Tray Makeover

Today, I wanted to share a simple idea for making over an old tray.

I bought this old tray at a yard sale for a dollar.  Boy that was quite the sale.  They were getting ready to move an older couple into a nursing home.  There were two garages stuffed full and everything in them was for sale.  Do you know how hard it was to drag my husband away from there?  If we didn't have somewhere we needed to be that morning, I'm sure he would still be there!

Now, I'm sure there will be people who thought it was pretty just as it was.  Whoever had painted it, really had done a great job.  However, it didn't really suit my decor or taste.  So, a makeover it did receive. 

First I painted it white.  Then, I cut a piece of buralp to fit the bottom.  After I glued it down, I drybrushed some white paint over the burlap, so there wasn't such a stark contrast between the two.  Then, I stenciled a date in the lower corner.  Honestly... the hardest part of this makeover was waiting for the white paint to dry between coats. 

And now I love it and am very happy with it.  Right now it's sitting on the coffee table in the living room.  Although, I can see it possibly moving to the dining table in it's future.  It all depends what mood I'm in, right?

(p.s. the burlap pillow you see in the background is available in my etsy shop, here.)

And, now I'm off to go work on this room...Which I will hopefully be able to share more about soon.  And don't worry, it doesn't look this scary anymore.  (Thankfully!!! Thankfully!!!)  This is the project that my mom and dad came down to help me with. 

Linking to:
Tatertots & Jello: Weekend Wrap-Up 
Funky Junk: Saturday Night Special
Here's To Handy Andy: A Pinteresting Party

My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Party
Southern Lovely: Show & Share
The 36th Avenue 
The Shabby Creek Cottage: Transformation Thursday 
My Repurposed Life: Catch as Catch Can
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Finding Fabulous: Frugaliscious Friday 
Chic on a Shoestring: Flaunt it Friday 
Five Days five Ways: Feature Friday Free for All 

Gossip Bench in CeCe Caldwell's "Slate"

So, I have been hearing recently a lot about CeCe Caldwell's paint and how great it was.  I figured that probably the only way I would be able to get it would be to order it somewhere from the States and then I'd have to pay outrageous shipping fees to boot.  Well, much to my surprise, I discovered a store in St. Thomas, ON that carries it.  Now, St. Thomas is several hours away from my home.  However... it is just a short jaunt off of the main highway on the way to my parent's.  So, a couple of weekends ago when we went up there, I emptied my wallet on a couple of cans, plus a few sample pots.  The ladies running the store were very nice and they had just moved into a new and bigger location. 

This is my first piece using this paint.  I have to say that the paint did go on very nicely.  I only did one coat on this chair, because I was planning on distressing it a bunch.  If you wanted perfect coverage, it would have needed two coats.  The paint has lots of natural variations in the color... in that way it's totally different than latex.  After I use it a bit more, I am planning on doing a more in depth post about using it. 

This gossip bench looks like it was 'natural wood', however, if you could see it in person you would realize that it was faux wood painted.  Now, with cece caldwell paint you are supposed to be able to just paint without sanding.  However, there were drips in the original paint that I had to smooth out. 

At first I wasn't sure if I liked the finished product, but it has begun to grow on me.  I also bought the clear wax to try out.  It went on very nicely, and wasn't even stinky, so it is great for using in the house.

I liked how you could use other colours to draw out the different tones in this paint.  The blue in the fabric I chose brings out the blue in the paint. 

This is the only piece that I've painted in two weeks!  I do have several things though, that I haven't blogged about yet.  Remember last week when I mentioned that my parents had been down helping me on a special project?  Well, that's what I've been busy with... I'm hoping to reveal that soon. 

Linking to:
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Party
Southern Lovely: Show & Share
The 36th Avenue: Show Me Extraordinary
The Shabby Creek Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
My Repurposed Life: Catch as Catch Can
Chic on a Shoestring: Flaunt it Friday 
Five Days Five Ways: Friday Free For All
Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday
Gingerbread: Sweet Saturday
Tatertots & Jello: Weekend Wrap-Up
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special 
Here's To Handy Andy: Pinteresting Party
My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best
Primitive & Proper: POWW

Vintage 1964 End Table

Again, I found this table down the street from me.  I don't know what it is with my neighbours lately, but they all seem to be getting rid of awesome junk! 

