adventures in creativity.

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A Leap and a Prayer (And a Revamp, Too)

I have been contemplating starting a blog to document and share my craftiness for some time now, but working up the nerve (i.e. confidence) has been a major stumbling block for me. I have been "blurking" (blog lurking) around on blogs run by such amazingly talented people, like Centsational Girl, and Prudent Baby, and A Penny Saved, and while I felt so very inspired, I also began to feel so very inadequate. Especially when I would see posts like this, and this, and this one; which nearly made me hyperventilate and pass out.

But today I am taking the plunge into the world of blogging. I may not be the best at this, but I don't think that I will be the worst either. So............without further ado:

My $45-Buffet Makeover.


The doors were warped, so they had to come out. I filled in all of the holes left by the hardware with plain old spackling compound because I was just going to paint it anyway. If it were going to be stained, I would have used wood filler. Anyway...




I gave her a good sanding with my belt sander. I hate sanding, so any tool that makes this step as quick as possible is perfect for me.



Next, I primed all of the surfaces that would be painted and when that was dry, I painted the interior a nice turquoise that I found on the "oops" shelf at Home Depot. I used Zinsser Cover Stain Primer (oil based.) When it comes to adding durability to a piece this stuff can't be beat, in my humble opinion. Plus, the short dry time means that I was able to get 2 coats of primer on in one day. Centsational Girl has a great post on the topic of primers here.

After a light sanding with 220 grit sandpaper, I put on two coats of latex paint. I used Floetrol, a paint conditioner that truly does help to keep brush strokes to a minimum. Because latex paint can take up to two weeks to cure completely, I put on three coats of Minwax Polycrylic - a water-based polyurethane that will protect latex paint from chips and scrapes.




And finally, I sewed some quick pleated curtains from unbleached cotton and hung them with inexpensive sash rods where the doors once were. Ta-da! A great find and a truly useful piece in my very short-on-storage kitchen.



The shelves were not in yet when I took this photo. As the title states, I purchased the buffet from a thrift store for $45, and I spent about $20 on supplies.

There it is; my first real post!

So tell me, do you have any painting projects on your to-do list?




6 comments:

  1. Yay for creativity! I adore the blue interior and have a project with the same idea coming soon. Make sure to check back! Great job with starting a blog, it's how I am able to finish my projects (extra eyes watching!)

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  2. Deb..I really am proud of you for getting out of your comfort zone and jumping in the unknown. You never will know if you don't try and like you said, it can't be the worst blog right? In my "humble" opinion, this is a very professional blog and I LOVE IT!!!! I can't wait to see more!

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  3. Great Job and I am proud of you! You should take pictures of your dresses that you made Sophia the purses that you have done. Can't wait to see the play kitchen on here...

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  4. Thanks for linking to me -- I'm honored I made your first post! Your buffet and your blog both look great -- way to just jump in!

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  5. Welcome to BlogLand! I love your buffet makeover! I'm working on painting some cheap furniture pieces as well. I'll be excited to see your next post!

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  6. Beautiful buffet- I have been 'blurking' for sometime as well. Congrats on taking the leap! tanya

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