Footboard remodel

       When I bought this old abandoned footboard I knew I could do something beautiful with it....mainly because it was already beautiful.

       I debated and measured spaces for this pretty girl, but it just wouldn't fit on any of my walls near my front door.  I really wanted to make this into a coat rack like this one from Centsationalgirl!!  Isn't it just lovely!!!

       I grew tired of looking at the footboard in the corner of the garage and decided to go ahead and paint it and if I ever decide to turn it into a coatrack I will already have the painting done.  I was sitting in my living room thinking about where the footboard would fit and happened to look at the piano....EUREKA!!!!  It has to be narrower than a piano!  Well, it is only one inch smaller and I was a bit worried when I brought it into the house and I realized it was going to be close.  I LOVE IT!!!!

       The first thing I did was cut off those pretty feet.  I hesitated, but they were going to interfere with the board sitting flat against the wall.  I then made my own white chalkpaint and slathered the entire footboard with only two coats.  I then took 220 grit sandpaper and got to work distressing all those great details.  I love chalkpaint and REALLY love it's durability.  Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

       This footboard really brightens up the top of the piano and I LOVE the old frame I was given on the right hand side!!


       

If you like what you see here then visit my Etsy store HERE.

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~ Anne

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German Glass Glitter Ornaments

German Glitter Glass Star Ornaments

       This year we are decorating our Christmas tree in beautiful ornaments the girls and I are making.  I have several ideas we will be working on, but as of now we have stars.  These are 3D paper mache stars I bought and we removed the tacky gold cord and replaced it with silver wire loops for hangers.  We then had fun covering these cuties with real German Glitter Glass.  They are so sweet and the glitter gives them the vintage look I am looking for.

       We have made a few extra sets to sell and can be found in our Etsy store HERE.

If you like what you have seen here visit me Etsy shop HERE.

Or follow me on Pinterest.

~ Anne

How to make your own chalkpaint on the cheap!

       This table was beautiful oak, but in desperate need of refinishing. I decided to really make it pop by distressing the bottom and restoring the top giving it a high shine. I hope you like the finished project!

       This is what the table looked like when I started. It was nice, but the varnish was chipped and had water rings. I had to refinish it either way so I decided to paint the bottom in white chalk paint. I make my chalk paint by using a disposable container and pour a cup or two of paint into the jar. I then add a spoonful or two of plaster of paris to the paint and stir like crazy. I start with just a tiny amount of plaster and slowly add more until I get the consistency I want. I like my chalk paint thick because it takes less coats, but a thinner consistency works just as well.  I have used this method on several of my children's furniture and it has held up beautifully.

       I normally only paint two coats with the chalk paint. It looks splotchy in the picture, but it's going to be heavily distressed so I don't worry too much about even coverage. 

       Once the paint is dry I sanded and sanded and sanded. I vow to NEVER use chalk paint on another piece with this much detail! It looks great now, but the thick chalk paint filled in a lot of the detail and I had to really sand the details to define them again. Chalk paint is better suited for larger detailed pieces....or furniture that you want to look rustic.

       One great thing about chalk paint is it dries hard in a fraction of the time of standard paint so you can finish projects quickly which is good for an impatient person like me!! After I distressed the bottom I used Minwax paste wax to protect and give the legs a soft shine.

       The final step was to sand and stain the beautiful oak table top. I applied several coats of Minwax Polyshades in pecan. I LOVE this stain!! I have tried other brands, but I feel this one gives a great shine and hard seal all in one step! I use wide sponge brushes and work the stain into the wood and then take the time to brush in the direction of the grain until I have removed as many bubbles as possible. I occasionally can get away with only sanding once between coats, but usually have to sand twice between applications. I lightly sand with 220 grit or steelwool depending on the imperfections I need to remove.

       I just love the shine the top has compared to the soft wax finish on the legs. Now I need to find this sweetie a place in our home!!

If you like what you have seen here visit me Etsy shop HERE.

  Or follow me on Pinterest.

