So when I reclaimed this one from my daughter, I knew she needed a refresh and a special place in my garden to invoke those sweet Wildwood memories and brighten a corner in our yard.

She is in great shape for her age. Very little rust. And most of it is just surface rust.

I’ve heard that you can repair more serious damage with auto repair body filler. Good to note that for the future. But my project will just consist of sanding and painting, fortunately.

Let’s Get Started

As always, we start with a good cleaning followed by a good sanding to remove loose paint and smooth the surface for better paint adhesion.

After sanding, she got another wipedown to remove the dust.

Time for paint color selection. I just received a lovely yellow paint from Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint. This paint was designed for use on salvaged, antique, and vintage items marked for restoration. So, BDSFP is perfect for this vintage metal yard or patio chair. Let me introduce you to Star City Sunshine!

I expected 3 coats would be needed since this yellow is covering the pinky mauve which covered the red.

Here is the chair after one coat.

As expected, I moved onto a second coat. The trick to better coverage is to ensure the first coat has completely dried before moving onto the next coat. This keeps the paint from streaking. Here is Sunshine during application of the second coat.

And finally, voila!

It’s that time of month where the Thrift Store Decor Team publishes new posts! On the second Wednesday of every month, the team shares new projects featuring upcycled, recycled, renewed or newly created items that you can use in your decor. Accompanying the transformation pieces are always new tips, skills and products to help you in your DIY and upcycling journey!

You will find all of this month’s projects at the end of this post. Be sure to visit everyone!

Now, to decide where this beauty should live.

For now, she is residing on the deck by the entryway. She is quite welcoming.

And she looks even better in the bright sun!

Ah! I just love vintage everywhere!

Here is another vintage garden post:

And apparently I do like vintage seating!

My Repurposed Life DIY Outdoor Fairy Light Lampshade

Shop At Blu Refreshed Vintage Metal Patio Chair

Our Crafty Mom Thrift Store Lampshade Makeover

Funky Junk Interiors DIY Upcycled Globe Light, Cloche, Pedestal Bowl and Paper Towel Stand

Redhead Can Decorate  Glass Rainbow Garden Tower 

Exquisitely Unremarkable Thrifted Botanical Print Makeover

The post A Timely Refresh for a Vintage Metal Yard Chair appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I think it’s the after affect of having a Dad with 7 siblings who grew up in working class Philadelphia just after the Depression…but I have trouble throwing things away. I see value in everything. So when Mr. Blu said it’s time for this old mantle to go…I just could not do it!

I do love old wood and I’ve restored enough of it to know that you can revive wood. I think rustic items in your outdoor space are fabulous. You may remember this mantle from years ago…my first deck decorating post.

She weathered the Alabama heat and storms well. But she shore doesn’t look like that anymore. Several years ago, we removed her to rebuild our deck and she has been sitting under the deck since…neglected and discarded.

I’ve decided to give her a last hurrah! If we are reviving something fabulous, you know it must Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday.

And I have the perfect spot for her!

I have wanted to start a lovely perennial garden right here. Why not build it around this ol’ gal? So I removed the planter and sign from the fence. Oh boy, this fence will need a good pressure washing to make a better backdrop for the antique mantle.

I dragged the mantle over for a visual.

She fit perfectly but I should have reinforced her wobbly joints before I moved her. She needs to be realigned. The rotted wood was worse than I had suspected. When I moved her out of the way to clean the fence she kinda sorta fell apart. So I laid her flat on the grass and put her in line for a bath.

The fence needed cleaning so I grabbed my Ryobi pressure washer to give the fence a refresh.

Wow! Already looking much better.

Since the fence cleaned up so well, I decided to pressure wash the mantle as well. I knew the chippy paint would probably all be removed but I knew the antique wood was under there and I thought that was a great trade off to restore/expose some of that antique woodgrain. Hopefully we will see an improvement.

I pressure washed the antique mantle and was pleasantly surprised to see some of the beauty of the wood appear from beneath the grime.

I moved her piece by piece into place against the fence.

One piece at a time until she stood tall.

The mantle shelf will need to be replaced as this one is beyond repair. But that is a project for another day. I also noticed, after seeing the old post picture above, that the supports for the mantle shelf are missing. So I will need to replace those. I leveled her and nailed her to the cross posts of the fence.

I am also considering to paint her as she is quite difficult to see next to the fence, even though the fence was cleaned. Wood on wood makes it a bit difficult to appreciate the antique mantle’s lines and the curves of the pillars. Normally, I would not paint an old mantle but this gal is definitely beyond her prime and I think I will need some help making her really shine again. That said, I might have some tricks up my sleeve to restore that wood a bit more. We will call that part two of this project! Stay tuned for that.

With the mantle in place and secured to the cross bars of the fence, I felt confident that the Alabama wind won’t send her back into pieces!

Planting a Garden around the Antique Mantle

This time of year, I usually have newly acquired plants sitting in the driveway waiting to be planted. Like these hydrangeas. $14.99 each? Yes, please and thank you Aldi!

And that is a butterfly bush behind the purple hydrangea. My old one did not survive this past winter. It was unusually cold. I had also grabbed a few perennials in vibrant yellow that caught my eye. Those will go into the garden here as well. I gathered some other plants from around the yard like this flapjack succulent. She weathered very well this winter in the garage and is ready to be thinned out so I will try her in the ground this season.

I added a few plant in pots to fill up the space like a strawberry pot filled with seedum and some succulents. I will fill in the spaces with more succulents. And there are some irises in in front of the mantle to be thinned and moved against the fence. I started by placing a basket of petunia like flowers (I’ll have to look up the name) on the shelf. I will eventually add some smaller pots but will need to replace that shelf first.

I placed my selection of plants in front of the mantle and started to put them into the ground.

The space filled up quickly. Mr. Blu took one look at the small section of fence and decided to pressure wash the entire fence. He was out there long after these plants went into the ground. And the entire fence is now clean!

Now to fill in the large fence back drop. I may install the mirror behind the shelf. Still deciding on that. And I’m thinking a unique trellis where the firebox would sit. There is already vinca planted to that should fill in nicely. But in the meantime, I popped my dragonflies here (fresh from their second makeover) and they are perfect!

I returned the garden sign to the area.

And added Lady.

And I think I will call it a day. I will let this little garden settle for a few weeks. Next, I will add some filler, like succulents. It needs some height behind the plants, too. And some character to the visible fence…maybe a lime wash on the mantle? I’m open for ideas here, friends! Because Mr. Blu will want those dragonflies back on his deck!

And here are all of the post from my other team members. Be sure to leave them each a comment!

Funky Junk Interiors  Upcycled Ceiling Fan Blade Flower Yard Art

Shop At Blu Antique Mantle in the Garden – Why Not??

My Repurposed Life Unique Upcycle for a $1 Thrift Store Frame

Our Southern Home Easy European Wall Art with Thrift Store Frames

Sadie Seasongoods Upcycling a Wooden Cafeteria Tray (Without Paint!)

