Chippy Patriotic DIY Spindles
Wood spindles cut from an old chair are painted with a chippy technique to age them and tied with a hand stamped tag and a homespun bow for easy vintage inspired decor!
This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon
affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
My full disclosure policy can be found here.
Making seasonal decor that costs less than a Starbucks, and can be used in
my decor for years to come, brings me great joy!
These little patriotic chippy spindles were a free find. They started life as
a curbside chair. My eyes zoned in on the spindles and I knew they could
become something great!
To remove spindles from a chair is as easy as using a
Dremel Max
or a
Sawzall
(your husband probably already has one of these tools in the garage!). Mr DIY
took care of this chair for me, but I've also done it myself. In Texas, I
turned another old chair into a pile of perfectly
vintage looking chippy spindles in just a few minutes and I've also cut the spindles off a vintage wood
crib rail to make the cutest unique tree.
Have you tried my chippy paint technique?
The legs and rails of a chair can be turned into
chippy candlestick holders, or cut down and used as unique
tree ornaments. Or turn them into the sweetest
chippy spindle tree! You see where I'm going with this? There are so many ways to DIY and
decorate with chippy spindles, especially if you're a fan of vintage and
rustic decor!
These smaller spindles used to be the back of the chair, where your back would
rest. I love the size, not only because anything petite is so cute, but
because they took no time at all to chippy and turn into a patriotic design
element for my home.
How to Make Chippy Patriotic Spindles
Supplies Used:
- wood spindles (from an old chair or watch FB marketplace!) or check Etsy HERE
- white candle (a tealight works perfect)
- paint (acrylics or chalk)
- craft brushes
- razor blade scraper
- coffee stained muslin
- clear alphabet stamps
- black permanent ink for fabric
- rusty safety pin
- strip of ripped homespun
Let's take these discarded chair spindles from this...
...to this!
Aren't these patriotic spindles so stinkin' cute? I'm definitely going to be
on the hunt for another chair to chop up because in my opinion, you can never
have too many chippy spindles!
Before we start...
If for some reason you're starting off with natural wood spindles, I highly
recommend taking a few minutes and applying a dark stain. Whatever color the
spindles currently are, will be the base coat that will peek through the
chipping, and it's nice to have contrast. I love using
these stain cloths
that make staining almost mess-free!
My spindles were a chair and they already had a dark base coat, so I was ready
to move on.
Step One - Wax
I love this wax-resist technique when you want to make something look chippy
because it's so easy and foolproof!
Simply rub the candle over the spindles, all over. Don't worry about getting
in the grooves, just rub the wax over the spindle and a thin coat of wax will
be left behind. Don't rub any excess wax off, that will help to create an
authentically chippy look!
Step Two - Paint
Give the spindles a coat of paint. I used my current favorite creamy white
chalk paint as well as red and navy blue acrylic paints to create the
patriotic look I was going for. Make sure you have something down to protect
your work surface, and just paint thin coats. The paint will dry much faster
that way, and you can quickly recoat if you need to.
I painted just one coat of the white chalk paint, but two coats of the red and
blue.
Step Three - Scrape
Now, grab your scraping razor and lightly scrape it on the spindle. It
effortlessly removes a little bit of the paint, giving a chippy look. Try to
go in various directions, heavier in some spots than others, for the best
results.
Add the spindles to an old mason jar or glass along with a
simple fabric scrap flag, or continue to the next step to create an optional tag.
Step Four - Stamped Tag
I like to coffee stain neutral fabrics like muslin and drop cloth, and keep
them in my stash for projects just like this one.
I simply ripped a piece of fabric to the size I wanted and cut some notches at
the top to create a tag.
Then, using clear alphabet stamps I stamped the word USA along with a little
star. I tied a piece of red checked homespun around three spindles, and
attached the DIY fabric tag with a rusty safety pin for more vintage appeal.
Note: if you don't have fabric, or don't want to take the time to coffee
stain it, you can simply use cardstock paper!
That is it friend, it is that easy to create the cutest patriotic chippy
spindles on the planet!
Who else is planning to "shop the curb" for a unique chair or crib rail with
spindles?
Pin to Save
Are you looking for more patriotic DIY ideas?
-
DIY Chippy Wood Flag for $5
-
Decorating with Flags and Vintage Dishes
-
Primitive Scrap Fabric Flags
-
Make a July 4th Ribbon Wreath with 2 Supplies!
-
How to Decorate a Patriotic Cottage Table
SHOP CHIPPY SPINDLES
bringing beauty to the ordinary,
Comments
Post a Comment
Your comments are like sunshine and chocolate! Thanks for taking the time to leave a nice one ;) I read all comments and love to respond if you leave your name and email! Otherwise, please look for my response under the post where you left it!