DecoArt Garage Party!

Spring has sprung which means it's time to declutter and work on a few things you've been putting off all winter.  A few weeks ago I had some friends over for a GARAGE PARTY.  We ate quiche, drank mimosas and painted pieces of furniture that needed a makeover.  We all used Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint and all of our pieces turned out amazing!  Why not gather a few of your friends together for a painting party this spring?!  Have fun! xox, Mark

Me and the gang!

My friend Kayla!

Watch the video here!

 Scott made over a 70's side table with CARBON and LACE.

He painted the table black first, rubbed wax over it, painted it white and then sanded down the details to expose the black undercoat.

 Kayla made over a simple kitchen chair with VINTAGE and RELIC

and used a PARIS Americana Decor Stencil for the seat.

Jaime painted a Queen Anne table with SMITTEN and gave it a vintage crème wax finish.

After it was dry she sanded some areas down to give it a chipped, aged look.

 Danielle painted my candle holders to match my porch in HERITAGE 

and then added touches of gold.

I love the 70s feel!

Stephanie painted her side dresser with a base of TREASURE 

and then coated it with REMEMBRANCE. 

When it dried, she sanded it to expose the Treasure base coat.

I think she likes furniture to match her hair!

 Jonathan found this piece on the street and after sanding it down

he decided to paint it in INHERITANCE and NEW LIFE green to match his

eclectic colorful home!

Tanner and Courtney joined us and painted their wood filing cabinet 

in LACE white and ESCAPE blue and then sanded it down 

to give it an aged look.

Build a stool or bench in no time!

I'm short!  There, I said it! I can't reach the top shelf in my kitchen and I have always resorted to crawling up on the counter like a 3 year old trying to get to the cookie jar.  It's UGLY!  I finally decided to make a kitchen stool that serves as an extra seat at the table and a fine way for me to reach the top shelf in my cabinets without breaking a leg!  The awesome thing about this stool is that you can paint it to match your decor in minutes!  I used Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint and DecoArt stencils and I love the way it turned out.  Extend the support and top wood board and you have a bench that seats 3 people!  

Watch the video tutorial

YOU'LL NEED

Distressed Harlequin Stencil

The French Bakery Stencil

Americana Decor Crème Wax in Golden Brown

Americana Decor Light Satin Varnish

Americana Decor Chalky Finish paint in Lace, Serene and Relic

2 (1” x 12”) pine boards, 17” long

1 (1” x 12”) pine board, 13” long

1 (1” x 12”) pine board, 18” long

12 (2-inch) finishing nails

Wood Glue

Ruler 

Pencil

Paintbrushes

 Draw a line down the center of both sides of each of the two 17" long boards

Add glue to the line and position the 13" long board on the line

 Flip it over and nail the 17" board to the 13" board

Add glue to the other side of the 13" board 

Center the other 17" board on top and nail it in place

This creates the bottom of your bench

 Center the seat (the 18" board) on top of the base

Adhere it to the base with more wood glue

Draw a line through the center and along the sides directly above the 17" boards on the base

This will help you place your nails

Nail the seat in place

Paint the entire bench in Lace

Stencil 4 rows of the harlequin on each side of the seat with Serene

Stencil the harlequin on both sides of the bench 

 Stencil the French Bakery Stencil in the center of the seat with Relic 

Using the straight edge of the stencil, add a frame around the seat

When dry, coat the entire bench in the Light Satin Varnish

When the varnish is dry, paint on a small amount of creme wax and rub it off with a damp cloth to give it an aged look 

Viola! 

Storage Trunk Makeover DIY

When I went away to college my parents got me this inexpensive black trunk for all of my clothes.  It was made of hard cardboard and had brass findings all over it and it was the perfect storage/side table.  Recently I saw an amazing vintage trunk at an estate sale (but it was $400) and I immediately thought of how I could get the same look with my basic black storage trunk.  I'm a color addict and love the turquoise, but you could truly paint it any color you want and get the same results.  I used Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paints and a wax technique for this project...... and I love the way it looks!  I hope you do, too.

 Outside in front of my craft house

In my living room

Watch the video tutorial

 YOU'LL NEED

Large storage trunk

Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Rustic, Treasure & Yesteryear

Americana Decor Ultra-Matte Varnish

Americana Decor Paris Stencil

Sanding blocks or sander

Paintbrushes

Household or candle wax

 Rub wax on your trunk (go crazy with it)

Paint the entire trunk (except for the hardware) with Rustic and let dry for 30 minutes

 Sand the trunk with a sanding block or sander

*The paint will sand off in the areas where you waxed

Wipe your trunk with a damp rag

Rub wax on your trunk again

Paint the entire trunk in Treasure and let dry

Sand again, exposing the Rustic paint and the original color of the trunk

Stencil on the front using the color Yesteryear

Protect the entire trunk with the Ultra-Matte Varnish

Vintage Door Shelf DIY

Not long ago I was coming home and noticed a beautiful wooden door on the side of the street, so I hauled it up 3 flights of stairs to my house.  I live on a stair street, not a regular car street.  I wasn't quite sure what to do with the door, but I knew that it had great potential.  After a few weeks of trying to figure it out, I finally came up with this outdoor shelf for my starter plants.  You could just as easily use this inside your home for books or bric-a-brac.  The best thing about this project is that it was practically free.  I aged the door even more with Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paints and Crème Wax in Golden Brown.  Next time you see a door on the street, bring it home! 

My lovely outdoor plant shelf

Flower Market in French

Watch the video tutorial

YOU'LL NEED

Old beat up door

Five 1"x12"x24" pine boards

Drill

10 "L" brackets

Sanding block or sander

Paintbrushes

Americana Decor Chalky Finish in Delicate, Lace and Heritage, Rustic

Americana Decor Crème Wax in Deep Brown

Americana Decor Flower Market stencil

 1.  Paint large patches of Lace and Heritage all over the door and shelves.  Don’t worry about being neat or creating a pattern, just go crazy and be random.  Leave some of the original color of the door showing if you like the original color.  If not, cover everything with the large patches of paint.

 2.  Rub wax over the details of the door and over the patches you just painted. 

3.  Paint over the entire door in Delicate and let dry for 30 minutes.

4.  Sand the door with a sanding block to reveal the areas where you applied the wax.  The base colors will start to show through and the door will start to look more aged.

5. Hit and scratch the door with a hammer to age it some more.

6.  Paint the creme wax over the door and then rub it off with a cloth.

* This will highlight the scratches and dents and give it more character.

7.  Screw your "L" brackets to each of the shelves (2 each should be fine).

8.  Apply the shelves to the door.

9.  Stencil across the very top of the door and you're done!