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Rag Flag From Thrifted Clothes

Exquisitely Unremarkable Romantic Textured Vase Makeover

Our Crafty Mom Antique Steam Trunk Makeover

Redhead Can Decorate  How I Created a Beach House Guest Room Using Heirloom Furniture 

The post Antique Mantle in the Garden appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Once you find a great piece of curbside gold, your eye will forever scour the curb on trash day. This beauty was just sitting atop a pile of branches. I heard a very faint “SAVE ME” as I passed. So, I hit the brakes and loaded her into the van. A metal outdoor side table can last many many years. And when the base is constructed of wrought iron, she may just last a lifetime or two.

If I am upcycling, recycling, repurposing, or restyling dated decor, you know it it time for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly posts. Join us here every second Wednesday of the month to see what we have restored/repurposed this month! You will find direct links to all TEN projects at the end of this post.

Each spring I upcycle some planters or table on our deck. I remain pretty consistent with the colors. Of course, my base color is almost always blue, usually a teal. And I will add a variety of accent colors depending on what flowers I have found so far at local nurseries.

I really wanted some fabulous color in this table so I decided to try the paint pour technique. This is my first time trying paint pour. I was quite surprised to discover that there are many different techniques, products, and styles. I started, appropriately, with simple. My plan was to add the paint, tilt the table and see what this created. Just the basics.

Prep Your Piece

As always, I started by cleaning my table. I gave the wrought iron base a good wiping to remove any dust and surface dirt. I just wiped with a work glove. It worked pretty well.

The base was in great shape with minimal surface rust so Rustoleum was a good choice.

The base has really great features.

Then I sprayed the base with my go to spray paint, Rustoleum. Their hammered metal comes in a nice variety of colors. I chose brown to blend with our deck furniture. I have a little wire shelf that I use for all of my spray paint projects. I just set the project piece on top and apply a coat of spray paint. I let it dry, rotate the piece, and repeat until the entire surface is painted.

I allowed this to dry overnight. I wanted to make sure that the paint had cured because I would be taping off the base to ensure that the table top paint would not pour onto the newly painted base.

Rustoleum does not disappoint.

The next day I used brown craft paper and frogtape to mask off the entire base and the rim of the table top.

I made certain that the FrogTape was secure and left no spaces through which paint could seep.

It was not pretty but it was efficient.

Next, I prepped the wooden surface of the table top with a base coat. I used Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint in Clean Canvas.

After this dried, it was time to pour on the white acrylic.

Commence the Paint Pour

I ordered the acrylic paint from Amazon. I decided on a background coat of white and found this larger 32 oz. volume white for the background color.

I grabbed this variety pack of 18 great colors. Bonus as it was from one of my favorite suppliers, DecoArt. If you need paint for any craft project…DecoArt is your source.

Aren’t these bold colors fabulous?

It was so difficult to narrow down the colors but I decided on:

• Ultra Blue Deep
• Ocean Blue
• Bahama Blue
• Purple Pizzazz
• Royal Fuschia
• Coral Blush
• Cadmium Yellow

I watched a few tutorials but tried to stay with the basic beginner projects. Some of the instructions recommended using Floetrol to keep the paint fluid and extend the drying time to manipulate the color across the surface. While I did have Floetrol on hand, I really wanted to start with the basics and try a simple approach on this first project. Yes, I was fairly certain going in that this would be the first of many paint pour projects.

So I did not use the Floetrol and I did not have a problem in applying the white.

Once I had all of the white added, I lifted the edge of the table closest to me and tilted it at a steep angle. The paint immediately began to run toward the opposite edge.

Once the paint ran over the edge, I set my side of the table down and grabbed the adjacent edge. I followed the same process until the top was covered with paint.

I did add a bit more white at one point to cover one of the edges. But the process was easy.

The paint did seem to be drying quickly so I was a little worried about adding the bright colors.

What I did not do, was photograph the process of adding the colors. I was a bit nervous that the paint would dry and I would be stuck with a bunch of wonky circles. It was also difficult to stop the process to grab the phone for phots since it was a quite messy. Next time I will try to set up video because even using the remote shutter gadget would entail messy fingers on my equipment and I was not going there.

My design was basically as follows:

• I put a large circle of blue in the center.
• Added smaller light blue around the large blue circle.
• Added more teal circles.
• Made a few squiggly lines randomly in
• Added some random small dots of purple, pink and yellow.

I used a skewer and pulled it through the circles to add dimension and disperse the colors across the table top. Then I started the tilt process.

I repeated the table tilt process until the color had dispersed to my liking.

I was careful to make sure the sides were covered completely as the paint ran over the edge of the table top.

There were six sides on this table so I checked them all.

I turned on the ceiling fan and left her in the room to dry overnight.

The Frogtape came off easily and there was minimal paint seepage.

And she looks great on the deck.

Another Mia approved project.

This technique has peaked my interest:

• I am interested to learn how to make different designs.
• One tutorial said to add rubbing alcohol to some of the colors to create a more dramatic effect (the paint would separate creating a different visual).
• Small projects would be really fun.
• I can see a resin finish for indoor projects.
• So many possibilities.

Cheers!

Shop at Blu Metal Outdoor Side Table Upcycle

Exquisitely Unremarkable DIY Decal Pitcher Makeover

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Easy Decorative Moss Balls for Spring

Redhead Can Decorate How I Transformed Our Foyer with a Thrift Store Room Divider

Sadie Seasongoods Geometric Abstract Art from a Collage Frame

Our Southern Home Piano Bench Makeover with New Color and Fabric

My Repurposed Life Can This Become a Lamp?

Funky Junk Interiors Rustic TV Stand Dresser Makeover with Easy Wood Strip Drawers

Our Crafty Mom DIY Rope Vase Pottery Barn Dupe

Songbird Vintage Tool Decor Idea

The post Metal Outdoor Side Table Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

I am an only child so my parents entertained me quite a bit. When we weren’t playing games or in Dad’s workshop, I was seeking creative fun in all of the corners of our sweet Philadelphia home. I dug through closets, under beds, through sewing kits and cupboards. But my favorite quiet time was spent in Mom and Dad’s bedroom, perched on the end of their full sized bed sorting through Mom’s vintage jewelry box. Inside, I found the stories of Mom’s past. There were trinkets and memories. Each one had a history.

Years ago, in the ’80’s, Dad bought Mom a new jewelry box for Christmas. You know, one of those fancy wooden 1980’s taller jewelry boxes with the swivel carousel hook for necklaces and a fancy place to put your rings. Of course, I grabbed Mom’s old vintage jewelry box. Because I was documenting stories of my own.

Like those once gleaming pieces of jewelry, Mom’s vintage jewelry box has seen better days. Today is the day she gets her makeover. And, if we are talking renew, upcycle, and refresh, that means it’s time for this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team projects.

