In order to revive wicker furniture, the furniture should be in fairly good shape. One method to reviving wicker is to paint it. The only problem with painting, is that the paint will eventually wear off, especially if you leave the wicker furniture outdoors in the weather.
I didn’t want to deal with chipping paint, so, I decided to experiment and revive my wicker furniture with an oil based stain. The original wicker was a blond color, with green wicker trim. I applied two coats of walnut color stain, and the wicker furniture now looks like new.
When staining, use a thick drop cloth. It is preferable to stain outside, as the fumes from the stain are pretty stinky. Wear disposable gloves (like the surgical kind), clothes that you don’t mind getting stain on, and keep your feet and arms covered. I was using a brush to apply the stain, and ended up getting an “over spray” on my feet and arms. I was able to get some of the stain splatters off with nail polish remover, however, the rest will just have to wear off. Keep in mind, the drying time for oil based stains is fairly long, so when handling your furniture, put your gloves on, and place the piece that’s drying on some type of drop cloth, or a piece of cardboard. (You certainly don’t want to get stain on your carpeting)
I found that by staining my wicker furniture, it not only seemed to recondition the wicker, but it was a very inexpensive way to have “new” furniture. For two chairs and a small table, I used a half of a quart of stain. Stains come in a large array of colors, so you could stain your wicker to match any decor. Add a coordinating cushion, sit back, and enjoy your “new” furniture.
I plan to use my wicker furniture outside, so I’ll apply a coat of polyurethane to it as well.
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