Dresser Transformation - Painting Furniture with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint

Hi all! Remember my chest of drawers from Craigslist?  Well... it's all done! I thought it would be a great project to finally try out Annie Sloan chalk paint. No sanding, no priming... What's not to like?

Greek blue was my color of choice and I loved it!

I re-toned the previously stained top with Minwax Wood Finish (Jacobean 2750). That gave a darker, richer color to the top.



Here is how I did my dresser transformation:

1 - After removing the hardware, I wiped the dresser with sander deglosser (Home Depot). You want to clean the surface well and this product does a great job.

2 - I used a regular brush to paint the dresser. Here is how it looked like after the first coat:

3 - After the dresser was dry to the touch (it doesn't take long), I applied the second and final paint coat:



4 - When the paint was dry I used a rag (old T-shirt) to apply clear Annie Sloan soft wax to the surface. The wax will feel dry after you have applied it. If not, you have used too much wax. In this case, just wipe down the surface again. I applied clear wax twice just to make sure the dresser was evenly protected.

5 - To be honest I was afraid to use dark wax over my dresser. I waited one more day to think about it and I am glad I took the risk. The dark wax gave a depth of richness to the dresser. I applied the dark wax the same way I did with the clear one (with a rag). If you feel you have applied too much dark wax just wipe the surface again with clear wax to take the excess.

When applying wax, you have to use your muscles to push it into the paint. :-)

6 - I waited 24 hours to buff the dresser. It seems like you can achieve a better shine if you wait that long.

Here are the before and after pictures:

This was a fun project!

What about you? Have you tried chalk paint before?

What I don't know yet is how this paint will hold up to wear and tear over time. Hopefully everything will be fine... Let's wait and see. :-)

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DIY Paint Chip Art

Hello you! How was your weekend? Mine was excellent. It was great to finally enjoy a sunny day out with my husband. It was refreshing...

I guess the beautiful weekend inspired me to make a colorful DIY wall art. I didn't spend more than 30 minutes doing my "art." All I had to do was to cut up small swatches from Martha Stewart paint pallete booklets, rearrange and glue them over white paper. Then I framed it!

The price of my project was basically what I paid for the frame alone ($12 at Home Goods).

Now I have another piece for the gallery wall in my home office which is still "under construction." ;-)

This project was fun, easy, affordable, and nice.  :-) What do you think?

P.S.: Have you noticed I changed the header of my blog? Hope you like it! :-)

As always thank you so much for stopping by.



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Bold Green Dresser - Refinishing Furniture With Paint And Stain

Hello friends! Hope you all are enjoying your weekend. Remember my dresser color dilemma? Oh well... I took the risk and painted the dresser green. I do love the final result especially after changing the original handles for glass knobs. They are so sweet!

Before...

 ... and after! :-)

For this project I used: Minwax Water Based Wood Stain (Early Spring Color and Green Tea Color - one can of each), Behr Paint 410D-4 Asparagus (one sample size was more than enough for the whole dresser), and Minwax Wood Finish (Golden Pecan 245).

Here is the step-by-step process:


Step 1 - Sand and wipe down the dresser
Step 2 - You should complete this step one small area at a time. For instance I did one drawer at a time, then I did the top, etc... Dip the brush in the Asparagus paint and then in the Green Tea Wood stain. Paint the chosen area. Then wipe the excess with a rag. (Important: always follow the grain direction when using the brush and when wiping the excess down). The dry-to-touch time will be less than five minutes. You will end up with something like this:

Step 3 - Using a brush, cover the area with Early Spring stain.

Then wipe the excess. You should always follow the grain direction. Wait to dry. Remember, stain dries quickly.

Step 4 - This is the tricky part. Using the same wet brush which you have been working with, get a little bit of paint (asparagus) and a little bit of Early Spring stain and dry paint the furniture (follow the grain direction!). If you get too much of each they will mix together and you won't have the same effect.

Step 5 - Distress the dresser (corners, etc...) using sandpaper. Sand these small areas until you see the wood.

Step 6 - After 24 hours cover your furniture with Minwax Wood Finish. Wipe the excess. Wait one or two days until your piece is completely dry. Caution: Use this product only with adequate ventilation! ;-)

Happy to have a "new" dresser and lots of storage!

