How to Paint a Child's Chair

Choose supplies. Find a suitable wooden chair for your child and choose appropriate colors for the project. Color swatches are available at all major hardware store, allowing you to bring samples home and coordinate with your child's room. If you are planning on detailing a design or stencil, consider purchasing small brushes for minute work. Lastly, make sure that you have a well-ventilated work space for the entire process.

Sand the chair using the fine grade sandpaper. Once you've settled on a color and have a suitable work space, begin to sand the chair, removing flakes of the previous color and wearing down any rough spots. Be thorough in sanding, it can save you a lot of time later with touch ups.

Wipe down chair. Using your rag, wipe all dust and dirt from the chair. Again, be thorough to save time later.

Apply Primer. Using the 4-inch brush, apply a generous coat of primer to the chair.
Cover all surfaces, and apply multiple coats to areas that are damaged or
rough. Most importantly, be even with your primer. Allow your primer to
dry completely. With water-based primer, this should not take longer than
an hour. One coat of primer should be enough if you were thorough in
sanding. Thoroughly clean your brush with warm water and let it dry before
moving on to step 5.

Paint the chair. This is the fun part. Paint your chair however you want, using optional
stencils or detailing by hand. You can apply one color or give the chair a rainbow of details. Let your imagination run wild. Allow your paint to dry. This should only take an hour at most. Adding multiple coats will embolden the colors, but is not necessary.

Spray on sealant. Acrylic sealant spray is a clear coating applied to painted projects to protect and enhance its appearance. Sprayed on like spray paint, it
provides a transparent finish to a project and also protects painted surfaces from spills and dings. Once your final coat of paint is dry, apply a single, even coat of sealant to lock in the colors and preserve your handiwork for generations to come. Before moving or handling the chair, allow your sealant to dry completely. It's best to leave it overnight.