DIY- Painting Furniture Tips

 So, as I have been doing 20 million things(a little exaggeration), I squeezed in painting this cabinet.  I enjoy buying furniture off Craigslist, even when I don't need anything new. This piece I bought for $40.00 and when I bought it I knew exactly where I would put it. That is important when I buy furniture and don't really know what I want to do with it, it's not a piece I usually keep. The piece I replaced I never really thought was "special" and I sold it on craigslist. I can't stand clutter, so I have the same rule with my closet as I do furniture, when I get something new get rid of something old. I am lucky that I am one of those people that is able to visualize something in my head. When I closed my eyes I knew what I wanted this piece to look like. I knew I wanted some stripes. Of course I forgot to take a picture of before, but I did find one similar in color to give you an idea.

My cabinet was similar in color of the wood.

Looks a lot more modern and up- to-date, it is actually one of my favorite pieces.

 So, when you have an old piece of furniture, or something you purchased from the thrift store and you think you want to paint it, there are a few things you should consider.(or at least this is what I do)

1. Should you paint the piece because it might be worth more money if left natural wood.
2. I always paint everything, so usually number one doesn't apply to me. My mom gets on me often about this because I painted an antique or two. When I was painting this the other day in my yard, my neighbor asked me if I just like painting things over and over. I told her it was new.  My thought is if I won't use it in the natural color why not paint it, because I feel my house has a more modern feel.
3. Before painting always use a primer- I use spray paint primer. They have some great ones that are fast and easy.
4. Paint for free!Yes, one of my secrets is some hardware stores have what is called "oops" paint. This is paint that someone else didn't like, maybe wasn't the right color. Nothing is wrong with it, but they sell a gallon from 5 to 7 dollars. Also, now hardware stores offer samples of paint and maybe someone changed their mind, and it is to small of an amount to sell. So, the store offers it for free(as seen in my photo)This amount could be enough to paint a small piece of furniture.

 5. You may also have extra paint from a room you painted. For this project, I used the paint I had left over from painting my bathroom last year.
6. For this piece, I painted it all over with 2 to 3 coats. Let it dry for at least 2 days.
7. I thought about my stripes for a while and decided to do them over the door. The best is to measure the space between them to make sure they even.
8. Use painting tape for your stripes, not masking tape. Masking tape allows paint to seep under.
9. For my stripes I used stain. I apply one coat, then I sanded it down and repeat until you get the desired effect.

10. The only other expense was my fabulous knob from Hobby Lobby for 50% off, so I got this little number for $2.50.

11. Adding accessories to a piece of furniture is just as important as it is to an outfit.

Everything I used was located somewhere in my house. I am a big fan of using what you have instead of buying more.

Have you been working on any projects this summer? Or do you have a project you would like to get done?