Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Free Paint Goes a Long Way

I've been busy. I've been crafting and painting and sewing and googling.  Some of my projects are top secret - meaning, they are a gift. They will get posted once the gift is given. Some of my projects have taken days. And some, I just haven't taken the time to edit photos.

This morning, I finished up a project that I have been dreaming about for years. And since I'm so excited about it, I'll reveal the before/after shot at the beginning of the post.














Many years ago, about the time Jeremiah and I started dating, someone gave him a kitchen table. It was a great size and had great lines. However, it looked as if it belonged in a kindergarten classroom. When we got married, I already had a large kitchen table, but I refused to get rid of Jeremiah's table. I dreamed of painting this table, making it into something fabulous.













Along the way, I had also purchased 5 walnut chairs for $10 at a local thrift store. They served as kitchen chairs for me for many years - The 5 chairs paired perfectly with the little table.























When ACE Hardware started giving out free quarts of paint, I knew it was time to tackle this project. I picked up a quart of Smokey Lake - the sample quart was a flat indoor paint that contained primer and paint. After lightly sanding the chairs and removing the seat, the paint covered the chairs easily.













It was so hot outside that the paint dried almost immediately. After just spending 45 minutes per chair, I was starting to get excited about the end result. There's nothing quite like the feeling of giddiness when you start to see your project coming together.











Day two of my project required a little help from my husband. He graciously sanded the the top of the table down to the wood. The previous owners of our house had left some stain in the garage. I wanted to paint the legs blue and leave the top wood.


The blue paint covered the bold table colors magically. I thought it would take many coats to make the final paint color look cohesive, but that was not the case. After two coats, I was happy with my table.


One coat of stain later, and my table was complete.












When looking for fabric for any project, I try to think beyond Hobby Lobby. For instance, on Saturday, I purchased a mustard yellow table cloth that was in awesome condition from Goodwill for $2. It's a great color and way cheaper than the fabric store.  I have big plans for that tablecloth to become some great pillows.

For the chairs, I wanted something vintage/eclectic.  In Ross, as I perused the clearance section, I came across some fabulous napkins. I also purchased a matching tablecloth for super cheap. Who knows? The tablecloth may end up as curtains or pillows.  The napkins were the perfect size for the chair seats.












If I had needed a little more fabric, I could have taken out the hem. A staple gun made this upholstery job super easy.

























My basement reorganization is slowing coming together.  And remaking this table was on my original to-do list.


It now provides a great place for folding laundry, using my sewing machine or Cricut, cleaning guns, you name it...

And I love how the pinkish orange in the fabric accents the reddish stain on the table.  All these colors will go great with the vision that is in my head for the room. Since I had 5 chairs, I am hoping to find another set of these napkins at a different Ross store (you guys can be on the lookout for me). If that fails, I can always use part of the tablecloth. I'm just not ready to cut it up yet.


Have any of you used your free paint from ACE yet? This entire project only took 1/2 a quart of paint.  I'm planning to paint a few picture frames to match.
PROJECT COSTS:
Table...............................FREE (see, sometimes it pays to hoard)
Chairs..............................$10
Paint................................FREE
Seat Covers.....................$2.99

TOTAL COSTS: $13

3 comments:

  1. You did an awesome job on that..HGTV needs to hire you!! :0)

    ReplyDelete
  2. They look great! I need you to come decorate my house!

    ReplyDelete