybe I could mix glue and a little water over it to stop it from flaking and then restain it. It is still a very sturdy chair. If anyone has any other suggestions I'd appreciate it.
By B. M.
