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    Home » Furniture Makeover » thrift Store Doll Rocking Chair Makeover

    thrift Store Doll Rocking Chair Makeover

    Published by Gail | Published June 10, 2020 | Updated July 12, 2022
    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    This old doll rocking chair needed a few simple repairs and some overall TLC. After the repairs were made it was given a fresh coat of paint. Tips on painting, glazing and distressing to get the perfect aged look of this old rocking chair. #MyRepurposedLife #repurposed #doll #furniture #makeover #paint #glaze via @repurposedlife

    It’s time for our monthly Thrift Store Decor roundup! This month I’m doing a makeover on a thrift store doll rocking chair. Well, in all honesty, I didn’t buy this doll chair at a thrift store. It was given to me by a neighbor.

    I think you’re going to love this easy project.

     

    Vintage Doll Rocking Chair

     

    thrift store doll rocking chair makeover

    I’m pretty sure this sweet little rocking chair was handmade by someone’s dad or grandpa! I suppose the little rocker could be used for a wee toddler, but a hefty little guy might be too much for this chair to handle. Do you notice it’s missing a piece on the back? The lower slat was already gone when I got it.

    broken dolls rocking chair

    I chose a scrap piece of wood from my woodpile and proceeded with the repairs.

     

    *this post contains affiliate links, read more here*

    Using a Paint Scraper as a Pry Bar

    paint scraper as a pry bar

    Normally, I would use a pry bar to remove the broken pieces and nails. However I found that this 6 in 1 painter’s tool  was thinner and slid under the broken slat much easier. If you don’t have one of these, put it on your wish list!

     

    locking channel locks

    Vice Grips  are the best way to remove nails of any kind! Just lock those puppies down and lean them over and they do all the work for you. MUCH better than a pair of regular pliers.

    Perfect is Overrated?

    nail gun and rocking chair repair

    Uh oh! It’s a little crooked! I have excuses…. a) it was really hot b) I have been wearing a wrist brace for a couple of weeks c) I lined the slat up with the original lines on the back of the chair.

    So, even after putting away the tools, I knew I should fix the situation.

    broken doll rocking chair

    As I was removing the crooked piece, I noticed that the middle slat was bent and nearly broken as well. So, I decided to replace all three of the pieces on the back.

    Wood Glue Adds Strength

    replacing back on rocking chair

    For extra sturdiness I chose to use my favorite Gorilla Wood Glue.

    Make Sure Slats are Straight and Equidistant

    adding a new backrest to doll rocking chairA Kreg Multi-Tool was very helpful in spacing the back slats. What did I use for the new rocking chair back? I used a scrap piece of thin plywood and my table saw. However, you could easily use a piece of narrow craft wood from the store. It’s thin enough to use a handsaw or even an exacto knife.

     

    use gorilla wood glue and a nail gun

    Because I used the wood glue AND the nail gun, the slats are very secure! I am sooo glad I took the time to fix the doll rocking chair all the way, instead of just halfway. Do you ever do that? Just do “good enough”. I sometimes think I can, but rarely follow through with it.

    There was a little issue with the  wood glue oozing out, baby wipes are great for wiping projects and hands to remove wood glue and more!

    Time to Paint Doll Rocking Chair

    paint doll rocking chair

    But! Before you can paint, you must clean your thrift store project. Many times I use TSP for this task, but I felt like this little doll rocking chair only needed a good dusting or wiping down with a damp paper towel.

    I chose Dixie Belle Paint in FLUFF for this project. It’s a very flat paint that needs waxing or sealing when finished.

     

    painting small doll rocking chairBecause of the extreme heat I chose to paint the doll chair in the kitchen. It was going pretty well, until I started juggling the paint brush and it landed on the floor. It’s hard to juggle with just one hand!!

     

    small white doll rocking chair This is after two quick coats of the chalk paint.

     

    white doll rocking chair MyRepurposedLife

    Pretty! But, I can’t really do any waxing and buffing right now with a bum wrist . . .

     

    Glazing Rocking Chair

    glazing doll rocking chair

    So, of course I used my smoked glaze and my favorite chip brush. This brush has been used on so many of my glazed projects. You can see more details about how to glaze painted furniture by clicking that link. You can see that I did a very light glazing on this rocking chair by just barely dipping the brush into the glaze.

     

    distress glaze technique

    I wanted the doll rocking chair to look “aged”. To do that, I used a damp paper towel to wipe back some of the glaze on the edges, making it look worn.

     

    emery board distressing glaze

    In addition, I used the emery board trick to reveal a little hint of the original color of the chair.

    sanding with brown craft paper

    To smooth out the paint and glaze, I used some brown paper—you know the kind that comes in those Amazon packages. It gives the final project a really smooth feel and is much easier (in my opinion) than waxing.

     

    glazed doll rocking chair MyRepurposedLife

    All in all, I love the look!

    My grass has gotten a little out of hand! I’ve been mowing it with one hand for a couple of months . . . But it’s been too hot to mow with that brace on. Side note—I had started painting the DIY picket fence when the dr. recommended the wrist brace, so that’s on hold for now.

    Repair & Paint Doll Rocking Chair

    repair and paint doll rocking chair MyRepurposedLife

    awww, isn’t he cute?

    Please Save & Share on Pinterest!

     

    raggedy ann doll rocking chair MyRepurposedLife

    Or maybe you prefer Raggedy Ann? She reminds of Edith Ann sitting in her oversized rocking chair!

    Okay, this has been a very long post for such an easy project. Did you forget we have more inspiration from our Thrift Store Decor Team?

    Thrift Store (1)

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    Thrift Store Doll Rocking Chair Makeover My Repurposed Life (You are Here)

    I can’t wait to see all the great projects this month! My friends never disappoint! Thrift store shopping will be back soon, and I believe they will be full of lots of good stuff. Have you done some purging during quarantine?

    gail

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    1. Domestically Speaking

      June 23, 2020 at 2:14 pm

      What a CUTE little rocking chair. I think we had one as kids.

      Reply
    2. Christy @ Our Southern Home

      June 22, 2020 at 8:05 am

      It turned out beautifully! Thanks for the restoration tips!

      Reply
    3. Kathy Owen

      June 14, 2020 at 8:56 pm

      ah, you really went to town on that rocker. So cute now!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        June 17, 2020 at 3:28 pm

        Thank you Kathy!
        I love how it turned out.

        gail

    4. girlfromwva

      June 10, 2020 at 4:11 pm

      looks so very nice!

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        June 11, 2020 at 5:52 pm

        Thanks Nova! I guess it's just as well that I'm selling items in The Sugar Shack. Who knows what Glendale will look like this year . . . I'm wondering if we're ever going to get back to normal. I think this IS our new normal.

        take care!
        gail

    5. Sandi

      June 10, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      I love your little rocker! You gave such good instructions for working on it. I’m going to stay my brown packing paper! 😄 Hugs,

      Reply
      • Gail Wilson

        June 11, 2020 at 5:51 pm

        Happy you got some great information from my tutorial Sandy!

        gail

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