How to Distress Furniture With Vasoline

[pinit]Distressed Painted Table
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Did you know that Vasoline petroleum jelly is a fantastic ingredient for distressing furniture?  It is true.  The technique is simple and fast.  Today I am sharing how I took this chevron painted table I shared with you in a previous tutorial, and used Vasoline to create a chippy, funky distressed piece to go with my new living room.

Distressed Furniture Tutorials

I needed a coffee table to go with my urban-modern-distressed-vintage-eclectic decor style in progress.  You will be seeing reveals as I decorate in my new home.  I am into yellow, gray, orange poppy, turqouise, emerald green, navy blue and vintage white these days.  My living room kinda has a little of all of these, with yellow, gray and turquoise dominating the stage.

Paint a Chevron Coffee Table with @DecoArt_Inc @savedbyloves

I revamped this roadside find last week, thinking it would be the perfect coffee table for the living room.  Well, it wasn’t.

Pantone Emerald Green Valspar

I decided to apply Vasoline to the areas of the table I wanted to look “chippy”, then paint with homemade chalk finish paint (see how to make chalk paint yourself in my barnwood frame tutorial).  Valspar’s Pantone Emerald was the perfect color!  I picked it up at Lowe’s.

Distressing Furniture Tutorial

Once the paint dried, I just took my scraper to the areas where I had applied the Vasoline and the it peeled right off, revealing the colors in the chevron stripes.  I love the effect!  It looks so cool with the random colors.

Martha Stewart Decoupage copyOnce I was happy with the amount of scraping, I sealed the piece with Martha Stewart’s Antique Finish Decoupage Medium.  It was my first time using the stuff and it gives a subtle warm antique feel to the piece.

Distressing a Table

Stay tuned for more DIY home decor as I settle into my new place!

How to Build a DIY Reclaimed Wood Bookshelf

How to build a reclaimed barnwood Bookcase @savedbyloves

How to Build a Bookshelf

I have another reclaimed wood DIY project for you today.  I got a truck load (it probably should have been two truckloads, but we squeezed it into one) of 4×8 plywood sheets, 2×6 and 2×8 boards from a craigslist ad.  It was salvaged from a home that these folks tore down and they were happy to have it hauled off and out of their yard.  This project is made mainly from that wood.  The panels that back the bookshelf were milled by a friend of mine who passed them along to me, where they have patiently waited for me to put them to use.  I came up with this cool bookshelf that i finished with homemade chalkboard paint and sand distressed.  CeCe caldwell Clear Wax then Aging Wax sealed the deal and added just the amount of antiquing to suit my vision.  You can finish this project in a day if you are committed, over a weekend if you have some distractions.

Ana White Kentwood Bookshelf Plans by Shanty2Chic

This fine Kentwood Bookshelf by Shanty2Chic that I spied at AnaWhite.com was my inspiration.  I had just taken a woodworking DIY class by Whitney and Ashley of Shanty2Chic at Haven Conference, and I came home on fire to build.  These girls are amazing!  They shared their journey coming from zero knowledge of building or power tools, to being able to build some amazing furniture for their homes.  I have been building since April, and before I started, I was totally intimidated.  I still am by lots of projects, but I am so glad that I broke into the power tool world.  It is way easier than I thought, and not much is more gratifying than building custom pieces, from reclaimed wood no less.  Go check out Shanty2Chic, walk through some of their detailed tutorials and you can build awesome stuff too!  You really can.

One thing they taught me at Haven was to measure as I go instead of cutting all of my pieces called for in the plan.  I hadn’t been doing that, and my pieces would be off almost every time.  Wood is going to curve and bow and do funky things, especially reclaimed lumber and shipping pallets.  I am so glad they emphasized measuring and cutting based on reality and not on the perfect plan.  I decided to scrap the plan entirely for this shelf, and just go with my own dimensions based on what pieces I had on hand, and the measurements as I built.

Bookshelf DIY Tutorial

I made my own 2×2 pieces by ripping the 2×6 boards from the house demolition that I scored.  This is what I used to frame the side planks, which I cut 11.5 x60 inches from the 4×8 sheets of 5/8 inch plywood also from the house demo.   Shanty2Chic used 1×12 boards for the side panels.  I went with plywood since I had it on hand, and I knew I was going to paint the final piece.

