Upcycling an Antique Highchair

A couple weeks ago I went thrifting at some of my favorite places here. One of which was the Habitat for Humanity ReStore. Guys! I found some GEMS! Somethings I was not looking for but they were just too good to pass up.

When you go thrifting, you have to keep an open mind and be able to imagine the item up-cycled before you buy it. It’s the only way you will have a successful thrifting experience. This time amongst some of the amazing things I found like a Restoration Hardware chandelier, I scored an antique, handmade baby highchair!

Although I loved the wood stain and look of it, it was blending too much with our hardwood floors so I decided to sand it down and paint it. I’m so happy with the way it turned out! It gives the rustic highchair a modern flair.

I made a quick trip to Home Depot and picked up the following:
– 80 Grit Sandpaper
– 120 Grit Sandpaper
– Wood Putty
– Behr Paint in Coney Island
– All-Purpose Paint Brushes
– Polyurethane

Since the highchair was a bit old, you could see some of the cracks in the wood so I used some wood putty to fill in the gaps. Once it dried I used the 80 grit sandpaper to smooth it out and to sand the rest of the stain off the highchair. Next, I used the 120 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface.

I used a damp towel to wipe down the wood and then went to town painting the entire thing. I used Behr Coney Island which is a greenish blue. A simple painting brush did the job well. I only did one coat of paint. Once the paint dried, I used the 120 grit sandpaper to give it a distressed look by sanding some corners and edges.

To seal the paint, I brushed on polyurethane. If there were any bubbles after the polyurethane, I sanded it down to give it a smooth finish.

Ta Da! This was such a cool find at the thrift store and I’m so happy with the way it turned out!

So how’d I do? Let me know!