Don't Pass Over Thrift Store Dining Room Chairs — Use Them In The Garden
The lone dining room chair, gathering dust at a thrift store, is not to be pitied. It has no concerns about its missing family members and why it's at Goodwill by itself. Old chairs are far from the most valuable item to seek out at a thrift store, but they can still serve a charming purpose. It's just waiting for you to clean its face, introduce it to some potted plants, and let it settle into your outdoor space. In fact, the space once occupied by an upholstered pad or caned seat feels almost made to hold flower pots after its retirement.
The best chair for this purpose is either missing a seat or has one that's easy to remove. Thrift stores are a goldmine for so many things, but chairs in this state are often spied curbside on garbage day, as well. Grab it! Who cares if someone sees you; they were probably eyeing it, too. A few fresh coats of outdoor paint and the right-sized pot overflowing with flowers and foliage will make this floral throne the envy of the neighborhood.
For the rest of the job, grab some sandpaper, painting supplies, and a flower pot that matches the size of the chair's seat opening. If your chair isn't in very good shape, and you want your finished product to last a long time, also set aside a tube of wood glue or wood filler. To weatherproof indoor furniture for outdoor use, you'll also want a tough polyurethane.
Make a repurposed chair planter
Start by removing any upholstery or remaining seat material. All you'll need for most upholstered dining room chairs is a screwdriver. This project can also be a savvy way to reuse broken outdoor rattan furniture. Give the entire chair a thorough rubdown with sandpaper, and wipe away the dust with a rag. If any joins in the chair could use some reinforcement, first see if there are screws you can tighten to firm up the legs or back. Then, add glue or filler to any cracks or gaps, and let it dry and cure.
Top the chair with a couple of coats of paint. Any color will do, but this small project could be a fun excuse to try out faux painting techniques. Once you've achieved your desired look, generously coat all surfaces with polyurethane. A formula that's highly rated for outdoor use by woodworkers and consumers is ZAR 32712 Polyurethane.
After the poly has dried, set up your flower pot. Place it inside the seat opening first, since it'll be easier to set it up at that height. The simple formula you should use when designing a container garden is planting "thrillers, spillers, and fillers." Make the most of your chair-planter by choosing something with height for a thrill, some cascading flowers and greenery, and plenty of filler plants for a lush effect.