Stool: $4 at a garage sale
Can of spray paint: $3.95
Time: 10 minutes to sand/spray, 1 hour to dry
Result: adorable new red plant stand
To keep the natural character of this stool I chose to only lightly sand the varnish off before painting it. This way, all of the wear-and-tear and naturally acquired flaws still show through after painting and you're left with an adorable stool that looks like it's always been red.
Total cost: under $8. Not bad.
**TIP** If you want to make this project extra easy, set the stool and the spray paint outside and tell Liz you'll do it in a minute. She can't resist!