Muncie, Indiana artist Ann Johnson sculpted hands and attached them to the arms of a rocking chair, feet to the rockers and a head to the back, then painted it to look like a person.
If the caning on the back or seat is brittle and has holes, remove the old caning and learn the craft yourself. Books and online videos show you how to do it step-by-step.
Let the rocking chair's wood be your canvas. Paint the rocking chair in an unusual way to change it from plain to visually decorative. You can paint it to look like patchwork, paint shoes or sunglasses all over it or any other design you can think of. You can decoupage it with newspapers, sheet music or other interesting paper.
People will no longer be able to sit in the chair, but your plants will. Fill the seat with flowering and vining plants in pots. Train the vines to twine around the arms and back of the chair.
Make a cushion set for the rocker in the textile art of your choice. Quilted, needlepoint, embroidered, hand-braided, crocheted or knitted cushions will set your rocking chair apart from anything anyone can buy.