Ladder display

Upcycle an old wooden ladder into a stylish plant stand using Karen Walker Chalk Colour paint.

Upcycle a ladder to make an pot plant display

You will need:

Clean cloths
Nine assorted terracotta pots
Old wooden ladder
Paintbrush
Rubber gloves and Sandpaper
Resene Aquapel and Terracotta Sealer
Karen Walker Chalk Colour tinted to
- Resene Cooled Green

Karen Walker Soft Wax
Karen Walker Chalk Colour testpots in

Resene Quick Dry

To get the look: Mark painted the background stucco wall with Resene AquaShield tinted to Resene Dutch White.

Step one
Lightly sand the wooden ladder to ‘key’ the old paint surface.

Step two
Wipe off any sanding residue with a clean cloth.

Step three
Spot-prime any areas of bare wood with Resene Quick Dry and allow to dry.

Step four
Apply two coats of Karen Walker Chalk Colour tinted to Resene Cooled Green to the ladder, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step five
Seal the terracotta pots with Resene Aquapel and Terracotta Sealer and allow to dry.

Step six
Paint two of the terracotta pots with two coats of Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Resene Shadowy Blue, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step seven
Paint two of the terracotta pots with two coats of Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Resene Powder Blue, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eight
Paint two of the terracotta pots with two coats of Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Resene Blanched Pink, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step nine
Paint two of the terracotta pots with two coats of Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Resene Smoky Green, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step ten
Paint the final terracotta pot with two coats of Karen Walker Chalk Colour in Robin Egg Blue, allowing two hours for each coat to dry.

Step eleven
Wearing rubber gloves, apply a light coat of Karen Walker Soft Wax to the ladder using a soft clean cloth. Wipe off any excess wax with a soft clean cloth and allow the wax to dry.

Finished painted ladder and painted pots

Finished detail
Ladder and painted pots.

Words and photos by Mark Rayner

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