~ Anne

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Desk and Chair

    My husband and I were at a country auction and were meandering through all of the vintage books.  It was a cool Sunday afternoon which tend to draw a lot of bidders.  They were working through the furniture section which mainly consisted of huge pieces that we had no interest in, but then the auctioneers lifted this pitiful looking desk into the air and everyone went silent.  No one wanted it and they were making sure they didn't make an odd gesture or head nod that could be thought of as a bid.  Well, I watched as the price went down....and when they yelled out 2 bucks I decided I could surely get some use out of it.  The chair was pretty much the same story, but I was excited no one was bidding because I had already decided I wanted it because of the shape and sturdiness.  I planned on painting it so I knew a little wood putty to fill in the shallow saw mark where someone decided to use this chair as a saw horse would never be seen.  
       
       I sanded and sanded on that old chair, but I decided to leave a lot of the defects for character.  In my opinion you might as well go out and buy brand new furniture if you are going to fill and sand all the character out of a piece of furniture.....they are beauty marks!  The desk really wasn't as hard to deal with as the chair.  The chipped veneer on the drawer face and top peeled back in just a few minutes.  I then sanded everything a little and used a little wood filler to smooth the corners.

Well, they don't look like that anymore!  The chair and desk top are painted a bright white and I've heavily distressed them.  I'm planning on painting the desk top the same bright white for contrast and maybe paint a bird sitting on a branch across the bottom of the top.  I will paint something similar on the chair so they will coordinate.  I can't wait until I get to that part!!!!

  Fast forward 24 hours!!!

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       I finally finished the desk and chair!  I just put the jewelry on the desk, sweet glass knobs that glitter.  I painted a branch with a bird perched and added a little birdie on the back of the chair to tie them together.  My girls are practically drooling and are anxious to see who gets this set in their room.

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.If you like what you have seen here visit me Etsy shop HERE.

Or follow me on Pinterest.

~ Anne

Secretary......china cabinet....depends who you ask! I have been stalking this beautiful condition beauty for almost a year. I've been waiting and pining after her hoping the price tag would magically change. Guess what! It did! I've had this boring black particle board hutch by our front door for years and have HATED every second. Well, on a trip to town I decided I had time for a quick stop at the flea market even though I had been there just 2 days before. I walked up to the secretary and looked at the tag and *BOOM* it had been lowered $55 in two days!! I went to the gal who works there and asked if it was one of their pieces or a consignor's and she said it was theirs. She then offered to call the boss to see what his bottom dollar was and I excitedly followed her to the desk. When she got off the phone she said he was going to take another $20 off the price and I said SOLD!!! When I drove back to town to pick up the secretary in our "Danger Ranger", as we lovingly call our multi-toned 87 Ford Ranger that is only driven to Lowe's and back home, I was greeted with two great guys who loaded her up and gave me the skeleton key! BONUS!!! 

This is where she sat begging me to take her home. The secretary was in really good condition and it took me a few weeks to decide whether to refinish or paint. I started the project by removing all hardware except for one of the pulls on the bottom. I put it on the door backward so the screw back was on the front. The door has a pressure latch and is a NIGHTMARE to open without something to pull on. When I was done painting I just used a pair of pliers to grab the screw back and pull the door open. After I brushed the dust away I used Klean-Strip liquid sandpaper deglosser as an extra precaution. 

After applying two coats of paint I lightly sanded and distressed the piece with 220 grit sandpaper and finished with a good coat of Minwax finishing paste wax for shine and protection. 

Now comes the tricky part! I had NO idea how I was going to paint this fretwork without removing the glass. The glass was secured wonderfully and I knew I would really tear it up if I tried to remove the tiny trim that held it in place on the back. This was my solution and it worked out perfectly! 

Pretend the green paper is painters tape ;) 

I shimmied waxed paper between the glass and the fretwork because the paint will not stick to the waxed paper. I then took long strips of painters tape and shimmied that through the middle fretwork and "flossed" it towards the edges. The painters tape doesn't stick to the waxed paper allowing you easily pull it between the fretwork and glass. I could then spray everything and not have to remove the well secured glass. It worked like a dream and didn't stick in the least! 

This is sooo much nicer than the cabinet I had before! I'm in love!!! . .

If you like what you have seen here visit me Etsy shop HERE.

Or follow me on Pinterest.

~ Anne