tutorial: beachy faux weathered paint

I've spent a major part of my life painting things...

it's really one of the fastest, cheapest, easiest ways to give an item new life
and the only limit to your results is your imagination!

As a kid, i was into finger painting - and then hundreds of art projects.

At one point, I was actually painting houses - inside and out.
I painted props and walls and fixtures for retail displays.

I taught an art class for gifted kids, and taught them how to cartoon and paint murals.

I was painting custom murals in homes and businesses, 

and painting furniture for my small store, farmer's markets, and clients.

In the end, I ended up creating new furniture out of old stuff, and adding paint finishes to it.

Seems I've had a paintbrush in my hand most of the time!

Recently, I laid my eyes on an old, worn out picnic bench that Mom has had for YEARS.

You might remember that bench...

She was in my Garden Bar post as a supporting player. Nothin' much to look at, really.

But since I've amassed quite a few paint tricks over the years,
it was simply a matter of using those with a few steps, a few supplies, and a few minutes

and that bench went from trash to treasure.

She's got a terrific weathered & worn 'beach vibe' now - ready for Summer!

Here's a quick tutorial to show you how to get great results

IN 5 EASY STEPS

Materials:
wood object to paint . paint color 1 . paint color 2 . sand paper . paint brushes

Step 1.

Paint a clean, dry item with paint color 1. Flat or satin finish is best.

Here, the item is an old wood bench and paint color 1 is aqua.

Step 2.

Use a piece of coarse grade sandpaper to sand the piece,

wearing away paint color 1 at the edges and along joints.

Sand in long strokes, not in circles or swirls, so it looks like authentic wear & tear.

Step 3.
The next coat of paint will be applied with a 'dry brush' technique:

Dip the tips of a paint brush in paint color 2. Here, that color is white.

Then stroke the brush against a dropcloth, rag, or cardboard box to remove most of the paint.

Step 4.

Drag the almost-dry paint brush bristles across the item, depositing a small amount of paint color 2.

Do not press hard, just drag the brush over the item's surface to highlight the texture.
Use long strokes across the length of the item - with the grain.

Step 5.

Use coarse-grade sandpaper again to rough up the edges of the item again,

wearing through the white drybrush coat into the base coat.

The effect will approximate that of being left out to weather naturally over time,

instead of looking like an overworked 'faux' finish.

It will weather more on its own if left outdoors, 

or you can add a sixth step: add a coat of clear matte-finish varnish to protect it.

This technique works very well on benches, chairs, tables, 

crates, wood planters, shutters, doors, bed frames, cabinets,

birdhouses, fences & gates, even decks!

Once painted, that overlooked little bench turned in a stunning performance 
in my Breakfast at Tiffany's post!

shared online:

funky junk interiors | diy salvaged junk projects #531

One Project Closer | Creativity Unleashed

Creative Country Mom's Garden | Home Sweet Garden Party
Thank You, Brooke, for featuring my post on your blog! 

Beyond the Garden Gate...

In my last post, I shared that I don't demolish things in a remodel project.

And if I am anywhere near a project, I don't let other people do it, either...

A wood gate to the backyard at my parent's house had seen better days,

and was on the 'Honey-Do' list for replacement.
My Dad was going to remove it, cut it up, and put it in a dumpster.

Ahhhhhhhh..... NO.
Enter Deb and her decidedly 'different' point of view.
After he took it off the posts and removed the hardware,
I took it. Right out from under his nose. I carted it off.

... and cleaned it off, and found a way to use it exactly as it was:

as a headboard!

All I did after cleaning was to lean it against the wall behind the bed.
That's it.
[ This was a 'Fast, Cheap (FREE!) & Easy' decorating project, to be sure ]

I love the worn, weathered finish of the wood
and I also love knowing that my kids ran through that gate in years past.

I already know that in the future, I'll be making this into a big huge square table - 

probably with big huge fence posts as legs.
I might also hang it on a wall as the backdrop for a fabulous found object.

But for now, in the limited space I have here,

it serves to add some beachy outdoor style to my room.

And it didn't end up in a dumpster.

Dad built a whole new gate, then Mom & I painted it.

 It's gonna' last awhile... but in 20 years, I'll bet I have THIS one, too ;)
(no, sadly, i won't... my sweet Dad went home to heaven in 2015 and Mom sold the house.)

btw, i used this same wood gate in another project in 2020 -

it's the backdrop of a faux mantel and fireplace! - check it out here!

Want MORE ideas for using fences and gates as home decor?
Check out THIS POST and THIS POST!

shared online:

Creative Country Mom's Garden | Home Sweet Garden Party

DIY Kitchen Cabinet - to - Shelf Makeover

This time of year, it seems everyone talks about 'Spring Cleaning'.
Well, we all KNOW that 'cleaning' leads to 'makeover' projects, right??

That happened in the kitchen of my former dream house...

 

Stuck in the early 90's, it was really ready for a makeover.

The oak cabinets were ugly and basically non-functional: 

narrow, hard to get access to the back of the corner cabs, 

and the doors were hung to open backward!
Not to mention they were made of orange-stained oak, 

and there was a weird paint job on the kitchen walls. 

One day, I started emptying them to clean and re-organize...

and I was frustrated beyond belief with how little they held.
[ Let's just say I was a bit VERBAL in my frustration, shall we?]

The husband heard my grumbling, walked in, surveyed the mess, and asked

"Ya' want me to just yank those things down and build you some shelves?"

 

In record time, those suckers were off the walls and out the door!
[ NOTE: I do not demolish things. 