If you are new to Blu or the TSDT, we are a group of 9 creative bloggers who focus on the upcycle, repurpose, and reuse of older or previously used items. At the end of this post, you will find all of the other team projects. We share our posts on the second Wednesday of the month. This is our first post of the NEW YEAR! And we have some bloggers joining our fabulous group! What new skills will we share this year?? Tools, products, DIY skills and fabulous tips are our favorite. Hope to see you as a regular visitor. You can sign up for an email reminder at the top right side of this page! Let’s get to our project!

You see these vintage jewelry boxes at estate sales, yard sales, and flea markets. They are roomy and still the best way to store your jewelry. Mine will sit on a shelf filled with treasures when she has been restored.

Selecting a Finish

The Francophile in me loves loves loves marble. I didn’t want to paint this jewelry box so I decided to cover it. Dollar Tree had these removeable peel and stick wallpaper strips so I bought a few. Cheap, easy, and I think they will work.

The instructions are conveniently on the back and are very simple.

There is some damage to mom‘s old jewelry box. Somehow over the years, a corner of the top padding was actually ripped away. That is the part that is sticking up on the top.

The inside shelf is a bit wonky so I’ll need to repair that.

The interior is still lovely, for the most part. The beautiful Asian print on satin is just darling.

The velour is still a pretty aqua thought there are a few discolorations and some divots where weighty pearls and baubles have rested over the years. Other than that, I think she’s in great shape.

The length of this wallpaper sheet was just a bit shy of the total width of the jewelry box.

I will use one whole piece of wallpaper for the top and piece it underneath, hoping to match the pattern. When piecing I will want to minimize the seams. So I will add those smaller pieces first. We will see if I have enough product to match the patterns perfectly. Cross your fingers! Here we go.

I took a piece of the wallpaper and basically laid it over each drawer, each side, the back and the top of the jewelry box. The plan was to apply each carefully measured piece onto the surface and fold over behind the door fronts, the back, and the entire the jewelry box.

I folded the paper along each edge essentially making a creating a new panel for each surface on the jewelry box. Since the wallpaper was just a little short in length, I started with the section that would go under the longest sides. I measured and cut carefully. I began to lay the pieces into shape.

I made my way around the Jewelry box peeling, sticking, wrapping, folding, and tucking the wallpaper into place.

I took special care to wrap the corners smoothly.

And I was careful to try to match the pattern when the wallpaper had to be pieced.

I did have to cut around the knobs and handles. But the process went pretty smoothly.

The beautiful decorative panel slipped off easily giving me access to the inside edges of the lid.

I used my handy dandy vintage Pampered Chef scraper to burnish the entire surface ensuring a secure bond of the wallpaper to the jewelry box.

And the decorative panel slipped right back into place once the wallpaper was installed.

And here she is with her new look!

I have to say I am quite pleased!

In this jewelry box, amidst the odds and ends, I found this little bracelet. When I was about 7 years old, my dad brought this home for me one day when he came home from work. My favorite color was purple. My heart is happy.

I also found a bit of my grandmother’s brooches.

And my great-grandmother’s watch bands. I had forgotten I had these!

Now to decide what she will hold long term. For now, she is in my jewelry vault, so to speak.

You can read about my vintage china cabinet turned giant jewelry box HERE.

My Repurposed Life Quilted Casserole Carrier Ideas Using Salvaged Fabrics

Our Southern Home Thrift Store Lamp Refresh with DIY Pleated Shade

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Stool Dupe that Looks Authentically Aged

Shop At Blu Mom’s Vintage Jewelry Box Makeover

Our Crafty Mom Heart Shape Paper Craft From Wrapping Paper Roll

Songbird Rubber Stamp Storage Idea

Funky Junk Interiors Upcycled Ceiling Fan Blade Wall Mounted Coat Hooks

Exquisitely Unremarkable Adorable DIY Pin Cushions

Redhead Can Decorate My 91 Year Old Dad’s Thrift Store Living Room

The post Mom’s Vintage Jewelry Box Makeover appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Did someone say THRIFT STORE? Let me hear it…UPCYCLE! Those words can only mean it is the second Wednesday of the month and time for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly projects!

I have to admit that I am a little giddy this month. We have some new members joining us. And, I’m gonna say it, though it might sound creepy, I just know that you will all understand…I’m girl crushin’! These new gals to the team were seriously some of the creators that I would follow with awe and fascination back when I started to blog. Yikes! It’s been a minute but they are as fabulous as ever!

Welcome to Donna from Funky Junk Interiors, Kim from Exquisitely Unremarkable, and Julie from Redhead Can Decorate. I’m so grateful for this team and all of the past members. Creating is really a fabulous world and the blog world offers the best of the best. As we all evolve, we get to share on different platforms and graduate to new highs. We are all just living our normal lives. We have the same normal challenges of making a living, enjoying our families, starting jobs, leaving jobs, caring for family member, losing family members, raising families, becoming empty nesters. You know…all of the major life stuff. But we are impassioned by creating.

Beyond the actual process of creating, my most cherished part of this blog world is meeting new friends and making new connections. I am so elated that you are all joining us. I’m talking to our 3 new creators and TO ALL OF THE NEW FRIENDS WHO ARE JOINING US TODAY and, of course, to my devoted readers who help keep this little blog going!

WELCOME TO THE FABULOUS THRIFT STORE DECOR TEAM!!! We are going to have so much fun together!! I’m beyond glad and grateful that YOU are here! Can’t wait for you to see what magic happens in this community.

HELLO!

Hello! I’m Suzanne. I owned an antique store, The Blue Building Antiques and Consignment, for 10 years, here in Alabama near Birmingham. We closed it in 2019. I have loved creating for as long as I can remember. I’m an only child and my oldest memories are of puttering beside my dad in his workshop in our Philadelphia home. I’m back to work full time now for a regional bank but I still dabble with this blog every chance I get. My passion is for furniture but really any kind of painting gets me going. I love a good challenge and transforming old items into beautiful focal points is one of my favorite things to do. Enough about me, let’s get on with today’s project – the upcycle of this antique mahogany side table.

Upcycling Vintage Beauties

I’m sure you’ve all seen an old vintage side table like this. Maybe it was round like this one that I previously upcycled.

Maybe the side table was made of oak like this radio table.

We’ve all seen those old tables with great bones that just look sad and worn. When I see one that speaks to me, I feel compelled to grab it and give it new life. Much to Mr. Blu’s chagrin, these project pieces sit a while in our garage while life happens. But, I’m cleaning out corners and making space. So, you can count on some more of these reinvented projects in the future. And today, we are working on the mahogany side table upcycle.

To Paint or Not to Paint!

