Chalk Paint® Decorative Paint by Annie Sloan

The harsh winter weather here in Northeast Ohio has put a big damper on my furniture makeover projects... until today! No it hasn't warmed up, as a matter of fact it is 19 degrees outside and there is still snow on the ground. *pout* Seriously, where is the promised spring weather? Thankfully I have discovered Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan!

Being low in VOC's with barely any smell, I can do my painting indoors without waiting for the springtime warm-up. Well hello happiness! Using the recommended Soft Wax finish instead of the typical polyurethane means I don't need the ventilation of the great outdoors. Instead I'm closing off this room and putting plastic down on the floors as if I were painting walls. Finally sweet creativity is mine! Can you tell I am going a little stir crazy from winter? *wry grin*

The Furniture

This dressing table / dresser turned TV console is such an odd and interesting piece. It is certainly not the stylish modern type, or your typical traditional dressing table either. I I would sit and stare at it for hours, wondering what to DO with it. I hate to see it lose it's uniqueness, but find myself dissatisfied it's outdated elements.

I admit I have a fear of painting wood furniture. Gorgeous wood grains should be flaunted not covered up... then again, some pieces are just too much wood, or are simply pretending to be all wood when parts of it are actually a laminate. Such is the case with my dressing table turned TV console. Painting this piece is the perfect solution to cover up some of the mismatched wood grains and updating it. 

The Paint Job
This is my first time using Annie Sloan products and I admit I am excited! Not just because I finally get to paint again, but because I've heard so many good things about these products. Today I am using the Chalk Paint® decorative paint  by Annie Sloan in the color Old White, plus the Clear Soft Wax.  You can find an incredible assortment of colors and everything you need for your project at Annie Sloan Unfolded. 

To begin my project I am testing the paint on a portion of my dresser console. Typically the Chalk Paint® brand does not require any sanding or priming (woohoo, my kind of paint!!), but with such an old furniture piece I wanted to ensure there were no old stains that would seep through the paint. In a case like that I would use a stainblock primer first... thankfully that does not seem to be the case. Nothing is seeping through, so no need for a primer! Even more exciting, it appears that I only require 2 coats for full coverage! Amazing considering this is a dark dresser and a white paint!

See where I threw on a little Paris Grey on the bottom drawer? I am planning to use it on my kitchen table and was excited to see how it looked! Can you say love at first sight?
Typically I would remove the drawers and get to work... but these drawers are particularly pesky to remove so I'm taping off the inside lip and leaving them open while painting. 

Ok, first I have to say it is amazing how quickly I am whipping through this project! This paint dries very quickly. By the time I worked my way from one end of the dresser to the other end, it was ready for its 2nd and final coat! I think it is a combination of quick drying, good coverage, and this lovely round bristled Annie Sloan Brush! 

I often use my small art brushes (pictured) to get in small corners and niches that paint brushes have a hard time adequately reaching. But they had a break today, as the Annie Sloan brush did the trick! The round bristle brush is oddly soft and yet firm enough to reach into this dresser's most pesky corners! It is a nice big brush, so it covers this large piece very quickly. I used mostly horizontal and vertical cross hatched strokes across my piece.

Because the paint dries so quickly, be sure that if you dab to get in corners, you immediately brush over it to smooth it out or it will dry that way. I made that mistake on one corner and had to sand it to get rid of the pock marks it left after sitting for 3 or 4 minutes.

40 minutes and two coats later I am ready to sand this baby! I'm only sanding the edges and any areas where the brush strokes are too accentuated. I want to take just a little off to create a distressed edge look...but only slightly. This paint is so unique from any I've ever worked with... it sands very easily leaving a beautiful and soft finish. I'm glad I put plastic down though, it makes cleaning up a breeze after all the sanding.

Finally I am finishing with two coats of Annie Sloan Clear Wax. There is a dark wax color available, but I wanted to accentuate the white as opposed to the aged traditional look for this particular piece. You can use the brush to apply the wax, or a lint free cloth. I am using a polyester cloth that generates no lint to apply the protective wax. 

And voila! What do you think? 

Today I have learned one important thing about using Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan:  You can actually finish a project before dinner, have plenty of time to clean up, and your husband will walk in and not know the difference. *chuckle* 
Well people, it is official...I am a fan! I'm happy to report that I still have more than half a can leftover and I have a few other projects in mind for it. So take that winter, you can't hold me back anymore! 

