Over the weekend I finally finished my five year old daughter’s bedroom.  Take a tour through this bloom filled room with me, and remember all of the DIY projects that contributed to the final result.

The window panels shown below are simple sheers in blush pink and in white to allow for plenty of light, with a glass knob rod from Target.  She has a inside mount shade underneath that blocks light for naps or bedtime.  The silk covered tufted bench you’ll remember from this thrift store transformation.

The bedding was a bit of a splurge.  It is the Bedding of Roses from the Land of Nod, with matching euro shams.  I had contemplated making my own version with two flat sheets and some ruffle trim, but because this was the perfect shade of blush pink, I bought the set instead.  The personalized bolster pillow I embroidered myself, then added some ribbon detail.  The paisley pillow was $10 at Marshalls.

Next to her bed is a nightstand that I bought for $3 from a yard sale last year.  I painted it white, and then spray painted the decorative pull a soft pink.  The jewelry holder I made last week with this project.  I bought this handmade doll several years ago at a local shop.

Next to the nightstand sits a dollhouse, built by Mr. CG many years ago.  It sits on my old coffee table from college.  The table is not attractive, so I hid it under the gathered tablecloth I sewed from some Waverly fabric, again in paisley print.  We hide toys and shoes underneath the skirt.  All of her dollhouse furniture is kept organized in some baskets from Michael’s and some hat boxes from the Land of Nod.

Then there is the girly glamorous closet I featured in this post.  I just love the beaded velvet curtains, the striped wall, and the green ‘Dresses’ sign above.

Next to the closet is last month’s painted cabinet project sitting below, with the oak painted mirror from this project hung above.

On the dresser is an antique milk glass vase with some peonies.  The fringed table runner is made from just a bit of toile I with a simple sew project.  Behind the door are some sweet little hooks for holding all things girly, like purses or ballerina tutus.  I will use them to hold sweaters and her robe as well.  In the corner is the cherry tree mural from this project.

On the cherry tree wall is the sweet little green painted desk from this project that I bought from a local thrift store for less than $10.  The vanity stool is from this project.  She has two of them, and uses them for impromptu tea parties.

And I cannot part with the little ballet slippers that she has long since outgrown.  They make great decor !

So here it is, finally finished.  The bed was a floor sample I picked up at a local shop for $300 when she was only one (and it was in storage for a year).  I couldn’t resist the look, and the price.  And if you’re curious, the chandelier I made myself in this project many months back.  The canopy was made with last week’s Velcro solution.

This one’s pretty happy with her lovely little space!

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I’m up to my old tricks again, picking up bargain furniture for cheap at the Goodwill thrift store, and transforming into something better for my home.

Some of you might actually like the “Before” and I have to tell you, I did too, but it was terribly scratched up at the base and on top, and for fifteen dollars, I felt no guilt in painting it.  The finish was also a speckled stain you see on a lot of old furniture, and up close it looked very old fashioned.  So I decided to paint it white for my daughter’s room because it was the perfect size for a narrow wall. 

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Y’all know I often circle the local thrift stores in the hopes of finding new treasures.  Last week, I found a solid wood desk with a few scratches and dings, but overall in really good condition.  I mixed up a batch of color with some leftover paint samples, and transformed this old fashioned desk into a lovely green gem perfect for my little girl’s room.

Here’s the Before and After:

I had been looking for a desk for my daughter’s room, and got really lucky when I saw the $16.00 price tag on this desk at the local St. Vincent de Paul.  Yes I know.  Sixteen dollars.

But get this.  I asked the manager for a discount, and he gave me 40% off, so I only paid $9.60 for this solid wood desk.  Total score !

It would have been easy to sand it down and stain it like I did with this dresser, but with those feminine base legs and that French style hardware, I just had to place it in my daughter’s room, and that meant I had to paint it.

I was inspired by these bright pieces I saw at the local Antique Fair a few weeks ago, selling for hundreds of dollars.

I decided, rather than painting the desk a cream color like all of the other furniture in her room, that I would mix it up !  Be bold ! Paint it green !  But what color green ?

I had some leftover color from her wall paint, added some apple green paint from my stash, and I mixed in some gray too for a custom color.

Painting Older Wood Furniture:

Supplies:

1. Medium grade sandpaper
2. Primer
3. Paint color of choice
4. Roller brush and holder
5. Polycrylic protectant

Step One:  Remove hardware. Sand your surface to remove any varnish or debris in preparation of primer.