The big decision when working on old furniture pieces is always DO I RESTORE or DO I PAINT? So many people have so many opinions and I’m sure you’ve read the comments. When I had my store, it was easy. If someone brought me a piece of furniture and said “Paint it!”, I painted it. That was so easy. But when it was my piece, I found myself stuck. I finally realized that I was in the business to make money so if the piece was easy to restore, I would do that. If it was a piece that would take too much time and resources to restore, I would paint it. If it was a beautiful solid wood piece with little damage, I would restore. But as the number of these pieces dramatically diminishes and pieces are really damaged, I find my self wanting to restore which can take hours and hours of effort. You will never be compensated for that time because, let’s face it, folks want a good buy for a great price. So, I generally reserve the full restoration for sentimental pieces.

So this one was a quanumdrum for me. I saw the beauty. But she had so many issues.

Normal scrapes and dings and scratches covered this piece. There was not a single spot that didn’t look worn.

Burn marks on the leather.

As well as other damage to the top including the leather ends peeling.

So, I decided to paint. Don’t hate me. She will still be beautiful.

The Design Process

Honestly, this is sometimes the most difficult part of a project. I tend to put too much thought into colors and finishes. Should I go with a Mahogany wash to continue the authenticity of the piece? Blue wash because…well…it’s me and blue is always a priority. Or something that blends with the mint-ish green room where she will live? A watermelon accent color like that vintage table I upcycled, loved and just sold? A new accent color like a vibrant purple? Yikes.

Inevitably, the piece tells me what to do and in this case, she spoke loudly. The decision still shocks me. As I started to clean and prep her, it became clear that she is in much better shape than I had thought. Every issue was simply a surface issue. The legs and shelf were sturdy. No major dings or gouges. Just a bunch of finish issues.

Dang. Grab the stripper. She’s going to be restored.

FIRST STEP TO FURNITURE PREP

First step is always to clean and prep your piece. This girl had been in storage for years so a good bath of warm water and Dawn removed the grime.

I set her in the sun to dry.

The leather inlay top had two small burns and various discolorations.

I let the leather soak with some water for about 15 minutes and then tested to see if the spots seemed removeable.

No good. This would not be a quick fix. I could possibly dab with some stain to marble the top thus muting or possibly making the stains. But then I noticed the end peeling.

I decided to remove the leather.

Fear not, I am saving it (you know I salvage everything). This will make a great future project on how to restore and reuse leather.

In the meantime, looks like the project got a little more complicated as now I have to decide how to finish the top.

I grabbed the stripper and got to work.

SUPPLIES

• Kleen Strip
• paint brushes
• rags
• sandpaper
• steel wool, both coarse and fine
• scraper tool
• rubber gloves
• safety glasses, always protect your eyes.
• trash can
• newspaper to cover the floor of your work area

My Safety Speech

Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Splashes occur when you lease expect them

Always wear thick rubber gloves to protect your skin when handling chemicals. Chemical burns are not fun.

Always work in a well ventilated area. I strip my furniture in my driveway.

Place newspaper on the floor under and around your furniture piece. Floors and work spaces need protection too.

Tips for Removing Stain

The best tips for using stripper…

• Be patient.
• Wear gloves and safety glasses.
• Don’t rush the process.
• Keep the area loaded with stripper.
• Allow the chemicals to work.
• Scrape, reapply, scrape, reapply.

2 hours later, the old stain was removed (sort of…see next paragraph).

In the interest of not repeating posts, here are a few more detailed posts on restoring wood and removing stain. These posts list all of my best tips,

She Spoke and I Listened

For a minute, I considered changing the stain color to something more contemporary, like a light wash. But, I have other antique mahogany pieces in my living room and bedrooms so I decided to stay strong and preserve the integrity of this beauty.

Remember I said, I often let the project piece guide me? Well, it happened…yet again. I had a plan and as I worked the plan, the plan changed.

As I proceeded through the stripping process, I actually liked the stained wood beneath the thick old top coat. I decided NOT to re-stain, but rather leave the wood as is. This provided a lighter wood color and the existing stain really brought out the beauty of the mahogany wood. So I simply sealed the wood after the oldest top stain had been mostly removed. In this process, I removed the old gummy stain. But I stopped shy of completely stripping ALL of the stain from the wood. The wood was so beautiful.

I mean, gorgeous! Why strip it completely when this is so lovely as is??

Right??? My project time was just cut in half! Whoohoo! Stripping is so labor intensive and takes so long. I’m celebrating! I sealed the wood with a nice coat of General Finishes Top Coat, made for wood.

Moving on to the Top

Knowing that I will want to restore that leather top and eventually re-install, I resisted the desire to create a faux marble inset with resin. I topped off a sweet little plant stand with a faux marble resin finish and she is just lovely.

Instead, I chose to go the easy route and faux paint the inset to look like marble.

Creating a Faux Marble Finish

I started with one coat of white paint. I used simple craft paint that you can find in the craft section at Walmart – Folkart multi surface acrylic paint, because I am out of my favorite white furniture paint, Black Dog Salvage Furniture Paint.

The white was a little bright so I applied another coat with ivory.

Much better. I dabbed some white here and there to create some texture. Then I blended the paint by drybrushing across the dabs of white.

Next, I used a skinny art brush to draw some veining.

Use a sponge or rag or brush to blot the area muting the veining. Practice first if you are nervous. I’m more of a wing it and react creator. Do what works for you.

Keep blending, adding veining and repeating until you have the desired look.

Not bad, right? Seal the top with some polyurethane. MinWax Polycrylic is my go to.

How about that bright beautiful wood??!!!!

She looks great indoors by the window where the light hits that beautiful woodgrain.

She had a nice surface area for a lamp, candle, book, plate, or whatever.

And a little shelf for other whatnots or books.

I’m so glad I didn’t take the easy road an just paint her. She’s fabulous again!

Revamp a Lamp
Our Southern Home

Old World Santa Christmas Tray
Our Crafty Mom

Salvaged Jewelry Suncatchers
My Repurposed Life

IKEA Secretary Desk Makeover
Exquisitely Unremarkable

Mahogany Side Table Upcycle
Shop At Blu

Beautiful Thrifted Thanksgiving Tablescape
Redhead Can Decorate

DIY Christmas Bells
Songbird

Fry Pan, Tiered Tray, and Decorative Bowls
Funky Junk Interiors

Gingerbread Village from Christmas Houses
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

The post Mahogany Side Table Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

You know I am passionate about antiques. But that passion doesn’t hold a candle to my passion for cherished family heirlooms. It’s no secret that I like stuff. Couple antiques with family mementos and my heart explodes! So, when my work pal, Andrea, told me that her sister wanted to restore their mother’s cedar hope chest, my heart skipped a beat.

While I made a nice living out of furniture painting, furniture refinishing is a whole other beast. It is time consuming and laborious and oh so difficult to recoup any sort of commensurate compensation for your time and labor. It honestly is more of a labor of love. But, Pop passed his love of furniture and the skills for refinishing to me so…here we go. Say hello to Helen and Andrea’s mother’s cedar hope chest…my star for this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team project.

Helen wanted to restore this beauty for functional use in her home. Helen’s bedroom furniture is a cherry or red mahogany so she wanted this hope chest refinished to fit into her bedroom. She doesn’t look so bad, right? So, Mr. Blu and I hopped in his new truck and drove out to the country to pick up Mama’s cedar chest. And a new project began!

She actually looks pretty good considering that she was probably manufactured during the Depression Era. She’s a waterfall chest. But, she does have some wear from what appears to be a water stain.

We won’t really know if this is a problem until we try to remove the stain. We don’t know how long the stain has been there and it only follows that the older the stain, the more difficult the removal. Let’s hope we can remove this stain. At the very least, I hope to be able to minimize or mask it. I’m hopeful since Helen has picked a darker stain which just might cover the water mark.

SUPPLIES

• Kleen Strip
• paint brushes
• rags
• sandpaper
• steel wool, both coarse and fine
• Oxalic Acid, for stain removal
• rubber gloves
• safety glasses, always protect your eyes.
• trash can
• newspaper to cover the floor of your work area

My Safety Speech

Always wear safety glasses to protect your eyes. Splashes occur when you lease expect them

Always wear thick rubber gloves to protect your skin when handling chemicals. Chemical burns are not fun.

Always work in a well ventilated area. I strip my furniture in my driveway.

Place newspaper on the floor under and around your furniture piece. Floors and work spaces need protection too.

The Process

As always when working on furniture, the first step in prepping a furniture piece is cleaning. So I used some warm soapy water to five this girl a bath. My go to is Murphy’s Oil Soap because it feeds the wood.

I follow up with a wipe down with TSP which removes residual dirt and oils.

Once dry, she was ready for stripping the stain. My product of choice has always Strip-Ease. But I could not find it for this project so I grabbed Klean Strip and it worked well.

It is a gel stripper that stays where you put it…no run off. I pour some into a metal can for ease of access. I use a good quality paint brush to brush on solution onto the wood.

So, over the course of a weekend, I applied some stripper and waited.

I used a scraper and some steel wool to remove the probably pre-1930’s stain. Then I applied some more stripper. And I waited. And I used the steel wool to wipe off the stain. Here is a great post on how to strip furniture. I included many great tips and a tutorial so I won’t repeat my self here. And here is part two of that project.

The golden rule of stripping…be generous when applying the stripper. When you strip furniture, you wait…alot! You have to let the chemicals be absorbed into the thick top coat and then the stain beneath the top coat. So apply the stripper and wait. Keep the surface wet by continually applying stripper. And wait.

Apply some more stripper. And wait. Make sure you keep the surface loaded with stripper. Don’t let it dry out.

You will see signs that the chemicals are working. But wait some more.

Once you can see the bubbling continue to advance, then you can use a scraper to scrape off the topcoat and the stain. The older the furniture piece, the longer it will take to remove the stain.

Add some more stripper, wait and scrape some more. Eventually, the stain will stop bubbling up an you will not be able to scrape off any more stain. Grab your steel wool. Brush on some more stripper and wipe it down with the steel wool. You will be amazed at how much stain is till left in the wood. You will see it on your steel wool.

I start with a coarse steel wool and progress to a fine steel wool. In steel wool lingo, a bigger number means a coarser steel wool. So 200 is finer than 60.

At this point, brush on some more stripper and use some steel wool to gently rub the wood ALWAYS IN THE DIRECTION OF THE GRAIN. This labor of love is very very repetitious.

The steel wool will gently remove more of the stain. Keep applying the stripper and rubbing with the steel wool. Eventually, you will get down to the raw or bare wood.

If you are enjoying this restoration, here is another cedar chest transformation.

Be very careful as many older pieces are made of veneer, which are very thinly applied sheets of wood grain. If you damage the veneer, you’re in trouble. There may be some stubborn spots where you can still see more stain. Treat these areas again with stripper and steel wool.

Once the stripping is completed, give the piece a wipe down with warm soapy water and repeat with tsp to prep the wood to receive the new stain.

Removing a Stubborn Water Mark

This piece had a very pronounced stain on the top of the cedar chest. There isn’t really any way to know how long the stain was in the wood. This particular mark was concerning because it was deep into the wood. I researched how to remove a stain. Again, I had to be very careful because the top of this chest is comprised of wood veneer.

Remember what she looked like before I started the restoration?

And, yes, this was a problem. The water stain did not seem to be affected by the stripper. It was still stubbornly viewable. I saturated sections of the stain with stripper and gently rubbed with the finest grade steel wool. While it seemed to slightly fade, it was till prominent.

I guess it is not surprising that the stain did not dissipate since it has probably been there for tens of years!

So hopeful but I did some research and decided to try another method. I ordered some oxalic acid, sort of a bleach for wood. I followed the manufacturer’s recommendations and applied to the top of the cedar trunk.

I mixed the oxalic acid into some water and brushed it onto the wood. And I waited. After about 15 minutes, I applied another coat. I waited 15 minutes and applied another coat. I used some fine steel wool to rub the stain. The stain seemed to be slowly fading.

After about an hour, I was concerned with over applying so I stopped the process and allowed the top to dry. Once dry, I gave the entire chest a gentle sanding.

While this process didn’t seem to remove the stain, it did seem to fade the stain.

And I was very hopeful that the darker stain that Helen wanted would mask the stain. As I said, the stain that Helen selected is on the dark side so I hoped it would cover the stain. Here we go.

Slowly, each section of the cedar chest came back to life.

The sides of the cedar hope chest were the most beautiful.

I worked my way around the chest applying the stain with a brush and wiping away the excess.

The kickplate, or the bottom lip, on the cedar chest was another tricky area. Turns out, it was not solid wood. It’s like the manufacturer used cheaper grade of almost wood here since it would not be seen. It was actually more of a laminate. So I used a technique for faux painting and applied the stain in a pouncing motion.

I’m please with this finish!

After one coat, I knew it needed to be a bit darker.

And look at that kickplate!! Who would ever know she’s not real wood??!!

I saved the top for last and as luck would have it, the water stain was undetectable after several coats. I was thrilled.

I let her dry allowed her to dry overnight. I finished her off with two light coats of General Finishes Top Coat.

Just look at that top!

I’m always amazed at how beautiful the raw wood is underneath all of the old stain. This is why I love wood so much! With a little TLC, it is so easy to restore.

Well, maybe not easy but definitely worth it!

Our Crafty Mom Upcycled Wooden Bowls with Pressed Flowers

Petticoat Junktion DIY Mercury Glass

My Repurposed Life Refresh Plastic Chairs with Colorful Spray Paint

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia How to get the look of amber glass

Shop At Blu Cedar Chest Hope Chest Upcycle

The post Depression Era Cedar Hope Chest Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

This sad dated rock planter needed a makeover desperately. I thought I had 2 of these but I can only find one. I wanted some unique planters for my newly re-stained deck (you can read about that below). But the deck is grey. I would rather the planter fit into the same color family so the old brown needed to go. So, you know me, if something doesn’t match…paint it! Let’s upcycle this planter with some realistic faux rock painting.

As I said, I just re-stained our deck. We had this deck rebuilt in July of 2022. I waited 6 months before applying the stain. Probably due to application error (ALL ME), we had some chipping and flaking after about two seasons. I was a bit upset because of the amount of time it took to initially stain the deck and the steps, with two landings. But, a refresh was well needed and I finished staining just yesterday.

The upside to a project like this is getting to switch up your decor once the deck is finished. I’m always looking for unique items in my decor. You know like different shapes and unexpected textures. I’m definitely no professional, but I do I love when a glance at my stuff makes me smile. I think this little rock planter will make me smile.

I bet you guessed that this project was completed for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly project share. Join us every second Wednesday of each month for creative projects with a repurpose, restore, reuse, upcycle, or revitalize theme. You never know what skills we will be sharing so don’t miss a single Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday! All of the projects are linked at then end of this post. Now, let’s get to this faux rock painted project!

Choosing a Color

As I said, the deck is a light grey so the plan was to use a similar color as a base for my planter. The finish would be rather easy because I could get the desired look from simply sponge painting. There are several methods to faux rock painting. Let’s see where this planter, hereafter known as Rockella, leads us.

Prep your Project Piece

First step in painting is always clean and prep your piece. So Rockella got a nice bath.

Rockella is made of ceramic. Her interior is glazed. She has a matte finish currently so the paint should adhere nicely. Regardless though, a critical prep step is to wipe your project piece down with TSP, a solvent available in the paint section of you local home store, which removes any residual dirt and preps the surface for better paint adhesion.

A Paint Plan for our Faux Rock Planter

Rockella has lots of groves and crevices just like a real rock. The plan was to base coat in a dark color, sponge paint over with a grey color, wipe off a good bit of the second coat, and finish off with some dry brushing in a third complimentary color either lighter of darker.

I gave Rockella one base coat of black thinking that this would settle into the deeper grooves of the planter and give a boost to the texture. I considered grey washing over the black which would dull the black substantially. I could then drybrush over the grey with a darker grey and some white. Creating a dimensional finish.

But that black scared me. It was very dramatic. I know, I know! You have to be very patient and trust the process.

So I started to add a second coat of grey planning to wipe it away essentially leaving a grey wash behind. But as I applied the grey, I thought this it too thick.

OOPS!

I tested an area by wiping away the grey. I didn’t like this effect. I think it was because this test area was the smoothest part of the faux rock and had less divets and crevices. I wanted more, believe it or not, of the dreaded black to be popping through like the edges of the photo above.

I went too heavy at first. Faux painting involves alot of practice to achieve the look that you like. But always remember that it is just paint and paint can be very forgiving especially if you are using rustic or shabby technique. You can always wipe the paint off before it dries or paint over it. Which is exactly what I did! I just grabbed a damp rag and wiped off the paint.

I was left with a flat white space so I dry brushed some grey just to mottle the surface a bit. Dry brushing is a technique, in which you remove most of the paint from the brush and drag the almost “dry brush” across the surface of your project piece.

Then I dabbed paint onto the area alternating white and grey for that faux rock finish. This gave my smooth surface a textured look just like the surface of a rock!

I continued with the dry brush technique around the rest of the planter. First with grey.

I allowed the grey to dry and then dabbed tones of grey and white.

It’s all about the LAYERS

In the “in process” photo above, I added the grey and then some white. Then I just used a tapping or pouncing motion of the brush to blend the colors. I added more black in spots, more white in others all the while being careful not to cover the underlying black. See how that give the piece dimension?

I thought about spicing things up with some green to play with a mossy look. But I decided to stay simple. A faux mossy look can be a whole other project for under the deck!

Anyway, a big part of faux painting is just playing around until you have achieved the desired look. If things get confusing or the colors are blending too well just allow the paint to dry and start again. It really is that easy. You can even practice before starting on your piece. I keep a piece of cardboard handy for removing the paint from my brush and for handy access to each color.

I just squeeze a little of each color onto the cardboard and use is as a makeshift painters palette. Just like the pros. A girl can dream, right?

Here are some of the other planter upcycles from the blog:

A Little Nostalgia

This project brought back some memories. I think it was the size and shape of my faux rock planter. These are rock from Manayunk, a neighborhood in Philadelphia where I grew up. I grabbed a few from the neighborhood when we moved away from the area.

We had these in our yard. There was a whole wall built from these. And down the street from my house is a whole cliffside of this mica rock. They were so magical with their normal rocky look but that glimmer and glitter that screamed “I’m special”!

It’s hard to see in these photos, but the white spots are actually tiny flecks of mica which are silver and catch the light so beautifully. I had to have some of these for my garden.

I don’t have any metallic silver paint to replicate this finish exactly right now. So that means, my friends, we have just added another project to the to do list…Manayunk Mica Rocks! I need to grab some photos the next time I’m in Manayunk. Are you weird like me and have a favorite type of rock that isn’t marble? Because everyone loves marble!

I came down with a stomach bug between the end of the deck re-stain and renewing this rock planter. So the beauty shots on the deck are yet to come.

I did place her in a few spots around the yard. Near the deck steps.

On the stair landing…

And we landed at the front door. For now, Rockella is enjoying a prime spot at the front entry to our house.

PS. I know my wreath is off center, the support post need painting, and the stoop needs sweeping. Sometimes you just gotta do what you can do. This is life! Keeping it real here at Blu.

Hopefully, I will feel 100% by the weekend and can restyle the deck. No promises, though, as temps here in Bama will be near 100 degrees. But, I can see myself getting out there at an obscenely early hour to beat the heat. I will be sure to drop some photos once Rockella has found her permanent spot on the deck.

Until then, STAY COOL, literally!

We have a few new team members this month so welcome to Michelle from Our Crafty Mom and Marianne from Songbird. I can’t wait for you to see all of their fabulous creativeness!

My Repurposed Life – Upycled Drapery Hooks

Petticoat Junktion – Paint A Plastic Cherub Statue

Our Southern Home – Gingerbread Village

Shop At Blu – Faux Rock Finish THAT’S ME! You are here!

Our Crafty Mom – Double Sided Decoupage Cutting Board

Songbird -Curtain Rings Candle Holders

The post How to Paint a Faux Rock for your Garden appeared first on Shop at Blu.

She surely has seen better days.

She has lots of knicks and scrapes.

She is even missing one of her sweet little hands.

But, alas! I have a vision for her. I have a small collection of old clocks. I’d love to set up a little display area for them. I have so many little collections just sitting in boxes. It’s time to enjoy them by setting them out in my home.

Did someone say collections? And upcycles? And Thrift Store decor? That’s right! This is the perfect project to share for this month’s Thrift Store Decor Team Wednesday!

The plan is to either paint or decoupage this miniature grandfather clock with some sort of print, most likely a floral. And if I was a betting girl, I would say she will be blue and white…duh. I will see what I can find locally.

What’s the Plan?

First step is to find a pattern that I like. I considered using old magazine pages for a random but colorful look. Decoupaging magazine pages can be tricky, though, since the are often two sided. You never really know which side of the print will emerge. One option is to to browse the internet and find some floral patterns to print. I am fresh out of white paint so I decided to stop at Walmart to grab some white chalk paint. I will see if they have any decorative napkins or paper that call my name.

I found the paint!

I found these napkins! My next favorite color/pattern after all things blue would be gold and marble. Score! This is really my idea of the ultimate neutral. You can use inexpensive napkins for a variety of decoupage projects!

A Hidden Gem

This little beauty becomes more and more interesting as I move forward. I got excited when I saw this Made in Germany marking on the back. All of the best clocks are made in Germany!

I removed the back with a firm but gentle wiggle and pull. Yes, that’s a thing.

It is actually made of plastic.

It is also actually a working clock! Note the lever for a pendulum (arrow #1), though the pendulum is missing. Also note the chime mechanisms behind the pendulum. And last, see the actual clock manufacturer’s details (arrow #2).

I think this project will have a part two…restoring it to working order. I really only need to find the pendulum and a key for winding. How fun would that be??

But let’s get part one of the project finished first!

Prepping the Miniature Grandfather Clock

With painted plastic, you really have to be careful not to use petroleum based solvents because those will melt the plastic. You can see that the paint was both flaking and bubbling in many places.

In these areas, the paint just rubbed off. But there was much of the surface where the paint was still adhering.

So I opted to use a fine grade sandpaper of 100 grit to hand sand the clock.

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I stayed away from the face plate as it is metal and I did not want to scratch it.

A thorough gentle sanding over the entire surface removed all of the loose paint. I used a foam sanding block which is very pliable to get the curves around the arch and the crevices along the molded areas.

After a good rinse, she was ready for paint!

I used a small detail brush around the face plate.

I used a thicker brush around the rest of the miniature grandfather clock.

Here she is after one coat.

I gave her a second coat and allowed her to dry.

Up next, Mod Podge! I started adding the paper.

You can find my Mod Podge Tutorials in the following posts:

Lay the paper onto the Mod Podge.

Add another layer of Mod Podge and use the brush to smooth out the bubbles.

I used some white paint to cover the roses on the clock face. Then I mod podged some paper over the roses.

This will all be easily removeable should I wish to change the look of this beauty when I find the pendulum and key.

Fabricate A missing Part

I removed the remaining clock hand and made a copy on my printer. I used tiny scissors to cut it out. Then I coated it with Mod Podge several times to give it some thickness. I allowed my new hour hand to dry.

Then, I swiped the new minute hand with some more Mod Podge and set it into place. I popped the hour hand on and she looks pretty good!

Not bad, right?

The weights needed a touch up so I used some gold craft paint.

And here she is!

I found just a few of my clocks in the garage. Why not add them to the mantle?

I added my Mother’s Day flowers too!

I really was quite spoiled this year.

My boys really know that I love flowers. And Gbaby Blu had the most beautiful creation of succulents for me!

I will definitely give credit where credit is due…thank you to my beautifully thoughtful, creative, superstar DIL.

This personal touch simply melted my heart. Happy Mother’s Day, Hayden!

Petticoat Junktion-Rick Rack Home Decor

Shop At Blu-Upcycled Thrift Store Antique Radio Table

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia- High-End Garden Planter Knockoff

My Repurposed Life-Upcycled Drawers | Wall Shelf

The post Thrift Store Miniature Grandfather Clock Upcycle appeared first on Shop at Blu.

Just look at those legs!

They make me so happy!

And my favorite finish to paint over is a dark wood, like this gal with the walnut stained top. My plan is to make her bright and cheery and, of course, distressed.

A furniture makeover? That means, yes! It must be the second Wednesday of the month and time for the Thrift Store Decor Team projects! All of this month’s projects are linked at the end of this post for your DIYing, upcycling, repurposing, and thrift seeking pleasure!

Gameplan

She was pretty cruddy. So I decided to bring her up onto the deck to clean and prep her for her makeover. Rain was on the way so I would be able to bring her into the house quickly should the skies open up.

Of course, since this is one of my projects, it got a little more complicated right from the start. While carrying her up the stairs and opening the deck gate, her top separated.

You are in luck to day friends, because you will get a second tutorial on how to repair a split tabletop!

Repairing a Split Tabletop

This is actually quite an easy repair. Just grab some wood glue and a clamp or two to start.

Sounds simple, right? Until only one clamp is long enough the clamp the tabletop. I remembered I had one of my dad’s old clamps in the garage. I had never used it before so I grabbed it an it worked perfectly. Pop was a woodworker, refinisher, the ultimate DIYer, He could fix anything and I cannot every remember a repairman coming to our house to fix anything. Pop did it all!

Place a liberal bead of glue along the complete length of the broken edge.

Push the top together and clamp into place.

I used 2 clamps. Because I only had 2 big enough. If I had 3, I would have used all three.

I allowed this to set for about 30 minutes and then wiped the joint with a damp rag removing the excess glue.

I allowed the repair to dry overnight.

Before you remove the clamp, you can reinforce the damaged area from beneath with a few screws and a mending plate. This will strengthen the repair and reduce the chance of the split recurring. Smart step, but I did not do this because I don’t plan to use the table for anything heavy. It would still have been a good move but you know me…anxious to get to the paint! I offer you one of my mom’s favorite quips…do as I say, not as I do!

You could even leave the clamps in place to give the entire piece a bath followed by a gentle sanding. I removed the clamps and gave the table a good wipe down with TSP.

Trisodium phosphate helps prep the surface to remove residual dirt, oils, and debris and preps the surface to better receive paint. Read about my be pre-paint prep tips HERE.

Choosing a Paint Color…or NOT

Next step was to sand the table top. I decided that the legs were is great shape with no major mars, knicks or dings.

So I would dry brush over the legs. That was the plan. So no sanding needed there so I decided to go to the more substantial project of sanding the tabletop. The top had what appeared to be a relatively thick coat of either oil based paint or paint with a heavy sealer.

When you work on older furniture pieces, you never know:

• what type of paint is on the piece
• how many paint layers there are
• what type of wood is beneath the paint
• what is the quality or condition of the wood beneath the paint.

It really is a grab bag of surprises. So my #1 rule for reviving old pieces is NEVER EVER BE HARD AND FAST TO YOUR GAMEPLAN. It is critical for your sanity to be fluid and ready to switch lanes during the project. That said, I grabbed the sander to “gently sand the tabletop” so I could get an idea of how well the paint might adhere.

And…that’s where the plan changed.