To make this piece all that I envisioned, it required new hardware (which is painted!), and some minor construction, so I will be sharing the other details of this project tomorrow. (Click here to read that post)

This is not a paid post, Annie Sloan Unfolded graciously provided materials for review. Everything written in this post expresses my own thoughts and honest opinions.

10 Ways To Tame Your Inner Hoarder

Spring is here! That means throwing open our windows, cleaning with renewed vigor, and hopeful plans to clear the clutter. Sometimes hope is as far as it goes... if you have ever had difficulty letting go, then this is the perfect time to read the latest article I've written for SheKnows, Ten Ways To Tame Your Inner Hoarder.

From time to time we all need a little encouragement and a few clever solutions to keep our memories but let go of what we don't need. 

Photo Credit: KidStock/Blend Images/Getty Images

After you read these 10 tips here, come back and share your own tips and tricks to streamline. I'd love to hear them! 

Happy Spring Cleaning!

A Puzzling Dilemma

Puzzles are a favorite Saturday afternoon activity for my family.  I love seeing my three girls, heads bent, chins cradled by little hands, curls bobbing about as they determinedly search through puzzle pieces. At those times I'm glad I took the extra time to create a special puzzle storage area.

Of course, it was as much for the sake of saving my sanity as it was to take care of our puzzle pieces. Nothing is worst than starting a puzzle, and discovering days later that you are missing the last 5 pieces because it has been knocked about while waiting to be completed! 

My storage solution? One puzzle storage box that holds 6 individual puzzles, an itty bitty box to catch any puzzle escapees until we figure out which puzzle it belongs to, and finally two pull-out shelf trays to hold puzzles-in-progress. The shelves come all the way out so they can be laid out on a coffee table with the puzzle atop while being worked on, and quickly stored out of the way when we need a few days break.

FASHION-ing The Box

I love the wooden boxes often found in craft stores, definitely practical. So I was thrilled to find this decent sized box on sale at Goodwill for a dollar! Of course, I want pretty as well as practical, so I'm sharing how I adding a little glamour to this plain Jane box.

Now, I realize that we see wood and typically think stain. Well I propose that sometimes we make life easy and think spray paint! I'm starting with a gorgeous metallic gold for the inside, so that every time we lift the lid off of this baby we get an eye full of pretty.

Next I'm using a reflective metallic silver spray paint all around the outside. I let it dry about 10 minutes before doing a second coat to ensure no wood is peeking through.

Finally I "age" the silver by lightly spraying my metallic gold around the edges. Keep a fair distance when spraying your gold tint so that it appears to fade into the silver. Let it dry, then use a clear spray to protect your finish and prevent the metallic paint from rubbing off onto little fingers.

Once it is completely dry. It's time for the bling! I confess, I'm adding hardware like it is a dress accessory. Purely aesthetic, this cabinet hardware costs $3 at Walmart, and I love the style it adds!!

It takes a few extra dollars and a couple extra minutes to add a little class, but I think it is well worth it!

In a matter of 40 minutes (give or take a few drying minutes) you've got a lovely glammed storage box! I love the way the wood grain shows through giving the effect a stain would, but with the benefits of spray paint.

FUNCTION

Fashion or not, if I had to choose, function would win out every time. Boy, I'm thankful I don't have to choose! *wink*
Inside this box, six $1 plastic pencil holders do a stellar job of storing one puzzle apiece. 

FAUX TIN Box

I spied an incredible metallic tin set on Pinterest and I haven't been able to get it out of my head since. I thought perhaps I'd experiment with turning this little cardboard box into a knock-off version of that. I figured if it turned out well, I'd do a trio of varying sizes for my office area...

...Well? Not half bad right? This little box was a great trial run to help me work out the kinks before attempting my knock-off tins. You'll have to wait for the tutorial on that one! But just to give you an sneak peak of my materials...

This little box makes a great place to stash the random little puzzle pieces that somehow managed to escape. I usually find them while vacuuming, and not always able to determine which puzzle the piece goes with, this allows me to store them until needed...then if we discover we are missing a piece or two to finish up a puzzle, we check the little box for any missing pieces.  

I may love beautiful things, but decorating always serves a bigger purpose in my house, and my little puzzle storage area is no exception! 

Click here to see the entire bookcase makeover and links to the other clever storage solutions!

