More Fun With Chalk Paint

When a friend mentioned recently that she wished she had a luggage rack for her guest room, I said 'wish no longer'. With a luggage rack that I picked up a while ago at Goodwill for $2.95 in the basement, and a new jar of chalk paint sitting here calling my name, I got to work. 
With chalk paint, it doesn't take long to go from 'before' to 'after'. The paint I had was a mix of two reds (half Sedona Red and half Traverse City Cherry) by CeCe Caldwell.  I painted on three thin coats and finished it with a coat of satin acrylic sealant. The only store in town that sells ribbon didn't have anything appropriate, so I bought a bit of fabric and made the straps. 
Three days later, we were both thrilled with how it turned out. 

Bring on the house guests!

Another Trash to Treasure

The Commander is finally getting the spirit! 

When he recently came home with a chair he found outside a dumpster, 

I knew he had passed a milestone. It's hard to complain about an 

accumulation of stuff in the basement when one has contributed to it. 

He spotted this find outside the dumpster at our local Habitat for Humanity Store. He said he thought to himself - "somehow we can use this". (I love it when a family member starts to think like I do.) Our just married son and daughter-in-law are setting up their first real apartment and need 

additional seating, so this chair was just meant for them. I have been anxious to try chalk paint, bought a jar of  CeCe Caldwell's paint and wax [http://cececaldwells.com/] and got to work. 

As chalk paint does not require sanding or priming, I only had to clean the chair, paint on two coats and apply the wax as directed. The painted chair has a soft, nice feel. The Commander 

cut the seat from some plywood we had and covered it in foam; I covered the foam with fabric 

The Frugal Daughter bought for $.50 at an upholstery shop. 

It was a fun and rewarding project, and I really liked using the chalk paint. I'm on the lookout for more finds to paint. Hopefully, The Commander is, too!

Classic Trash to Treasure

When leaving a thrift shop the other day, I passed their dumpster and noticed a beat-up high chair beside it. Being that it was a wooden high chair, I stopped and asked a man who worked there if I could have it. He said sure, so I put it in the back of the car, and much to The Commander's dismay, brought it home. Home this month is actually our daughter's house in Florida, and her husband is about as eager for me to bring things there as The Commander is. I thought I would have an ally in my daughter, though, and I was right. We went right to work cleaning it up, doing a little sanding, using wood filler, and a can of spray paint, and within a few days the chair was transformed into a shiny new seat! And I just love reminding The Commander and The SIL where it came from.