No swinging hammers and flying wood like on HGTV and TLC shows.

Those scenes REALLY make me mad, to tell the truth. ]

We removed the cabinets from the wall, hauled them out to the workshop,

then removed the doors from them. 

Those doors became the new shelves for the kitchen, 

and the sides of one corner cabinet were ripped into strips

 to create the brackets to hold the shelves on the wall.
The rest of the cabs were hung on a wall in the shop for storage.

Painted white, the new shelves were ready to go up within a day - 

AFTER the walls were painted.

A fresh tan paint color on the entire kitchen (walls AND ceiling) 

 unified the spaces that had been split by the overhead beam and 'bay' area on the window side. 

Unseen in the photos, a new track light was installed on the backside of the beam. 

White paint on the window trim made it seem much larger and more open than the previous wood tone. 

[BTW, the rest of the plan was to paint the lower cabinets white, unifying the whole kitchen. 

I never got that far before we had to move.]

The new wood shelf brackets were screwed into the studs, 

the shelves screwed onto the brackets, and the project was done.

Then I noticed that the shelves weren't spaced quite the way I had wanted...

but I didn't say a word. 

This was a vast - and FAST - improvement, so I was just grateful to have it done!

 I filled up those shelves and the counter space below them with functional and beautiful elements - 

and those shelves held over TWICE the amount of kitchenware than the cabinets ever had!!

Best part? This project cost us nothing but time:

We had the paint (our whole house was painted that color), 

we had the screws and sand paper and tools, 

and we used the old cabinet wood for the new shelves. 

It turned out so well, we ended up doing exactly the same thing in the laundry room, too.

But of course, I don't have photos of that. :(

 Don't be deterred from making your rooms function and look better

just because you think it will cost money.... it might not cost a cent!

My next post will have a fun re-purposing idea for your bedroom decor

More Spring decor inspiration on Pinterest!

shared online:

Cupcakes & Crinoline | Project Inspire{d}

Mother's Day Breakfast at Tiffany's

In my last post, I said 'not everyone can afford to buy a gem from the jewelers for Mom'...

However, we can create a sparkling setting inspired by Tiffany & Co. Jewelers for Mom!

This Mother's Day tablescape was inspired by something very dear to me:
a gift from a very special friend.

Sweet Fran gave me the only Tiffany blue box I've ever received...

you can read more about that on my personal blog if you'd like to.

That special blue box and my Mom's love of the color aqua inspired me

to create a lovely setting for a Mother's Day brunch to share with you.

And what else can I call it but
'Breakfast at Tiffany's'?!

.

The combination of Tiffany blue (pale Robin's Egg), white, and sparkling crystals & rhinestones

shines against the contrast of a deep green vine wall in the garden.

My own Tiffany Blue Box serves as the main focal point, 

and layered vintage linens bring to mind white clouds against a blue sky.

The blue painted bench is something I recently created...

you'll see the 'how-to' for it in an upcoming Summer post! 

A mix of fresh and silk flowers spill from the Tiffany Blue Box, 

on a white ceramic pedestal topped with a plate to add height to the tablescape.

[ I bought that urn/pedestal for five bucks to make a Snowman on...

when that Snowman didn't sell, I took it off and kept the base.

It comes in handy for so many uses, I'm keeping it!]

The aqua glass candle holders are my Mom's, 

and I bling-ed them up for this setting by simply draping sparkling crystals on them -
two are necklaces, one is a tree ornament. 

Placing the votive in a glass votive cup inside these vessels keeps the heat away from the jewelry, 

and also makes the glass holders easier to keep clean.

White dinnerware on a lace-patterned resin charger

is simply topped with a take-home gift of an aqua blue container of loose-leaf tea.

Pale blue linen napkins and silver flatware finish the look,

along with some European-style wine glasses 

that pay homage to Mom's royal position with their embossed crowns:

[ Stella Rosa logo glasses from the San Antonio Winery in Los Angeles ]

 Napkins tuck into the coffee / tea cup handle, 

along with a stirring spoon tied with a pretty ribbon.

The napkin holders in the second image above are plastic cookie cutters.

Yes, really!

I found a baggie of these swirly blue designs at the thrift store for a dollar...

And you know I love using cookie cutters for MUCH more than making cookies!

I tucked them into a pretty white planter to add more color to this scene, 

and also tied a few to blue ribbons along with crystals, and suspended them from the vine wall.
If there had been a chandelier overhead, I would have hung them from it... with more crystals.

Of course, the gifts for Mom are color-coordinated to the setting!
Pale blue ribbons, tissue and boxes pair with crisp white containers
and become part of the decor.
[ You don't need REAL Tiffany Blue Boxes, you know...
spray paint white boxes and add lettering with a thin marker for the same effect! ]

 The boxes hold lovely little sentimental presents...

the necklace was made by Rita Reade of Mammabellarte, 

and the china cup belonged to my grandma Rissia when she was a girl.

This fragrant gardenia bloom is in honor of my Grandma Margie Ward.
It was her favorite flower...and the scent makes me stop in my tracks and think of her.

A few more simple ideas in blue...
A ceramic swan planter (that used to be peach - ugh!) holds ice and small bottled beverages.
Vintage bottles make perfect single-bloom vases, and can be taken home by guests.

I hope this setting inspires you to pull together meaningful and beautiful 'everyday' items

[ though I DO realize that a Tiffany & Co. box is NOT an everyday item for most of us! ]

to create a special event for your Mom!

... hopefully, Moms everywhere will be feeling a bit like Holly Golightly:

More May decor inspiration on Pinterest!