... and guess what? Just found one more dresser on Craigslist for $20 (unbelievable, right?). I can't wait to refinish it.

See you soon! :-)

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Tutorial: How To Install Bun Feet/Legs On Your Furniture

Not too long ago I refinished an old chest. If you haven't seen it yet the post is here. I had to replace the chest feet because they were in very bad condition. Fortunately, replacing them was not difficult at all. So I thought it would be a good idea to write a tutorial (for beginners!) on how to add bun feet/legs to your furniture.

BEFORE REPLACING THE FEET YOU WILL NEED:

• Straight Top Plate (I bought mine at Lowe's) - one set for each foot. Each set comes with one plate and four mounting screws. There are other types of top plates. For instance, if you want to install angled furniture legs (midcentury style) go for "angle top plate."
• Furniture feet/legs (I purchased these from Lowe's)
• Drill

REMOVING THE FEET

 In my case, I just removed the screws and rotated the foot until it was completely off.

 

 INSTALLING THE METAL PLATE AND FEET:
Use the drill to make holes for the new screws.

Use the screws to attach the metal plate to the furniture.

 Screw the leg down through the threaded hole.

In my project, I ended up using this bun foot. No need to change the top plate. I just unscrewed the Hampton leg and screwed down the bun foot.

Here is the final result after the furniture was painted:

This was my first time installing furniture bun feet. Easy, easy project!

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Tutorial - How do You Fix a Hole in the Wall?

Our electric heat was replaced with gas heat years ago.... however this ugly control was left behind in the wall in every single room of our home. :(

Before painting my bedroom, I took the plastic box off  and of course, I ended up with a hole in the wall. :(

The good think is... repairing a hole in your drywall is not difficult! :-)

Here is what you need:

1. Steel Patch. I found these wall repair patches at Home Depot. They come in many different sizes and are very easy to use.

 

 

2. Patching compound

 



3. Putty knife and sandpaper.

 Here is what you need to do:

1. Clean up the area. - Remove any loose paint, dust, and/or particles around the hole. Sand the surface around the hole if you need to.

2. Place the steel patch on the wall. - This patch comes with some sort of glue already. All you need to do is remove the paper cover from the patch and place it over the hole. The steel should face the hole while the mesh should face outward. The mesh will stick to the wall. Easy peasy!

3. Apply compound over patch. - Wait for the compound to dry and sand! For a smoother appearance you can apply more compound, wait to dry, and sand again! I used 100 grit medium sandpaper.

 

 

4. Paint your wall. I used primer before painting!

 

 

Wall switch looks different because of lighting but this is the same wall! :o

 

 

So simple!  Now you know the easiest way to fix a small hole in your wall or ceiling in the blink of an eye! ;-)

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Furniture Transformation - From ugly chest to pretty nightstand!

It took more days to finish this DIY project than I was expecting. The good thing is... I AM DONE! So... Here is my spray painted furniture...  Hope you enjoy the transformation as much as I do!

  AFTER:

 

 

BEFORE... So ugly! This poor thing...

 





 

 

How much did I pay for this? NOT MUCH: $20 for the chest (Craigslist), $11 for the round bun feet, $6 for the mount plates (feet), and around $20 for spray paint.  :-) I love a good deal!

 

 

Soon I will be sharing a few things (tips) that I learned from this project. But you know the best lesson? Love and patience can make the world prettier! ;-)

 

I hope you all have a great day!

 

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How to Make Moss Covered Letters

 

To make moss covered letter you will need:

- Moss mat

- Letter of your choice (I used paper mache letter)

- Glue

- Scissors

- A few minutes

Place your letter on your moss mat. The front of your letter should face the back of the moss mat.

Cut around the letter. Leave enough edge to cover the sides.

Glue the front of your letter to the moss mat.

Then do the sides, one side at a time.

You can use some moss pieces to cover some areas. Because of texture, the moss pieces will blend together.

If you  would like, you can cover the back of the letter.  I left it uncovered. I will be using it against a mirror or wall so nobody will see the back. ;-)

So here is my DIY project. I paid $2.69 for the paper mache letter and $4.49 for the moss mat (JoAnn).

Just in case you don't know... Pottery Barn has Moss Covered Letters for $79.99 each!



Pottery Barn

 

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