Step Two:  Prime your piece with a good primer.  I prefer the spray variety since it saves a lot of time, but you can also use a brush on like Zinsser’s oil based in the brown can.   Allow to dry for recommended time.  I highly recommend these snap on spray paint guns, they save time and finger cramps, plus assist with even application.

Step Three:  Roll on the paint with a roller and follow up with a paintbrush to smooth any uneven spots and fill in any hard to reach nooks.  Apply two coats and allow to dry for 24 hours.

A few helpful tips on paint application:

1. Use a new roller brush (not the rolling tool, the roller brush itself).  I tried to be “green” and reuse an old roller leftover from a previous project, but it had tiny fibers and dust on it, which ended up in my paint, and I had to hand pick it all out, wasting about thirty minutes and causing intense frustration.  Aaarrrggghh.  Spend the extra $2 for the new roller – trust me.
2. Paint in an area where there is no chance of a breeze.  In my case, it was my garage with the garage door closed and the screened window open.  I have tried to paint outside several times, but the gnats and dust always ends up in my paint, and I really wasn’t looking for that extra “texture”.

Here I am painting in my garage last Thursday late at night in frustration because my personal favorite was kicked off American Idol.  I was working off my anger.   (My poor Danny. Sniff, sigh.)

Step Four (optional):  If you seek a distressed or antiqued look, go over the edges of your painted surface lightly with sandpaper to expose the wood underneath.

Step Five:  Apply a protectant like Minwax Polycrylic to your piece to protect your marvelous paint job.  I like to use Minwax products for a good reason.  If you’ve distressed your edges with sandpaper, the poly also helps to enhance the wood tone underneath.  Allow your poly to dry for at least 24 hours.

This French style hardware antiqued and beautiful so I didn’t paint or polish it.

I lined the drawers with some pretty paper too.

Final Result

Here’s the desk in her room:

What do you all think of the new desk?  Are you about to paint a piece of furniture and completely transform it?   Do tell.

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Last week, I picked up this dowdy bench with really great lines at a local thrift store.  It was $12.  I transformed it this past weekend with fresh paint, a bit of silk, and some custom fabric covered buttons.  If you want to know how to create a custom tufted seat, follow the tutorial at the end of this post.

Here’s the Before and After:

The first thing that had to go was the original fabric.  Ewwww.  The bench seat was easily removed with a screwdriver, but those side cushions were another story.  I thought they would simply peel off with a little tugging.  I was way wrong.  I had to take the end of a hammer to them, and the inner stuffing completely disintegrated in the process.  Pliers were necessary to get the green fabric off.

The paint had yellowed, so I decided to prime it and give it a fresh coat of white paint.  Then I gave it a good coat of spray paint in RustOleum’s ‘Heirloom White’.

Once the bench’s wood frame was completely painted, I recovered the bench with some fabric and a staple gun in some pale green silk.   [That’s “lemongrass” colored silk from Joann’s Fabrics – it was on sale for $8 for 2 feet.] Note:  If you are tufting a cushion, make sure you drill your holes through the seat cushion before you cover with fabric.

Tufting Tutorial for a Bench or Cushion

Supplies:

1. Screwdriver to create holes in seat cushion
2. Long needles (called Decorator Needles) from craft store
3. Thin twine or embroidery thread (regular sewing thread is not strong enough)
4. Button cover kits
5. Staple gun and staples

Once the bench had been covered in fabric, I created the custom buttons with the scraps of silk leftover and some custom button kits.  These kits make it very simple to use your fabric of choice to create custom buttons for tufting with the same fabric you use to cover your seat cushion.

Thread your decorator needle with the thin twine or embroidery thread.  Push the needle up from the bottom through the pre-drilled hole.  Once you come up on top of the cushion, thread your needle through the button.  Push the needle back down through the hole and pull button tight to fabric to create desired amount of tufting.

Use your staple gun to secure the thread to the underside of the cushion.  Staple the thread once, then pull the thread in the opposite direction, and staple it down again.  Secure with a knot.

One final problem with my bench was covering the marks from those previous side cushions.  Rather than creating my own side cushions like I did here and here, I chose to keep the sides open and airy.  I covered the marks from the previous cushions with hot glue and some simple gimp trim.

Bench $12, Primer and Paint $6, Fabric $8, Button Kits $7, Needles $4, Embroidery Thread $1.  Total = $38  Isn’t it amazing what a little paint and fabric can do?

Isn’t it amazing what a little paint and fabric can do?