So....this fall I moved into the house and started some upcycling! I have always wanted to try my hand at chalk paint and I finally got my chance! My oldest Son, Nick moved out in October, so I found myself with a spare bedroom. It had left in it an old particle board TV cabinet, free from a friend who moved away, a Queen size bed another friend gave to me, a headboard I scored at a internet yard sale site for $15, and also a heavy wooden nightstand I got off the same site for just $5. Now with some patching of ten years worth of nail holes, some new paint on the walls and a lil work I was on my adventure to remake my room!
I started with the smallest piece first.....Internet searched all the different Chalk paint recipes. Tweaked them a lil to fit my needs. I decided on a light mossy green paint for the furniture, Walmart brand colorplace.
My chalk recipe goes as follows:
3/4 cup of White Dental Stone ( Doc let me borrow some for my 1st attempts) similar to Plaster of Paris, but a harder set finished product.
2 tbs hot water, mixed together,
and then added to 2 cups flat latex paint
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I sanded the piece completely after applying 2 coats of paint, allowing drying between and after. I used 120/150 sandpaper, and distressed with the same. The furniture kinda feels like sandpaper itself after it dries from the chalk paint. Once sanded lightly it is nice and smooth. I made sure to distress just where it seemed most natural. I then moved on to the finish....I wanted some dark wax, but no one local carried it....so for my finish, again I cheated a bit.....I purchased regular Furniture Wax Paste (minwax) and a very small can of a dark wood stain, both from Home Depot. Grabbed a popsicle stick and scooped out some pigment from the bottom of the stain (not mixed) just a bit, and mixed it with about 3 tbs. of the Plain Wax, WAL-LA DIY dark wax!. I waxed the entire piece first with regular wax and then all the nicks and crannies with the dark wax to add character.
Added some new hardware and called it a day! All in all I was very happy with my first chalk paint furniture redo!
The next piece was the Old Particle board TV Cabinet.....I figured, spare bedroom, low traffic, what the heck! I have all the supplies.....nothing to loose. That piece turned out great!!!!!! I got a piece of thin subflooring to replace the cardboard on the back, and left it natural that piece natural.
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I also picked up some surplus new quilts at the Goodwill for 10.00 and finished up the entire room, for well under 200.00. I was very pleased with the whole project. It was like giving new life to two items headed to the landfill or fire pit! Much the same as I, not that awful long ago.....Brings to mind a most impactual physically real scripture for me........
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold new things have come.
It was so much fun! Can't wait to do it again!
Next Blog: The Tween Girls Christmas Xtreme Makeover Bedroom! stay tuned!