Building Bookshelf With Kreg Jig

How to Build your own furniture

You can see the Kreg pocket holes in the plywood side planks that I drilled to attach 2×2 framing.  Attach shelves and top.

How to Build a shelf from reclaimed wood

I  used 3 pieces of the wood my friend milled for the backing.  They were different thicknesses, but since that would only be visible from the back, I didn’t much care.  I just measured and cut to length the center piece, and ripped what I needed off the 2 side pieces so that they didn’t stick out over the edge.  I counter sank 2 inch wood screws to attach the back panels.

How to distress paint furniture

I love the larger panels for the backing, and that I didn’t have to buy any wood for this piece!  Fill Kreg holes with wood putty, liquid nail or caulking.  It doesn’t need to be something that takes stain if you are painting the piece anyway.

ReclaimedSmall Wood Furniture Tutorial

I sanded the unfinished bookshelf with medium grit paper and painted a base coat of CeCe Caldwell Paint in Vintage White  (You can see my other CeCe Caldwell Chalk and Clay Paint projects by clicking the thumbnails below).  After that was dry (about 1 hour indoors) I made a gray DIY Chalk finish Paint using the Make Your Own ChalkBoard Paint Recipe I showed you in an earlier post.

How to Build Furniture From Reclaimed Wood

For a little more aging, I added a coat of CeCe Caldwell Clear wax, then Aging Wax.  I buffed with a soft cloth an hour later and that was that.

Build your own furniture

LOVE!  Thank you Whitney and Ashley.  Can’t wait to see you again!!

Coffee Table Revamp with CeCe Caldwell Paint & Recycled Gift Cards

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Makeover a table with CeCe Caldwell Chalk and Clay Paint @savedbyloves http://wp.me/p1BUxN-2Qm[pinit]

I have been dying to share this project with you for-like-ever!  I had this table I wanted to paint with fabulous paint.  So, I contacted my good friend Debi from Debi’s Design Diary and ordered CeCe Caldwell Paints.  Nothing else was going to do for this table.  The stuff is wonderful.

One of the big things that sets CeCe Caldwell paint apart from other brands is that is is non-toxic, containing no VOC and all ingredients are listed on the label.  Many low volatile organic compound paint brands don’t list their ingredients because they are not required to do so.  Many low voc brands still contain lots of harsh chemicals.  You aren’t washing anything harmful down the drain and you don’t have to worry about paint fumes or using gloves when waxing.  That is a plus!

Remember when I revamped this little junky table?  It was the first time I had used CeCe’s product, and it was love at first brush stroke.  You can read all about it by clicking the image or link, but basically I had zero experience and getting the look I wanted was super simple.

Back to today’s project:

 

I found this thing roadside, brought it home and painted it with a quatrefoil design on top:

You can click the image or go to Martha Stewart Coffee Table Revamp to read about that project.

How to custom Cut a Table to fit a space

Not only did I want to paint the table, but I wanted it to fit in a spot that it turns out was about 5 inches to small for it.   See how it sticks over to the carpeted area where the arrow is pointing?  No good. That is when John and I decided to cut the table in half, remove 5 inches, and put it back together using the Kreg Jig.  Whaaaat?  I know.

How to Revamp a Coffee Table

We took the top off the table then marked a 2.5 inches on either side of the center.

How to Use a Circular Saw

Making a Custom Coffee Table

I used a circular saw and cut along the lines to remove the 5 inch segment.

How to Clamp Wood

I drilled pocket holes with my Kreg Jig (love you, Kreg Jig) and attached the two shortened table halves together with Kreg screws.

Using Kreg Jig to Join Wood

Here is the top of the table joined with pocket holes and screws.  You can see the segment I removed in this photo.

How to cut a table in half and rejoin

I used the Kreg mini, clamping it onto the sides of the table on the inside to make pocket holes to attach the top of the table.

Distress Sanding a table

You can see the seam, just a little.  O.k., a lot.  I sanded the table with my Ryobi sander next.  You totally don’t need to sand or prime when using CeCe Caldwell paint.  I did this to try and even out the seam area.  For the first project linked above, I didn’t prep much at all.  That is my kind of paint!!

Ryobi sander for table distressing

Kissimmee Orange CeCe Caldwell Paint

After I sanded and wiped away the debris, it was time to get painting.  I am all about orange, and this Kissimmee Orange is beeeaauuutiful!

