DIY Chalk Painted Dresser

Last weekend I refinished a dresser in chalk paint -- DIY Chalk Paint. The entire experience was actually pretty laid back….and I am excited to do my next dresser using this same DIY Chalk Paint!

I had never actually used real chalk paint but I heard it’s amazing. Only problem is that you can’t buy it just any old place and there isn’t a dealer close to me. Not to mention the stuff doesn’t exactly fit into my thrifty budget. So I sought out the next best thing.

Making my own.

I used the recipe Sharon used over at Elizabeth and Co. 

What you’ll need is:

- Plaster of Paris (found at Home Depot: $7 for 3lb).

- Paint of your choice (I used Martha Stewart: $10).

- A bucket of some sort to mix them (I used an old gallon ice cream bucket: $0).

- A paint stick for mixing (get at Home Depot while you are getting the plaster and paint: $0).

 The recipe calls for one part Plaster of Paris to two parts paint. I actually just eyeballed the measurements…like I do when I make pancakes :)  The paint becomes thicker and gritty. Perfecto!

Then we have the dresser…I picked it up over the summer and paid a whopping $15.

No kidding.

I love dressers like these. They look really nice painted.

It’s actually in pretty good condition other then the dust graffiti all over the top.

I simply took the drawers out, took the hardware off, wiped all the surfaces down with a damp cloth and then got to painting. There was no sanding or priming involved.

That’s the beauty of chalk paint. Love it.

I applied two coats of paint. It went on really smooth. The drying time is considerably less then with regular paint so I was able to do the second coat right after I finished the first coat. Then I let it sit overnight.

The next morning I got my sandpaper out and started in on distressing. If you don’t want to ruin your hands or if you don't have an electric sander, you could use a damp cloth and wipe your way to a distressed look.

Once the distressing was finished I applied a coat of poly. I just did one coat and let that dry the rest of the day.

Doesn't the hardware look great? It's just two coats of brushed bronze spray paint. And it looks amazing.

I’m really liking in love with the finished product! It doesn’t even look like the same dresser.

What a huge difference some paint and a weekend can make….

What do you think? I have to say that I will be using more homemade chalk paint in some upcoming projects. I absolutely love this stuff!

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I Heart Nap Time 
CRAFT

Craigslist Tip {and the lamp purchase}

I recently had my first Craigslist oopsie {if that’s what you want to call it}. I like to stalk Craigslist daily. I do so just in case I find the perfect…something for super cheap. Generally furniture. A couple of weeks ago I found a decent set of lamps for $15. I figured…for that price I couldn’t lose. I’ve been wanting some lamps to go with my living room redo {check that original post out here.} I actually ended up getting the pair for $10!! Can you believe it?? Have you looked at lamp prices lately??? For $10 if they don’t work out…not a huge deal.

Now just because I stalk Craigslist daily doesn’t mean I know what the heck I am doing when it comes to making a transaction.

I’ll show you what the picture looked like in the listing…

Not too bad huh? Nothing out of the ordinary…just old.

The wooden base was what sold me. I can do a lot with that…AND they would be perfect for my TV stand…on each side of my TV.

When I went to pick them up, the lady got out of her SUV carrying something that was half the size of her. After a second glance I realized it wasn’t her child it was the lamp…only one might I add. My first words were, “wow those are really big”. But I decided to continue with the transaction because I could still use them…AND they were only $10.

I had to put one in my trunk and the other in my back seat. Both would not fit in either spot together.  I laughed the whole way home at the thought of what D would say when I walked in the door with them. They will for sure NOT be going on the TV stand as they will not fit together. 

Plan B is in order.

So….note to self {and any Craigslist beginners} for future Craigslist purchases. ASK for dimensions!!! Let that be a lesson to me…

Now to find the perfect fabric for the lamp shade and the right paint for the base. I’m sort of leaning towards this look….

Kimba at A Soft Place To Land did a great job with this lamp! You can read all about that here. I love it.

I also love this lamp by Anthropologie…

In general, it looks like I’m drawn to white and brown :) This will be my first lamp redo so wish me luck :) And if any of you seasoned crafters have any tips…please share!

Pre-Christmas Tree Reveal {with book page ornaments}

I just can’t wait to do a complete reveal of my tree. Unfortunately my house has been a disaster and not quite picture ready. So this pre-reveal will have to do :)

My theme this year is the more vintage book page look. I didn’t go ALL out on the vintage part…but I was really busy last weekend making these cute ornaments….

Once I finished the first one…I was addicted. They look so professional {and vintage}. Not to mention they are super easy to do. I used pages from a small paperback dictionary I was forced had to buy the first year of college. I've been thinking about tossing it but I’m soooo glad I didn't!

I’m thinking about giving them as gifts {that’s how much I adore them!!}…I just need to figure out a {handmade} way of wrapping them to match their awesomeness :)

What do you think about them on the tree??

 

Love.Love.Love!!! OH…and here’s a sneak peak of the “others” I made…

I also ended up having to make my own tree topper. Our star we bought last year was a wee bit to heavy for this years tree. BUT the one I made looks better AND matches my book page ornaments! Can’t wait to show you :)

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Thrift Store Finds

I love to thrift shop. {Thus the basis of The Junk Nest}. Where I live we have a Salvation Army, Goodwill, Castaways and a neat community place that always has some great stuff. Here is what I picked up on my last trip…

These were from Goodwill. I was so excited to bring all of these home I just had to share them with you :) All for around $12.00…who would want to shop at the mall for home decor with prices like these???

My mom found this lantern hidden in the midst of everything. I collect lanterns and for only $2.00 I couldn’t pass it up. It’s in great condition.

I rarely buy anything that I’m not in love with. I will usually fill my cart with stuff and then rethink things while I shop. My cart items change like 2 or 3 times before I actually get to the checkout. But these plates…they stayed in my cart the entire time! Yay! My plan is to paint something on them with stencils.

And alas….the wooden sign. I LOVE this sign. I picked this up on a whim at the local community store. I paid $10.00 BUT I also nabbed 2 large picture frames and a mirror for free. It was our last stop and I felt like I hit the jackpot!

What a great thrifting day.

Christmas Tree Ornaments {with book pages}

I’d like to start by saying that we do not have our Christmas tree as of yet. We are planning on taking the trek out into the wilderness {aka tree farm} this Saturday to find the perfect tree for our family :) I am suuppper excited because up until last year, I always had an artificial tree. Words cannot express the excitement I have built up right now for Saturday!!! I think I might be more excited then my daughter :)

Year after year I’ve always used the same ole rinky dink ornaments. But this year it’s getting an overhaul. My vision involves book page decorations of some sort {I want that vintage feel}. Last weekend I started in on a set of ornaments and I love how they turned out. What do you think?

I purchased a package of 12 clear ornaments from Hobby Lobby for $7.99. It was actually an impulse buy {I had went there for something completely different} but I’m glad I picked them up. I only needed a few pages out of a book and scissors to make these. So $7.99 was my final cost. Not bad.

They are so decorative looking, I almost don’t want to put them on the tree! Maybe I’ll have to buy more :)

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