DIY Magnet Board

Delys and I are in the process of re-decorating a bedroom for her daughter, and one of the things that it lacked was a place to display favorite photographs and art projects. So I took a large, framed print that hung over her bed, removed the backing, took out the print, and threw away the glass. I carefully worked around the screw eyes and wire that we used to hang the picture so that we could use them again. (I wish I had taken a photograph of the original framed picture, but I thought about it too late.) With the same chalk paint that I bought to refinish her dresser (link), I painted the frame with two coats of paint, allowing the paint to dry thoroughly between coats, and then applied a thin coat of wax.

Then I made a quick trip to Lowes and purchased a 24 x 36" sheet of metal that I had seen in the plumbing department on a previous visit. (It cost $9.99.) Our frame is 24 x 30, so I used the print as pattern, drew on the metal with a sharpie, and then cut it to size with tin snips.

I smeared a liberal amount of E6000 glue on the back of the metal, making sure that the glue was close to all the corners and edges, and then glued it to the cardboard that had been the backing for the original print. I piled big books on the metal hoping that the weight would help everything adhere better.

After the glue was dry, I put the metal in the frame and secured it with glazing points.

And here you go!

Charmed by Chalk Paint

I was a bit slow jumping on the chalk paint band wagon. Although I was intrigued by what I saw on Pinterest and loved pieces that my friends had painted, it took a push from Delys to get me started. Last summer, she decided to give her kitchen a punch of color by painting a small hutch that began its life as bedroom furniture:

We had planned to go with Annie Sloane paint because, frankly, that was the only chalk paint brand we knew, but I happened to notice that Lowes carries a chalk paint, Valspar Chalky Finish Paints, and we decided to give it a try. We chose a blue that matches colors in her living room--which is open to the kitchen--and got to work:

We simply followed the directions on the back of the can and were generally pleased with the results. One of the things that we had been told about chalk paint, along with the fact that you don't have to sand the original surface, is that it has excellent coverage. This piece definitely required two coats. We let the paint dry over night and then applied Valspar Sealing Wax for Chalky Finish Projects. The wax provides a protective layer and adds a warm patina to the paint. (They also have a darker wax that can be used for a more distressed, antiqued look.) The can suggests using a brush for application, but we used an old T-shirt rag to rub on a thin coat:

(The galley kitchen didn't give me enough space to get a great picture, 

but this gives you a glimpse of the result. It turned out great!)

A few months later while I was visiting Elin, she decided to update a desk that she purchased years ago at a thrift store. Some creative little student, Max, had written his full name in large letters on the top of the desk with a permanent marker. (It was interesting that Elin chose, without any influence from Delys or me, the same color for her project.) She also updated the drawer pulls. I don't have a before picture, but here are a couple of afters. I love that the paint makes the decorative details in the wood pop:

Our most recent project is a dresser and mirror for one of Delys' daughters. It was another thrift store find and was in good condition, so we debated about whether or not to paint it at all: 

But we opted to go white because we thought it would stand out better against her moss green walls. (This project required three coats of Valspar. My plan is to do another piece using Annie Sloane to see if the coverage is better.) 

However, we do love the result: