Claw Feet and Drop Cloth

I should NEVER go to yard sales without money.  Because every time I do, I run across something like this.  You can justify it and say that they are cheap, they would be beautiful, and I'll never find a deal like this on tables like these again.  At least that's what I did anyway.  I didn't need them, but I got them anyway just to see what I could do.

I wasn't sure about them until I saw these feet.  Aren't they gorgeous!?

The top had pretty extensive water damage, but I knew they would pull out somehow.

After digging on the top with a flat head screwdriver, I decided to investigate a little further and found that the tops unscrewed and came right out.  

I started by priming and painting.  If you are curious how I like to paint wood furniture you can find that here.

And then I glazed it.  You can find a tutorial on that here.

I painted the hardware using brushed bronze spray paint.  I use the same method that I used to spray paint my brass doorknobs here. Sorry about all the links to my own posts, but I get a lot of questions so I want you to be as informed as possible about I do it :)

I was at a loss for what to do with that insert.  I wanted to buy new wood and stain/paint it.  I also wanted to use upholstery webbing weaved through the top.  I had to use what was available, and all I had was drop cloth.  But I think it turned out pretty stinkin' fantastic.  I pulled it tight around the insert and stapled it underneath.  It was SO easy.  I love the contrast of textures.

I found a graphic from the graphics fairy and used freezer paper to transfer it onto the top.  It gives it a little more character.  I LOVE the way this top turned out!

And here is the final product.  I did refinish both of them the same way.  I'm just having some technical difficulties with the other one.  The piece on the drawer that slides along the track is broken and I can't put the top in until I get it fixed.  I just couldn't wait to show you!

 Those claw feet just pop now.  They are stunning.

BEFORE

AFTER

I know I said it before, but these are really going to be hard to let go of!

Let me know what you think!

Off to paint the bathroom :)

Partying Here:

Brag Monday at The Graphics Fairy

Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff

Show Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife

Handmade Projects at Tip Junkie

Home Sweet Butterfly

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Miss Mustard Seed

At the Picket Fence

Imperfectly Perfect

Fingerprints on the Fridge

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mommy

Skip to My Lou

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Between Naps on the Porch

DIY by Design

Sew Woodsy

Yesterday on Tuesday

Pocket Full of Pink

Funky Junk Interiors

C.R.A.F.T.

Keeping It Simple

Primitive and Proper

Glazing

Tried and tried to come up with a cute name for this... not happenin' today :)  It's been one of those weeks around the Daniels Den.  We recently hit a financial wall.  One of those stop-you-on-your-feet-spend-no-money-or-you-will-overdraft kinda financial wall.  I rode to Hartsfield-Jackson Airport 3 times in a week to drop off and pick up folks.  And some major changes are about to happen and I do NOT do well with change... I'll share more on that later.

But never-the-less, I am here and excited to show you how I like to glaze furniture! (and picture frames and candleholders, and, well, you get the point :)

This is what you will need...

• A waterbased glaze of some kind.  I like Behr Faux glaze.
• A sample size of paint in whatever color you want your glaze to be.  In this case black.
• Something to mix your glaze into
• Paintbrush
• A rag (or 10)
• A piece of furniture that you want to make knock-out beautiful!

This is a set of end tables that I purchased at a yard sale for next to nothing.  I knew the details would be PERFECT for a glazing tutorial!!

Mix your glaze at a ratio of about 3 parts glaze to 1 part paint. I used a little more paint in this one because I wanted the glaze to be a little darker.  If you want to make a whole can of one color, you can just dump the sample size paint into the glaze can.  This stuff will last forever though, so I wouldn't commit to one color if you don't have to :)

Start painting it on.  No it won't look good.  Just make sure you get it into all the nooks and crannies.  Get it in every scratch and dent.  That's what gives it character.

I like to work in sections. 

The main reason I wanted to include this picture is because my daughter is, in fact, coloring my dog with chalk in the background...

Once you get a section painted, go back and wipe it off.  You can use a wet or dry cloth depending on how much you want to take off.  I usually just use a dry cloth and then go back with a wet cloth on the sections that I think are too dark.

The glaze should stay in all the sunken areas.  See where I stopped?

Wiping it off is really where your taste comes in.  You can wipe off as much or as little as you want.  I like to leave a little extra in the edges of the furniture.

Continue all the way around the whole piece of furniture until you are happy with it :)  If you need to go back and do it again in some places... go ahead!

See the difference?

 

I'll be showing you the big picture on these soon!

They are going to be really hard to let go of!

Wanna see the final product?  Click here!

If you want to see some more glazing action, check out

Hope Chest
My Little Blue French Desk
Dining Set
The Little Yellow Table in Bears Room
Shipping Pallet Art

Yeah, I like glaze a lot :o)

And a BIG thank you to all of you for helping me hit 10,000 total pageviews in a little over a month!!!  I know it's silly, but I'm sure you understand how happy the little landmarks make me :)

Katie

Partying Here:
Fireflies and Jellybeans
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Tip Junkie

New Hope for an old Hope Chest

I absolutely love when people think of me before they get rid of things.

There is nothing better than scoring a beautiful find and doing nothing more than answering your phone!

My grandmother (a different one than I have been referring to in the previous posts) called me the other day and asked me if I would like to have her old hope chest.  She said it was a Lane cedar chest that used to be whitewood, but after being in the attic for many years it had yellowed.  She wasn't sure if I had anything that I could do with it.

To me it was a "DUH?!"  An old cedar chest that I have been given permission to paint... not to mention family ties :o)

I pulled up and it was so much better than I could have imagined.  Hello Sunshine :o)

This piece is screaming vintage cool!

All original hardware ~ including the lock labeled LANE.

Remember back when I said it was a chest?  Up 'til now, it just looks like a dresser, but wait... I tricked you :o)

~*swoon*~

I really can't get enough of opening this chest.  The blast of cedar smell and that rich, red color.... I pretty much heart it :o)

The inside looks like it was just brought home from a show room.  Seriously, it still has the tag hanging it.   Not because it was never used.  This thing was packed to the brim with a wedding dress, cards, letters, baby clothes, handmade family blankets, and a ton more. 

I LOVE a good yellow piece of furniture.  But this particular yellow was faded and dirty.  It needed some love.

This was my first attempt with using the homemade chalk paint that is spreading like wildfire.  I put 2 tablespoons of Plaster of Paris into a sample size of paint.  The color was called celtic gray, but on this chest in looks a little more blue and in my bedroom it looks a little more green.  I will share my frustrations with the color gray very soon.

The homemade chalk paint was amazing.  It spread so beautifully.  Once I painted it on, I sanded over it with some 220 grit sandpaper.  I have never felt a piece of furniture that was so smooth and soft.  I hear it distresses really well too, but I didn't want to take my sander to this piece... weird, I know.

I left all the hardware in it's original color.  I'm not sure if it's the right decision or not.  I'm gonna let it simmer for awhile.  What do you think?  Should it go brushed bronze?

I glazed over the gray with a little black glaze.   I'm always a little worried about a piece of furniture until I glaze it.  The glaze gives it so much depth and really makes it pop.

Man I love the inside of this thing!!

This isn't it's permanent home, it has a place in my bedroom.  But since that room is far from a pretty sight right now, it's gonna stay here until I'm ready for it.

Sorry, sometimes I get a little carried away with the photography :o)  I love to take pictures.

I can't believe what an amazing gift this was and I hope my grandmother is pleased with what I did with it.  It might be my new favorite piece of furniture!

On a side note, I have officially bought my first piece of furniture to sell!  As the pockets are empty right now, I had to invest small. This baby should be done soon.  I hope somebody loves her :o) 

Purchasing a new camera lens today... can we say EXCITED!?!?

Also got to meet my favorite rock star last night before what turned out to be an awesome show.  Next to my family and refinishing furniture, Butch Walker is my favorite thing ever! 

But what was the biggest thing I learned last night by going to a rock concert in Athens, GA (home of the Georgia Bulldogs).... I'm not 18 anymore!

Linky Party Love

Perfectly Imperfect
The Shabby Nest
Miss Mustard Seed
Metamorphosis Monday with Between Naps on the Porch
Show Me What Ya Got with Not Just a Housewife
Kammy's Korner

Dining Set Reveal

I believe you have met these lovelies.

If not, let me introduce you.  From Left to right we have: Bear, Ellen, Molly, Mr. Chair, Boog, and Lucy.

5 of the 6 chairs feature a different image from The Graphics Fairy.  They each turned out so unique!  If you haven't, check 'em out!

And now, without further adieu (I guess since I didn't get a red squiggly line under that, I actually spelled it right!) The table that brings them all together.

I decided to go with a harlequin pattern on the top with a black border.  

I started by painting the table top white and used a long sewing ruler to create the lines for the pattern. I painted the design in a light gray and then painted over the lines with a dark gray.  If you want to know more information about how I did it, email me and I'll try to work you through it :o)

 

I distressed the top and edges heavily with a rotary sander and then glazed it in black.

I love how the sander brought out the imperfections of the table.  Priceless if you ask me :o)

And what's the best part of having a finished dining room table?  Getting to decorate it for fall!!

Please note that this is the dining room table reveal, not a dining room reveal :o)  I still have lots to do in here, including some pretty rockin' ideas for that wall over there.

My first official fall project are those turquoise acorns!  More on that tomorrow... but I love the pop of color that they add.

The centerpiece is a carvable fake artificial pumpkin from Hobby Lobby.  I put a foam block inside and stuffed a bunch of fall stems in there.  Seriously easy.  I had no rhyme or reason to my madness, but I think it turned out pretty awesome :o)

 

The mason jar luminary is a project I'll be showing you soon as well.  Still tinkering with them!

I chose to leave the base of the table cherry so it would match the rest of the dining room suit (not all of it is in the room yet).  I also wanted the two chairs that I didn't paint to still fit in.

And while all of those pretty, posed pictures are great and all.  I wanted to show you how we got to break our new table in.  I hosted my grandmother's 85th birthday party this weekend!

Tears of Joy

My 2 older sisters

Is there any better way to start making memories in our new dining room?!  I mean seriously!?!

Happy Fall!

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Miss Mustard Seed

Sweet Peas and Bumblebees