The finish on this one was in pretty rough shape, so I didn't feel at all guilty about painting it.  The lady told me it once belonged to her parents and she had been using it until recently when they bought a new one.  I bet if she could see my after pictures, she may regret getting rid of it!  It's amazing what a little bit of black paint did for this table!

This table doesn't really suit my style of decorating, but I loved how it turned out!  And the couple who bought it loved it too! 

I wasn't intending to change the colour of the brass handles.  I soaked them in vinegar for a little bit with the intention of just polishing them up a bit since they were tarnished.  However, once I started polishing they started to turn a copper colour... ooops... I guess they weren't solid brass.  So, I got out some silver rub n buff and now they look great! 

The date of manufacturing was stamped on the bottom of this table... 1964... back when they were still making decent furniture.  This table is heavy! 

Well, I'm off to photograph some more of my finished pieces... Have a great day and stay cool!

Linking to:
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint
Southern Lovely: Show & Share
The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Chic on a Shoestring
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Homespun Happenings: Rustic Restorations
Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday
Tatertots & Jello: Weekend Wrap-Up 
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special 
My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best 
Primitive & Proper: POWW

A Quick Chair Before and After

Well, it's been a little while since my last post.  My husband and I celebrated our 4th anniversary, and then my mom came and stayed with us for a few days this past week.  When my dad came and picked her up, he helped us with a project that hopefully I will be able to share in a few weeks.

Here is a little chair makeover that I completed a few weeks ago.  Again, it was purchased at another yard sale down the street from our house. 

It's a cutie!  Sometimes I like to prime things in white so that when I distress them, you get the wood showing through, plus the white for more variety. 

The fabric was purchased at Hobby Lobby in the States.  I'm lucky in that my husband actually enjoys looking around in that store as much as me!

 I had to break out a little craft brush to get paint into the cutouts. 

And, here is the before...

Linking To:

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Here's To Handy Andy 
Primitive & Proper: POWW
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint
Southern Lovely: Show & Share
The Dedicated House
The Shabby Chic Cottage: Transformation Thursday
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday
Chic on a Shoestring 
Finding Fabulous: Frugalicious Friday 
Tatertots & Jello: Weekend Wrap-Up 
Funky Junk Interiors: Saturday Night Special  
My 1929 Charmer: Sunday's Best 

Milk Paint Dresser

I have been a busy painting bee lately.  Here is a dresser that I completed last week.  Again, it was found at a yard sale down the street from us. 

After a little debate in my mind, I decided to paint it white.  Then, after some more debate, I decided to paint it with Old Fashioned Milk Paint. 

Sorry, I forgot to take a before picture on this one, but it was brown, scratched, a little dated and the pulls were brassy and tarnished. 

I refinished the top and stained it dark walnut.  It sure is a decently thick piece of solid wood!

And, I painted the original hardware a nice black.

I was ambitious this time around and even painted the sides of the drawers a pretty shade of blue grey.

I find that the more you sand a piece before you paint it with milk paint, the more it sticks to your piece.  I had sanded this dresser pretty thoroughly before deciding to go with the milk paint, and I really had to sand the paint to get it to distress. 

All in all, it is one hundred percent improved! 

And I just had to share this table that I recently found.  It is in decently good shape, with the original finish, so I probably won't be painting it. But it is definitely a beauty!

It might be good that we live in a small house... because I would probably keep all the beautiful furniture that I find and never have anything to sell!

Linking to:
Primitive & Proper: POWW
Domestically Speaking: Power of Paint Party
Southern Lovely: Show & Share
The 36th Avenue 
The Shabby Creek Cottage 
The Vintage Farmhouse 
My Repurposed Life: Catch as Catch Can 
Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
The Shabby Nest: Frugal Friday