Painting Chairs - Make, Do & Mend

Submitted by Keely Rendell

Painting Chairs at Youth Group

I took home some old chairs from work the other week with the intention of taking them to the tip but my fingers started twitching and I just couldn’t bring myself to take them to their doom. Next minute I was dropping them off at our youth group venue. While unloading the chairs, one of the local (adult) residents enquired as to why I was bringing chairs to the Hall. When I told them that I intended to get the youth group members to paint them and expecting a remark such as ‘What a good idea’ or ‘Great use for old chairs’ or ‘Keep up the good work with ideas for the youth’, I had to endure ‘I hope you’ll protect the floor’ and ‘What will you do with the chairs?’ and ‘Seems like a waste of time if you ask me’.

Well durrr…

The youth spent two sessions sanding down, undercoating and painting the chairs to their own design. As I only took home five chairs, they were clamouring for more by the time all five were painted. We now have four new chairs to use at Youth Group and I have one in my garden which one of my members and myself painted.

I haven’t written instructions for the chairs as they were just sanded down and painted with acrylic paints.

The best part of this project for me was the first lad who came up & asked if he could help sand the chairs. He sanded for an hour. Nothing much special about that you might say, but this lad never has much to say and rarely joins in with craft activities.

We had some great chats and were soon joined by other members who soon realised that no artistic talent was needed.

Result…

Link of the week: http://www.geekologie.com/2008/01/man_makes_chair_out_of_melted.php

Moan of the week:

Some people are like slinkies: not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

(Not to be taken seriously of course)

Interesting fact of the week:

If you yelled for 8 years, 7 months and 6 days, you would have produced enough sound energy to heat one cup of coffee.

The ant can lift 50 times its own weight, can pull 30 times its own weight and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated. (Note to self: stand on left side of ants down at the local)

According to http://www.sucs.swan.ac.uk/~cmckenna/humour/facts/28facts.html