I Bought A Paint Sprayer {A Review}

A few weeks ago I purchased a new paint sprayer. We had several interior doors that we needed to paint and I knew the sprayer would do the job well. Plus I've been wanting to try a sprayer out on my furniture. So it was a win win situation.

I figured a gallon of paint would do all 8 interior doors we had. Especially because it's a paint/primer in one. And an expensive $34 per gallon paint. I was really wrong....

Well, as you can see there was a LOT of over-spray. I'm not sure if I was doing it wrong or what, but this stuff was all over the place. And god forbid the wind shift my way. 

It ended up getting all over me. ALL over me. And all over my yard. Oh, and I managed to get some on the house too!

The painting part was much quicker though, and I really like the way it covers without streak marks of a brush. BUT there are a couple of disadvantages in using a paint sprayer. 

For starters, that gallon of paint/primer only got me 4 doors into the project before I had to go buy another gallon. 

Second, the weather has to be just right to go outside to use the sprayer. I could never use it inside because of the over-spray. I've found that his has put several of my projects on hold, when I could have just painted inside by hand.

The doors did turn out really nice and we are happy with them. But I think the use of the sprayer is going to be limited to really large projects. 

 So, I'm back to painting with a brush lol. I would be interested to hear what others have to say about using a paint sprayer!

xoxoxo

Jessica

Popcorn Tin Upcycle

For awhile now my bathroom trash cans have been screaming for an update. For longer than awhile actually. 

I just didn’t really want to go buy new ones. If I did, then I’d have to buy all the matching accessories. And to be honest, I am at a stage where I’m not sure if I’ll keep one style around very long.

So I started looking around for ideas. And THIS is what caught my eye…

{ urbanoutfitters.com}

But at $24.00 (shipping not included in price) I knew I could make something similar myself – and for much less. Do you ever say that??? I find myself saying that a lot :)

I got some inspiration from Deanna @ It's Just Me with this cute little popcorn tin she turned into cat food storage.

I see these popcorn tins everywhere, but when I want one I can’t find a single one. I had to put the word out to my family in case they had one laying around that they didn’t want.

My grandpa came to my rescue with this John Deere canister.

 

It took 3 coats of Krylon spray paint and….

Now it’s the perfect trash can!

The only cost associated with this was the can of spray paint. I ended up being able to do two others so it cost $9 for 3 trash cans.

I have one left that I am going to turn into storage for dog food.

When I get on a kick, I really go all out ;)

Linking to:
*Saturday Nite Special - @ Funky Junk Interiors*
*Nifty Thrifty Tuesday No 112 - @ Coastal Charm*
*Delightfully Inspiring Thursday - @ Delightful Order*
*Transformation Thursday No 150 - @The Shabby Creek Cottage*
*Show and Tell Friday - @ My Romantic Home*

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!

Linking to these parties...
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