Revamp a hanging garden chair

Marcie K transforms a preloved garden chair into a bright and bohemian seat

Every year I seem to start from scratch with garden seating areas. I had a four­-poster bed for a few years, a daybed, a pallet sofa – of course – at one point. All useful and fun at the time but each outstayed their welcome. I just don’t think we use the garden enough anymore for the effort those things needed, so this year a hanging chair on our overgrown bay tree is my new idea, as I like to live dangerously while sitting in the shade.

I quickly turned to Facebook Marketplace to see what hanging chairs I could find listed in the area and found a grey one locally for £20: perfect, apart from the fact it was grey, but that was not a problem. I had a rummage around for my grandson’s paddling pool and knew I could use that as a container to dip-dye it.

I used a small tin of Guild Lane Pillar Box Red from their Jubilee range as I wanted a strong colour to cover the grey, and apart from black you can’t get much stronger than red! Even though I had an idea of what shade the chair might change to once I dipped it in the pool, it’s always done with excitement, as you can’t exactly predict it, especially the first time. But it turned out perfectly for my bohemian corner. I went for an ombré effect that’s easy to create.

Step 1

Tie rope or twine on to the end of the chair fixings (Image A), then attach fittings to a beam to hold the chair. Use two screws next to each other to wrap the twine around, and a screw eye hook to create a pulley system (Image B), then suspend the chair. I did this project in my workshop, but it could also be done outside on a warm, dry day using the branch of a tree instead.

Step 2

Inflate a small paddling pool and place it on cardboard or tarpaulin beneath your hanging chair (Image C).

Step 3

Fill the pool with enough warm (not hot) water to submerge the chair (Image D), then lower it into the water and leave it to soak for a few minutes (Image E). Pull the chair back up and tie it off.

Step 4

Tip your paint into a bucket and stir well, then pour it slowly into the pool and stir gently, being careful not to scrape the bottom (Image F).

Step 5

Lower the chair completely into the paint, then push it around with your stick or stirrer. I placed a bucket of water on top to keep it submerged. After a few minutes, pull up the top section of the chair, tie it off, and leave the rest submerged for 30 minutes. Repeat this, raising the chair each time, until just the lower ring is left in the pool (Image G). Let that section soak for a few hours to create a stronger shade on the seat of the chair.

Step 6

Pull the chair out completely and tie it up. Using gloves, dip the tassels in some neat leftover paint out of the tin and squeeze out any excess water or, for a stronger look, squeeze out the water first then paint the tassels (Image H).

Step 7

Allow the chair to dry (Image I). This took about three days in cool weather, so make sure you place something underneath to catch the drips. To preserve the colour, use a spray varnish once it’s dry.