Part 3 - Stripping and Painting

Now it's time for the FUN part - the desk has been stripped, sanded and primed - ready to PAINT!

Currently, I look to Pinterest for inspiration for everything from dinner to art, so I was pleasantly surprised when I found a ton of great DIY before and after images that involved refinishing furniture.  When I came across THIS photo (courtesy of Jesse Nine Red), I stopped in my tracks.  I turned to Jason and said "this is it." He smiled and said "that's AWESOME!"  I bought the paint the next day.

So, I've only just begun to paint. The above table was a jumping-off point for me, an inspiration. As you can see, my desk is starting out primarily Aqua/Turquoise (which I love!), but the cobalt just doesn't look "cobalt" enough for me. I painted the drawers anyway, hoping that after they dried, I'd like it better.

I don't.

So here we are in a holding pattern.  I'll be heading to Lowe's to get my paint darkened sometime this weekend.  I'll also be shopping for drawer knobs.

After seeing how great the wide drawer looks, I plan on painting the inside and outside of all the drawers now.

Your thoughts on the cobalt dark blue?

First Time Stripping (Furniture) - Part 1

Let me start off by saying - if you don't have an entire weekend to tackle your first furniture stripping, try to go one piece at a time. Or buy a power sander. I bought this desk at a garage sale for $3. A wise choice, I felt at the time. I immediately thought: I can fix this up really nice! But isn't that what we always think when we see something at a garage sale that isn't quite perfect? I feel like I say that to myself a lot. And my husband probably thinks "Yeah, right!"

I've been longing to find a nice piece of furniture to re-finish all by myself. I'm no carpenter, but I do love to paint things. I probably paint too many things. see previous posts.  (notice the lamp? yeah, that's a project in limbo.)

Not only did I purchase this desk with intent to maximize it's hidden beauty, I also had a REAL reason for getting it. I need a new computer desk. One that has drawers. So this project is great in many dimensions!

Upon taking a closer look, I saw there were many layers of paint there, the chips in it were really deep nicks and gouges, so I decided to strip.  Which immediately scared the heck out of me. I had never stripped furniture before, so I scoured blogs and websites looking for the secrets of removing paint.  Then I made a discovery: there are no secrets. Just elbow grease.

So the first thing I did was take off all of the hardware, and take out the drawers.  Since I had no idea how long it would really take, I decided to take on only the drawers first.

I went to Lowe's earlier in the week to pick up the supplies I would need. These I found on a few blogs.  Several people suggested a stripper that I could not find, so I bought this Crown Tuff-Strip - 2 cans.  I should have bought 3.  The gloves and drop cloth were suggested on the can, and every blog I read.  The scrapers are basically a necessity, I used the narrow one more - it was easier to maneuver.  I never ended up using the brush.  I also got a very coarse scouring pad, but I would get steel wool next time.  and goggles.  (I also used wood putty, sandpaper and an electric sander before the desk was all done.)

Let me warn you now. This stuff is no joke.  Once while spraying, the wind moved in a different direction and a tiny mist of this went on my bare arm.  I knew immediately.  It felt like muratic acid burning my skin. I ran inside and washed off thoroughly.  Be VERY careful.  It's also not kidding when it says 10 minutes or less.

So I laid the drop cloth out, rocks holding it down. got my gloves on and sprayed these beauties.  I coated them moderately heavy and as even as I could with the stripper, making sure the wind wasn't whipping it in my direction.

In 3 minutes, I came to check on them. Paint was already bubbling up!

I started scraping, and scraped and scraped.  This stuff is amazing wherever it goes on heavy, but so-so where it goes on light.  Of course you can see the layers and layers of paint I had to get through. I scraped all of them down, and decided to spray them again.  The hardest part was the beveled edges. Scraping a straight knife on a curved edge will make you a little nuts.  Consider the nooks and crannys of a piece before you decide to strip.

After the 3rd time, it nearly all came off.  Good enough for me! 

I sanded with a coarse grit sandpaper block I already had, and filled in the hardware holes with wood putty.

The next morning, I sanded again with a finer paper, and now the drawers are ready to prime!

Check out the rest of the desk, coming soon in Part 2!

How-To Friday: How to spray paint (the correct way)

I've spent most of my adult life up-cycling old things by spray painting them, and I've discovered that not everyone is like me. Whether you've just gotten interested in being crafty, or get frustrated at how easily spray painting something can go wrong, this DIY How-to Friday is for you!

Let's start with what you'll need:

1. Something you want to spray paint. 2. Something you can only PARTIALLY paint (i.e. mirror, picture frame, etc.) 3. Masking or Painter's Tape 4. Trusty X-acto knife (everyone should have at least one, plus spare blades) 5. Ice cold drink (especially if it's a hot day) 6. Primer - this step shouldn't be skipped (any brand.) 7. Your desired spray paint. I like Valspar Brand (Lowe's) because they offer a wide variety of colors to choose from, and it covers really well. Krylon Indoor/Outdoor is a close second.

Some items, you'll need to sand. Primer should take care of the stick-ability of the paint, so if you're unsure whether or not to sand, use primer, maybe two coats.
I sanded the K with some rough-grit (3M 60 grit.) The lower the number, the rougher the paper. If you're painting raw, untreated wood, sand it twice. Once with rough-grit, and once with a finer grit.

Other items, like antiques, picture frames/mirrors and things with a lot of detail, you won't want to sand.
I'm going to mention the Primer again. First off, and above all, primer will conceal the color of the item, and when you paint, it will be closer to the desired color, without a tint of the original color. I'll show you an example of with/without primer below.

Any item that needs masking off, like this mirror, should be done CAREFULLY with masking or painter's tape. First, clean the mirror's surface with a damp rag and let dry completely.

