Tag Archives: Chalk

DIY Distressed Pillar Candle Holders

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DIY Distressed Pillar Candle Holders for $6.99!

Today I’m really excited to share my new thrifty pillar candle holders with you! I found these guys for $6.99 at our local Value Village. They are actually solid wood, and are hand carved… So my dream-style!

So they started out looking a little purple in color when I first found them… Not one hundred percent perfect for me, but I’m sure they were perfect for somebody else at one point in time! Continue reading →

Hutch Make-Over with Chalk Paint!

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If you caught last week’s post, you’ll remember that I was super-excited, because I finally tried Chalk Paint! And you know what…. I’m still super-excited about it! Woo-hoo!!!

So, without any further a due, I now present to you, my beautiful Hutch Make-Over!

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I love, love, love this piece! I always have…. growing up as a little girl in my parents 180+ year old farm house, it was always a main feature piece in their beautiful dining room. As my parent’s decor-taste changed, as people’s often does, this gorgeous piece was moved out into the barn for storage, where it has probably sat for roughly ten years.

I was so excited to bring this hutch home and start working on it! Needless to say, it was in a little bit of rough shape…. I reinforced the piece using staples and finishing nails, and used wood filler to fill in any cracks. I then started sanding. One front foot was missing a piece, so to make them match, I took my trusty old hammer and tapped off the identical piece on the other front foot. I then sanded them down to round out the edges and make them match. This turned out to be such an easy solution to my major dilemma!

I then sanded down the top of the hutch, and the two front legs. The reason for doing this comes from that age old question — “To paint, or not to paint?”…. So I always try to compromise with myself and do a little of both! 😉

Since I was going to use chalk paint to paint the rest of my hutch, all that I needed to do was sand down any of the previous finish that was flaking. I then chalk painted the body of the hutch. It only took two coats with this amazing chalk paint! If you like, check out some of the reasons of why I decided to use chalk paint, and why I completely love chalk paint!

To finish the top and front legs of the hutch, I decided to use the dark wax that can be used to create a different finish with the chalk paint. I would normally use a stain here, but wanted to try this out instead. And the result? Amazing! I completely love how it turned out!

Ok, and here is the finished product! LOVE IT!4

Tip: I used this fantastic trick from the CreekLineHouse.com to get my mirror sparkly-clean! – 10 Almost Life-Changing Uses for Rubbing Alcohol

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Chalk Paint – Tried & Tested (I finally did it!)

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So, I did it! I finally broke down and bought some of Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint… So what did I think? Would I do it again? And most importantly, would I recommend it?

When it comes to crafting & DIY-ing, one of my main goals is to cut costs wherever possible, and painting furniture was definitely one of those items always up on the chopping block… Why would I buy special paint when I could just go out to my trusty garage and mix up some kind of creative concoction to get the job done? Well, chalk paint has been all of the rave lately, and I have a couple of friends who swear by it, so I finally decided to throw in the towel and try it!

And — dun, dun, dun… the results are in! I love, love, love it! And here are the reasons why:

  1. First of all, the color selection is amazing! They have a large variety of main colors to chose from, and then by mixing these you can easily create a whole new set of colors!
  2. It only took me two coats of paint for sufficient coverage. Yes — I said, TWO COATS!
  3. The piece that I painted was about 14 square feet, and I only used about 1.5 inches of paint out of the can! This fact significantly reduces the price-point of chalk paint. You will be able to paint A LOT of pieces from just one can!
  4. Chalk Paint can be used on a large variety of surfaces, ranging from wood and metal all of the way to plastic and fabric!
  5. NO PRIMING or SANDING required! Just another great benefit… (Just remember to use a little common sense with this one… Do not paint over peeling or flaking paint. Just give it a real quick sanding or wire-brushing first!)
  6. There are several different finishes that can be easily achieved with chalk paint. (Chippy-Rustic Look, Smooth Modern Finish, Two-Color Distressing and the Simple Vintage Look!)
  7. Chalk paint  has two different waxes to choose from to finish off your masterpiece, a clear wax or a dark wax… another super-feature of chalk paint — getting so many completely different looks out of the same can of paint!
  8. This wonderful product can also be used as an interior or exterior paint!
  9. I was able to use the dark wax instead of a stain to accentuate the grain in my unpainted wood — So easy!

So, in summary, if you have been contemplating Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint — I say… GO FOR IT! You will LOVE it! 🙂