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Monday, May 3, 2010

The $6 Chair Makeover

I scooped this sad little pup up from Goodwill for $6.



It's for Han's bathroom so I gave her a choice in paint color; black or white.  Imagine that!  Anyway, she chose black and also asked that I distress it.  I love black and I love to distress, but I have to admit, I had a really hard time distressing this one..  it was so crisp, clean and shiny.  I asked Han at least four times was she sure she wanted it distressed.  Yep, she wanted it distressed.  So I distressed.  And I have to say that I'm happy with the way it turned out.

(that's Fat WAG checkin' things out)


And a full frontal:


I just love spray paint.  Did you know that up until the last couple of weeks, I was painting everything with a brush??  I just wasn't getting the results I wanted with spray paint.  But, I finally read up on some spray painting tips and now, I'm a huge fan of it.  It's sooo much faster than brushing and there's like, no clean-up.  Oh, and I love the smell of those fumes!!

Linking to:
Met Monday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Just Something I Whipped Up @ The Girl Creative
Trash to Treasure Tuesday @ Reinvented  
Making the World Cuter Monday
Whatever Goes Weds @ Someday Crafts  
Power of Paint Party @ Domestically Speaking
Make it Yours Day @ My Backyard Eden  
Creative Cats @ Poppies @ Play
Furniture Feature Friday @ Miss Mustard Seed  
Creative Chick Parade - Day Three 

16 crafty peeps said:

  1. That's a great lookin chair. I'm not a huge fan of spray paint, but maybe I'm doing it wrong. My problem is I hold the can too close and then get monster sized drips, and my finger gets so sore from holding the nozzle down, any tips?

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  2. I love the spray paint smell too, lol! That is a totally awesome chair. Where can I get one? ;)

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  3. It looks fabulous! And I laughed out loud when you said you like the fumes!!! Ya know why? I DO TOO!!! You need to share your new tips with me because sometime I struggle with it too! Have a fab Monday!!!!

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  4. Thanks y'all! Glad I"m not the only one loving the fumes!

    Ok here are my tips.

    Get a spray paint trigger handle (Amy). This will keep your finger from cramping. They're only a couple of bucks and it makes the job so much easier.

    Read the directions on the can (a new one for me.. ha ha). Make sure to shake the can for at least as long as it says, a little longer than that won't hurt. A 30 second shake until you hear the rattle isn't gonna cut it. And that is exactly what I was doing at first.

    Prime. For wood, I just use either flat black or white paint, depending on what the final color will be. For metal, you probably should use a primer that is specifically for that.

    I know it's hard, but resist the urge to try and make the piece look perfect on the first pass. This is what causes drips because you end up spraying too much, trying to get total coverage. It's like painting your nails, just a little coverage at first and then the next coat will even it all out. This chair, I ended up doing three passes on it.

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  5. Looks great! Thanks for the tips!

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  6. It's amazing what a coat of paint can do! I love distressing furniture, it's a great way to channel your frustrations - it's cheaper than therapy!

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  8. I guess the fumes got to me....had to remove my comment....directed to wrong person.....Anywhoo. Great chair. Spray paint is so much smoother than brushing. You should get a respirator.....I am proof that it messes with your head.

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  9. Oooh! I have never read some of the tips on spray painting before- so thanks- I didn't know there was such a contraption as a trigger handle. Where do you get one?
    And I know I do not shake the can long enough, ever, I am too impatient.
    But I will from now on. Promise.
    The chair is pretty and I am sure Han is happy that you liked her makeover plan enough to post about it :)
    I got your email back to me- I will reply- just moving slowly today!
    ~Blessings!

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  10. Leslie, I got mine at Wal-Mart, over in the paint dept.

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  11. You're too funny... yes, no clean-up is a HUGE bonus. Love the black distressed chair.. thanks for sharing with us at the POPP.

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  12. you guys made me laugh, like the smell of paint , spray paint anyway. the neighbor has a junk shop he has chairs like this galor. I love to redo little pices, but where would I selll them, my house only holds so much. I like thewhite chippey look anybody know how to do it. I am not a blogger, just email so oh well.

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  13. I still laugh at your header picture. :) So funny. Anyway, that chair looks great. I love the choice to distress it a little bit. It adds a lot of interest and looks much better than straight black. That was a good find and a job well done.

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  14. That chair really serves for a bathroom. Jane F

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  15. Looks darling in there - black was definitely the right choice! Love the distressing, too :)

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