TJN Projects You Loved In OCTOBER

October starts the first "TJN Projects You Loved In..." series. I'm excited to share with you the projects that everyone loved the most each month.  And what better month to start this then October!  Oddly enough, there are no Halloween projects here....

#1 - How To Get A Smooth Finish On Painted Furniture

#2 - DIY Chalk Painted Dresser

#3 - Red Painted (and stained) Dresser Redo

#4 - DIY Wedding: Simple Table Confetti

#5 - How To Turn A Ball Jar Into A Soap Dispenser - A Tutorial

What project is your favorite?? Is there anything you would like to see more of?  I would love to hear your feedback! Any and all comments are welcome :) 

Linking to these parties......
The Crafty Blog Stalker

Where Did October Go?

I can't believe it's the last day of October AND Halloween already!
The good news about today --  it's 60 degrees -- which means warm trick-or-treating tonight. The bad news is that it's been raining all day and by the looks of it -- will continue through the night :( 

 

With October out the door...one thing I wish I would 've had time to do this Halloween was make these cute Halloween bats! I'm kicking myself....

(source)

 

A Miss Mustard Seed Dresser

This week has gotten away from me.  It's already Thursday -- and I'm not prepared for today at all.  I'd really like to crawl back into bed....but then there's this thing called a job. 

 

Anyhow...Miss Mustard Seed caught my attention big time with this Apron Strings dresser.  I wish I lived closer to her because this would totally be in my house right now....

 

 

New Craft Room Storage Dresser

Well everyone, I finally finished a piece of furniture for my craft room.  Remember when I found these babies on craigslist a couple weeks ago ? The tall one was "choosen"....hahaha.

I'm so happy with how this turned out. 

I laid down to take a picture from a different angle and when I focused, I saw....

my little buddy Duncan.  Little guy follows me EVERYWHERE.

So anyhow...this dresser replaced a plastic storage unit that I had been using for all my craft supplies since I started crafting.  It holds much more than the plastic unit did -- so yay for that!  Plus it makes the room look a bit more "put-together".  

I used an off brand white paint for the top and sides, chalkboard paint for the drawers, and then put a glaze over the top and sides.  I didn't use a protective finish on this.  I didn't need to with the type of use it's going to be getting.

Soon enough, I will do a craft room reveal for you guys.  Stay tuned....

Linking to....
Cropped Stories
Elizabeth & Co
My Romantic Home
Miss Mustard Seed
Redoux Interiors
French Country Cottage
Jennifer Rizzo
The Crafty Blog Stalker
Funky Junk Interiors

The Type of Paint You Should Use On Furniture

Last week I talked about getting a smooth paint finish on furniture.  If you missed that post -- you can get caught up here.   But what type of paint to use is also worth knowing.  When I first started painting furniture, I was unsure of the type of paint I should be using for the best finish.  I've used many different paints and here is a recap of what I've learned!

The important thing to know is that ANY paint will make your furniture come together a LOT better.  Whether it's name brand paint, off brand paint, or a combination of both. The end result will be similar.  

For example, this black dresser was painted with a Behr paint.  It was $35 a gallon.  I also used a paint sprayer (and added water of course!).  Turned out nice right?

Then there is the antique white dresser done with my homemade chalk paint.  I combined an off brand primer, off brand paint, WATER, and painted this one by hand.

The end result was great on both.  The difference?  Price! As I mentioned, the Behr paint was $35 a gallon.  I had actually bought the paint to do the doors in my house and had extra leftover. I would never buy a $35 gallon of paint for furniture projects...shish what were you thinking!

The paint I used on the white dresser was found in the Oops section of Walmart.  I can't remember what I paid for them, but I never pay over $5.00 for Oops paint...so I would say under $5!

What is Oops paint you ask?  It is just what it sounds like.  The paint associate at Walmart...or Home Depot (or whatever store carries paint) mixes the paint wrong or a customer changes their mind.  These stores are just trying to make a buck off of the paint instead of trashing it. I found out about Oops paint online.  When I first set out to purchase some, I just asked the paint associate at the store were it was.  They know exactly what you are asking for.  

Some examples.....

I love all the paints I've ever bought (name brand or off brand) and never had any application issues with any of them.

It is OK to mix different paints together to create your own.  My antique white dresser - as mentioned - was painted with a combination of white primer, a beige color paint, some Plaster of Paris, and of course....water.  It doesn't matter what type of mixture you put together, the end result will look fantastic.  What is really important is what finishing product you use!

I will talk about finishing products next week so make sure you check back to get all the deets.

Have a great weekend everyone!