Craftiness

I like projects. Especially painting projects. I've painted a few things over the years and thought it would be fun to share :) 

Sooooo... Since I have approximately one million kids and it costs about a billion dollars to live in San Diego, I acquired most of this stuff for super cheap or free. Someday when I am a trillionaire I'll just got to Anthro and buy everything. HA! Yeah right! I'm not sentimental at all so I actually like having things that are inexpensive but look nice. It takes away the sting when something gets broken by one of my million children.

I've painted a few of these large bamboo bowls from Ikea. A fun and cheap afternoon project. 

Before ~ Free solid wood dresser from a friend. 

 After ~ I sanded and painted the whole thing with a brown primer. Then painted it a Tiffany blue and just rubbed and scratched the paint off as I went along. I used the original hardware as is. 

Before ~ $10 craigslist find. 

After ~ Primed and painted it a Tiffany Blue and then stenciled a bronze chevron on the back and added a $2 knob from World Market. 

Before ~ $20 Craigslist find. 

After ~ Painted it white and then slightly distressed the edges with sand paper. 

Before~ Free old green mirror

After~ Painted with that same Tiffany blue and distressed. 

I got this nightstand from a friend for 10 bucks, painted it white and put on a clear class knob. 

Instead of paint I used vinyl stickers for this dresser in my bedroom. I like that I can tear them off if I change my mind later. 

Before~ I had a few super ugly end tables that I think I inherited from somewhere. One of those random things where you're going through your garage and you have to decide to toss it or keep it and instead you decide to paint it. 

After~ I painted them and added a graphic stencil pattern. 

This was probably the most expensive thing I have purchased. I found it on Craigslist and HAD to have it. It's old, solid wood and just look at those lines! I paid $100 for it and I'm still not sure if I want to change it or leave it. For now I like it white. 

I got this on Craigslist for $10. I painted it minty blue and decided to use it as a toy-box/TV stand for the playroom. 

I've had this armoire for almost 12 years. It was a pine colored light wood that I didn't really care for so I tried to sell it for practically nothing at a garage sale with no success. I decided to paint it white and add bronze stripes and keep it in the play room for games and Lego storage. This thing is a beast! I'm amazed how much crap I can stuff in there. 

I used scrap fabric on the back panel of the kiddos bookshelf. Me-like-eee! Way easier than painting.  

I'm no expert but if I had to give advice on painting projects I'd say look for pieces that are solid wood with nice lines. Don't spend too much money. There are always good deals on Craigslist if you're willing to be patient and spend time looking.  Always sand and clean the surface before you paint. Also try lots of different colors and patterns. That mismatched eclectic look is so much better...well in my opinion. Happy painting!