CeCe Caldwell distressed table

It goes on smoothly, with great coverage.

How to Join wood using Kreg Jig

This photo shows the seam at the blue arrow, which still needs some work.  It also shows wet paint vs. dry.  In the sunlight, the paint dries enough to do the top coat in 30 minutes.

How to use wood Putty

Before doing the next coat, I filled in the seam with wood putty.  When that dried, I sanded it down with the Ryobi sander.

Recycled Gift Card Craft

I did one more coat of the Kissimmee Orange to cover the wood putty and seam, then one coat of the Vintage White.  When that dried, I added tiles that I created from recycled gift cards and painted with Tim Holtz Distress Paint.  I showed you how I made and adhered the tiles in this Mosaic Frame from Recycled Gift Cards Tutorial.

How to Sand Distress a Table

Once the tiles were all in place, I used the sander to distress and bring out the orange under coat.

How to Distress Furniture

I went at it pretty aggressively.  You can sand a little or a lot for the look you want.

Clear Wax CeCe Caldwell

Applying Finishing Wax to Table

I applied the clear wax with the wax brush.  It is easy.  Just a light, even layer does the trick.

CeCe Caldwell Dark Wax

I applied CeCe Caldwell aging cream over the clear wax  to grunge it up a bit.  It is a subtle, nice antiquing effect.  I buffed with a soft cloth after an hour or so.  That makes a shiny, more durable finish.

How to Distress a Table

This is the final piece. I adore it.  I am off to order more paint!  I can’t get enough.

To find a CeCe Caldwell distributor near you, visit this Map of Retailers page.

For loads of inspiration on the amazing things you can do with this paint, visit Debi’s Design Diary the blog, Debi’s awesome YouTube channel, Facebook page and Pinterest!

CeCe Caldwell Paint Distressed Table

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#CeceCaldwell Chalk and Clay Paint #DIY  Table Makeover @savedbyloves @cececaldwell

I am pumped about CeCe Caldwell’s Chalk and Clay Paint, which I had the chance to try out in a recent class.  My friend Beckie at Infarrantly Creative hosted the session for some local bloggers to learn about the product.  The lovely ladies of Bungalow 47, Chantelle and Jill, came to Indiana and spent the day educating us on this amazing, completely natural, earth/people friendly paint.

Bungalow 47

I have not worked with anything like this before, and now I am a full fledged CeCe junkie.  Being an instant gratification, “spray paint it and move” on kinda DIY-er, I was elated to find this paint requires little prep.  Not only that, but no experience is necessary to create a beautiful piece.  Count me in.

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#CeceCaldwell Chalk and Clay Paint #DIY Table Makeover @bungalow47 @savedbyloves @cececaldwell

Here is how I turned a beat up $5 flea market find into a distressed, chippy table that I proudly displayed in our guest room.

SUPPLIES:

CeCe Caldwell Chalk and Clay Paint; Traverse City Cherry and Seattle Mist

CeCe Caldwell Clear Wax and Wax Brush

Furniture to paint

Drop cloth or plastic

Good paint brush

Clean rags

Sandpaper or sanding block

TUTORIAL:

#CeceCaldwell Chalk and Clay Paint #DIY  Table Makeover @savedbyloves @cececaldwell

Apply wax in a section at a time, wiping away excess before moving to the next section.  This is my first time with wax, so I have nothing to compare it to, but it was simple to apply.  I purchase the wax brush for $18 and love it.  You can tell with clarity where you have wax, since the paint turns much darker when it is applied.  That way you won’t miss an area.  I let my table dry overnight, then buffed with a dry towel for shine.  To clean, just wipe with dry cloth after table cures.  Takes one month to completely cure, so don’t run a sprinkler near it or put it outside in the rain until then!

I absolutely love the chippiness and texture of my finished piece.  This was super easy to achieve.

#CeceCaldwell Chalk and Clay Paint #DIY  Table Makeover @savedbyloves @cececaldwell

#CeceCaldwell Chalk and Clay Paint #DIY  Table Makeover @savedbyloves @cececaldwell

 #CeceCaldwell Chalk and Clay Paint #DIY  Table Makeover @savedbyloves @cececaldwell

Not bad for a $5 table, CeCe Caldwell supplies (thank you, Bungalow 47) and an afternoon’s work.  You will be seeing much more of this product around here.

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