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Love Grows Wild

DIY Wire Baskets

I have wanted wire baskets forever! Ever since seeing them in a lovely Pottery Barn catalog. But $20-$30 for a single large basket? Uhhh, yeah right, even if my husband said "honey I want to buy you something special" I'd have to say no... are you kidding, do you know how many beautiful things I could stretch that $30 into? Or the $60 it takes to own three or four! So you can't imagine how thrilled I was to discover that you can make your own DIY wire baskets! 

I know many of you have been waiting for this tutorial, ever since I featured my first set of baskets in the upstairs hall storage post here. Then I made gold basket  above which I featured in my bookcase makeover here. So finally I'm sharing the how-to!

This tutorial is best shown, so watch my video on a simple method for making your own basket, then below you will find technique tips, and instructions to make a faux leather handle. Happy viewing!

TECHNIQUE TIPS
I first saw DIY wire baskets via Turnstyle Vogue and began making my own version. It took a while for me to share because I wanted to perfect the technique. This method reduces the number of raw edges that will be exposed. Just to help you get it right the first time, here are a few tips to aid along the way:

• Sharp Wire Cutters: Always use sharp shears, it keeps cut wire from being too jagged or frayed. 
• Unfurl Wire Roll: Before cutting your pieces out, lay the roll face down and carefully straighten it out as much as possible. This will make cutting an easier process. 

• Keep All Cuts Flush: Cut as close to the edge of spine of the criss -crossed wire as possible. This ensures no sharp wires will protrude out of your basket. 
• Bend on the Spine: Every time you bend the wire, do so at a spine and not in between two rows. Always make your bend as square as possible as opposed to curved. This lends to a professional finish. 

• Reinforced Top Tip: When doubling over what will be the top of your basket, be sure to bend on the spine, and make the squares line up.
• Weaving Tip: Don't think of this quite the same as sewing. Rather than pulling your wire through by the top (as you would thread), gently guide the wire (and any kinks or loops) through by the top, then middle portion. Once you have brought the wire through the square pull taut by the base of the wire (not top).

• Take Your Time: Once you get the hang of it you can breeze through making baskets in 20 minutes, but how precise you are determines how good your basket looks! 
• Spray Paint: Customize your baskets with a coat of your favorite color spray paint, and finish with a coat of clear protective spray paint. 

DIY LEATHER HANDLE

You could cut out handles, you could attach a wire handle, or a rope handle. You are only limited by your imagination. Personally I love the look of a leather handle on baskets and bins, and to make my own required a bit of faux leather fabric and 5 minutes!
Follow the pictured instructions:

I hope you love your baskets as much as I love mine!

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Liz Marie Blog

East Coast Creative

Upcycled Treasures|The Makers

Gold Sprayed Jars

When a craft work space is as much display as it is function, you want your tools to be stored in an attractive manner. What better way to accomplish this than a few gold sprayed jars? Pretty, practical, mostly free, and it adds some sparkle? Why yes please!

Start by collecting a variety of reused jars. Keep jars that vary in size, shape, and have interest. 

Use painters tape to tape off the area you do not want painted.

Experiment with creating different designs by what you choose to leave exposed. You may choose to paint the top of one jar, but the bottom of another. 

I am using Krylon's Gold Metallic spray paint on most of my jars, which I am in love with and has more of a copper hue. I am also using Rust-oleum's Bright Metallics Gold on the rest, which gives me more a true golden hue. 

Be sure to do one light coat from a little distance and allow it to dry before doing a second coat...you don't want the paint to drip or pool by the tape otherwise the paint will peel when you remove the tape. Finish with a clear coat for durability and protection (optional).

Once your paint job is completely dry, gently peel away the tape. If there were any unintentional drips or area where you sprayed "heavier" than intended, rub your finger across the painted area where the tape and paint meet before pulling the tape away. If any paint begins to peel, simply rub it back into place, remove all the tape, and give it one last clear coat. 

While most of the jars have a solid covering of paint, I like to see a little variance and chose to spray at a couple jars at an angle which allowed some of the creases and edges to to still show clear creating a design of its own.

Looking to add a little more design than spray paint can offer? Try using gold acrylic craft paint. I painted these little dots with a small paint brush, and sealed with clear spray paint.

What lovelier way to upcycle and store necessary items? It is like turning your tools into decor.

Happy Spraying!

See the rest of this bookcase & styling here. 

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Not Just A Housewife

The Shabby Nest