Next, start in the middle and work your way outside. Circles and ovals are the most difficult to do because of their curves, but painter's tape is pliable enough to take the shape of the curves.

Using your fingernail, push the tape as far into the corner as you can, all the way around
Using your X-Acto blade, cut off the excess as close to the frame as you can, not the mirror. Notice how angled my blade is.

Take off the excess cut tape, and you should have a little bit of tape that's not pushed down, if there's any gap between the frame and the mirror. Leave it that way.

Once you have the mirror completely masked off, and the excess tape removed, you're ready to prime!

Next- you'll need a surface that you can paint on. I keep cardboard boxes around just for this very task. That way, the object is slightly raised, but on a flat sturdy(ish) surface.

I did this experiment just for you. In the above photo, I skipped the priming process, and painted the one frame.

The other frame and the K are about to be primed. I determine several factors as to where and when I'm spray painting: sun, temperature, wind. If it's a hot, muggy day, it's not a good idea to paint. Same goes for gusty wind. If the sun is directly shining on your object, the aerosol paint can actually dry before it even lands, which creates a bumpy and un-even texture.


I chose an overcast day. Always paint in a Z-formation. Start painting just outside the edge of the object, and go all the way across horizontally and then back again. Keep the Z formation going, spraying about 10-12 inches away from the object. Keep a steady stream, and move a little slower than you think you should, but not slow enough for it to pool or drip.


Leave your primer pieces to dry for at least 30 minutes. The can may say 10 minutes, but that doesn't take into consideration humidity.
After 30 min, do a fingerprint test. Find an inconspicuous place on the object and lightly touch it with your finger and pull away gently. If you feel ANY tackiness or if you can SEE your fingerprint, let it dry 10 more minutes before you paint over the primer. Better to wait.

Now that I've painted - can you tell which one was primed? I'll show you below. :)
Leave your painted object to dry for ONE HOUR before handling. I'm not kidding. Ignore what it says, you'll be very upset if you've gone through all of this only to scratch or smudge the paint.

When it's ready, use your X-Acto blade to cut across the center of the tape.

Use the tip of the blade to lift the tape and gently remove it.

YAY! all done. I usually let my spray painted objects air out for about a day or so to let that stinky smell go away before I bring it into the house.

Can you tell yet which one was primed??

The finished K - ready to hang!

The one on the left got a primer coat before painting. Can you see the difference? it's not HUGE, but the color and vivid-ness of the blue seems more accurate after being primed. It's brighter, and prettier.


Finished product shot! woo!

It's finally October!

Ernst and Gilpin is throwing our 2nd annual halloween bash... scaled back from last year by quite a bit.  I pulled out all the halloween decor I own last week and was looking through it. I already had a few skulls and little bits out, but I felt that since October finally came, it was time to go all out and enjoy the decor for as long as possible.

Last year's party was a "Twisted Disney Mad Hatter" theme.  This year, it's just going to be creepy.  REALLY creepy.

Spooky Halloween Party Planning

If you're planning on throwing your own Spooky

 Halloween Party, the first thing you want to decide on is FOOD... yes, Food.  Why food first?  The food should take up around HALF of your budget!  Also, depending on the amount of Alcohol you want, it could be 3/4 of your budget.  Take careful consideration when planning the time of your party.  If you plan on opening your door before 7pm, plan on feeding people more than just cupcakes.

Decide First whether you're going to serve a buffet, appetizers, potluck, or a full course meal. That decision will factor into the INVITATIONS, especially if you're asking guests to bring food or drinks.

If you like a lighter fare, like appetizers and finger food, pick 3 items to make, but make enough to feed your crew. An easy way to creep up appetizers: add black, orange or red food coloring to dips, spreads and some of your water-based veggies, like celery will take on the color of choice if soaked in a shallow dish of cold water and food coloring for a few hours (it also keeps them crisp).

If you think coloring your food will ward off guests from sampling them, add non-edible decor to the serving platters, and use aged or festive bowls and plates.  Scour thrift stores for some fun finds like old silver platters.

Invitations

Once you have an idea of what the menu will consist of, make invitations, and send them out at least 3 or 4 weeks ahead, especially if you'll be asking guest to wear costumes.  Consider all things about the party when making invitations, and what you expect your guests to bring... or n

ot to bring.  Alcohol, children, costumes, food, wine, and games are all things to bring or leave at home.

There are some fantastic and easy ways to make your own invitations, and set the mood long before the party begins.  You could choose from a myriad of clip art, or go to your local craft store and get cardstock cutouts, stamps and decorative paper. Or buy a can of granite-look spray paint and paint tombstone-shaped cutouts, then write the info on them once they’re dry.  Make sure to include your address, the time of the party (and an end time if you like) and the name of the hosts.

If you have all the guests' e-mail addresses, you can skip the stamps and paper and use an e-invitation website to reach your guests.  Sites like evite.com have pre-designed templates for every occasion and style and are easy to fill in an

d hit send!

Creepy or Cutesy?

Decide on a theme for your decor, and stick to it throughout your 

party-scape.  If you'll be utilizing your entire house, divide the areas into "scare zones" for an even creepier effect.  

For instance, you can purchase "bloody handprints" that cling onto shower doors and plastic curtains for a "PSYCHO" look in the bathroom.  The entryway (inside or out) could be filled with flying bats made from black construction paper.  The kitchen might be transformed into a dirty meat market, with body parts in the sink and sticking out of the oven.  Jello Brain Molds are easy to find and inexpensive at your local party store.

For more Halloween Decor ideas: Martha Stewart and many others offer DIY instructions for creating your own spooky decor, from super easy to advanced craftsman.  Take a gander...