UNEXPECTED PATINA

That phrase…UNEXPECTED PATINA…gets me everytime. Once see beautiful old wood or gorgeous unique patina, I stop in my tracks and the plan changes. EVERY.STINKIN.TIME.

To most people, that photo above, is a mess. Their first thought is…grab a brush and paint over that mess! Not me…my mind says…oooh…let’s make that better…more fabulous and more unique.

Change in Plans…Imagine that!

So at this point, I put away my favorite teal paint, General Finishes Milk Paint Patina Green. I was looking forward to using it as it had been a while. I used it on this stool pictures below. It’s a great color to use for transforming treasures as it really makes an impact.

So, this patina spoke to me and I had to see, or create, more.

She really was quite nice this way but, alas, I needed to see some wood beneath the patina.

So, I sanded the edges and all of the curves around the table top.

I could start to see some wood. The individual wood planks used to create this tabletop were becoming more defined.

But I knew there was MORE!

As second sanding revealed more of the joints of the boards and more texture from layers began to appear.

I wiped the top down to remove the dust so I could see the surface a little better.

The purpose of the last sanding was to even out the surface and try to unify the piece. Don’t worry though. The top will not be so visible and choppy when it is sealed. You will also be viewing the finished piece from an angle and not a direct over view…which is a little busy and unrefined, I will admit.

I used Polycrylic sealer on the top because it is a resilient and easy to use sealer. I do like the rustic look that is emerging.

Because those legs were in such great shape and so pretty, I decided to give them a coat of hemp oil to bring out the beauty in the wood. Hemp oil is applied with a rag and then buffed to a shine.

Look at how the hemp oil feeds the raw wood and makes the stain shine.

Hemp oil really feeds the wood and brings out those natural tannins.

And so, while my intended fabulous transformation of this antique radio table is not so spectacular a transformation, it is a revival of the wood and that makes my heart pretty darn happy. Who knows…maybe I will tire of the rustic shabby primitive worn look. Or maybe I will finally paint her and gift her to someone. But for now, I love her!

Can you picture her in the corner of the parlor holding the big ol’ radio with the family gathered around to catch the daily state of the nation or an update on the World War?

I think I have the perfect place for her in the house but for now, we will enjoy her for a while out here on the deck.

I have some other projects scheduled for out here, including restaining the deck and revamping this little white dump truck.

It was 85 degrees the other day and some of my perennials are starting to show off. Mia is excited for spring.

So are these snap dragons.

These planters were upcycled almost 3 years ago and the colors are still vibrant!

And here is a good before and after. Special thanks to the sisters who can’t be in the same room together but do love a good project with Mom.

Today is my youngers daughter, IV’s birthday. She is 26. I posted on IG and FB that there aren’t many people who know themselves better than my IV. I’m realizing that maybe she gets a little bit of that from me! I really wanted to paint this table with Patina Green. I really did. But one look at what was beneath 50 some years of paint and I was finished. It had to be natural. There was no fighting it.

So Happy Birthday IV…and you are welcome for this stubborn resistant yet unique streak that you are owning!

And here are the Thrift Store Decor Team’s projects for this month! Enjoy!!!

Petticoat Junktion-Rick Rack Home Decor

Our Southern Home-Spray Paint Wicker Table

Shop At Blu-Upcycled Thrift Store Antique Radio Table

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia- High-End Garden Planter Knockoff

My Repurposed Life-Upcycled Drawers | Wall Shelf

The post Upcycled Antique Thrift Store Radio Table appeared first on Shop at Blu.

As always, if we are renewing, repurposing, reusing, or upcycling you know it is time for the Thrift Store Decor Team monthly projects. I am excited to see some spring projects this month. Be sure to check out the team projects that are each linked at the end of this post.

Step one, I gathered my supplies:

• Craft paint in vibrant colors
• White paint for base coat
• Various paint brushes
• cup of water (to rinse brushes0
• paper towels (for drying brushes and blotting paint when I make mistakes ’cause there will be mistakes)

PAINT!

I started with the easiest flower to refresh…the daisy. I traced the edges of the petals with some bright pink. I just continued around the flower until I had highlighted every petal.

Then, I filled in the lighter areas with a paler color to add freshen those areas. I went back with a few darker swipes of paint to mimic shading.

Next up was the roses. Same process…add color on the edges, refresh the centers, add shading.

I worked my way through the types of flowers and moved onto the leaves and stems, highlighting and adding dabs of vibrant colors.

LETTERING

The last part was the lettering. I selected a bright violet red, a bright purple color.

***And here is where I will pause and say…USE THE RIGHT TOOLS! I was rushing so I grabbed a few paintbrushes that were handy.

Midway through the lettering touch up process, I realized that better brushes suited for lettering were needed. Did I stop and rummage through the supply closet to find them? NO! Consequently, the lettering was a mess. The lines were too thick. They were not crisp and sharp. So I had to wait for the paint to dry to fix the mess.

The good thing about paint is that it is always easy to fix. My patience, or should I say my impatience…not so much. Take your time! Use the right tools! Reduce your frustration level! Do it right the first time. (The project is finished, sort of, but I will still need to touch up the lettering a bit when my temperament is better). LOL.

Slow and steady wins the race! Even veteran creators make mistakes and have to pay the consequences of rushing a project! So give me a few days…and check back for the “really finished” lettering.

Ok, enough side notes…back to the project.

Load your brush and simply follow the lines. There are brushes for lettering and I would highly suggest investing in a few. Some have very flat bristles that will ensure crisp straight edges on your letters. Some are skinny long that allow you to follow the curves of a letter. PRACTICE! The more comfortable you are with the process, the easier it will be. PRACTICE!

Another reason to practice? Dark purples and red paints tend to stain a white canvas. Such is difficult to wipe away and just as difficult to cover. So, if you make a mistake, allow the paint to dry completely and cover the mistake several times. Several times means apply the white over the purple mistake and allow the paint to dry. Only when the paint is completely dry should you repeat this process as many times as needed.

When the paint has dried, use a smaller brush to fill in the letters. I would also suggest tracing out the lines where you want them and slowly fill them in with small strokes to avoid more mistakes.

Good lettering takes lots of practice. So, don’t get discouraged. The answer is PRACTICE.

FILLING IN SPACE

When you are touching up an existing piece of art, it’s really a game of color matching. If I can’t match a color, I get as close as I can and I try to blend. In the photo above, I used a light grey wash and covered the entire canvas OVER the design. This brought coherency to the project. And a little white wash freshens everything.

FINALLY

So here is the final project with the disclaimer that I will go back and touch up those letters a little bit more. Sometimes you just have to walk away for a minute and then resume.

I hope you enjoyed my not so perfect project! Every now and then, the project doesn’t go as planned and you have to pause and regroup and sometimes step away. And that’s okay!

Bundt Pan Bird Feeder My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Upcycle Thrift Store Art Shop At Blu –YOU ARE HERE!

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