Blanket Chest Makeover with DIY Paint and Glaze
A DIY tutorial for a painted and glazed blanket chest
It's a new day and a new project here at the diy beautify home...and to be honest, this makeover about did me in friends!
I wound up at the chiropractor with a severe muscle spasm in my back and several ribs out of place 😞
Thankfully, the spasm didn't hit me until after I completed this vibrant, bold blanket chest makeover! Way to think positively, right?
Mr DIY and I bought this oak chest or trunk shortly after we married in 1992 (I'll let you do the math!). It's been a great storage piece, has a cedar interior, but the back is unfinished so we always struggled with how and where to use it. It had to be up against a wall to hide the ugly back.
The oak was feeling a little dated and I wanted not only a fresh new look...but a brand new function for this piece! Here is the before.
Today I want to show you how I gave this blanket chest a bold makeover using DIY chalk paint and glaze. This process would work well for any furniture piece.
Affiliate links are included for your convenience; my full disclosure policy is here.
SUPPLIES FOR BLANKET CHEST MAKEOVER
- my favorite degreaser
- DIY chalk paint in a $3 store sample (click here for the easy and inexpensive recipe!)
- paint brush (I love my Purdy!)
- frog tape
- sanding sponge
- black acrylic paint
- damp paper towels
- clear and dark wax
- lint-free cloth
HOW TO ANTIQUE FURNITURE WITH DIY PAINT AND GLAZE
The look I was going for with this chest was a layered, antique look. I wanted a bold color, but kind of worn, like it had been around for 100 years instead of just 25! I achieved this by following several steps, which I'll break down for you below.
After cleaning the chest and letting it dry, I taped off the edges and the key hole.
After cleaning the chest and letting it dry, I taped off the edges and the key hole.
I used some leftover Americana Decor Chalky Finish Paint in Treasure, a bright turquoise, to give it a base coat. And then lightly sanded it to smooth. The key to creating depth with glaze is layering colors. This bright turquoise will be more of an accent color rather than the main color, so keep that in mind.
In these next pictures, you can see that I didn't completely cover the bare wood but let some streaks show through.
I mixed up some DIY chalk paint and then watered down the paint 1:1 in another container to create the first coat of glaze.
The beauty of DIY chalk paint is that YOU decide on the color! I headed to Home Depot and found a great coastal navy blue that I loved and had them mix that color into a flat sample paint pot. This is a great size for smaller projects, and is very, very affordable! The link to my DIY chalk paint recipe is above in the 'supplies' list.
The beauty of DIY chalk paint is that YOU decide on the color! I headed to Home Depot and found a great coastal navy blue that I loved and had them mix that color into a flat sample paint pot. This is a great size for smaller projects, and is very, very affordable! The link to my DIY chalk paint recipe is above in the 'supplies' list.
I applied this DIY glaze with a paint brush, working on one side of the chest at a time. After painting a coat of glaze on, I wiped most of it off with a damp paper towel. You can see that the darker color, even though watered down, slowly adds depth of color to the painted chest.
Next I darkened the glaze by adding about 1 Tablespoon of black acrylic paint to it and mixing well. Then I painted this darker glaze on the chest, following the steps above, and wiped off.
You can see how the color is deepening. If I didn't wipe the glaze off, I would essentially just be changing the overall color. By wiping off, leaving it heavier in some areas and lighter in others, I'm able to create depth and interest (and age!) to the chest.
I repeated this step one more time with the dark glaze.
Important note: I always let the paint and/or glaze dry before starting on the next layer!
Once I was happy with the color, I attacked the chest with a sanding sponge and my palm sander, removing paint from the areas where I imagine it would naturally wear. I went heavier in some areas, removing paint right down to the original stain. I love how you can see the layers of paint when you do this!
See that bright turquoise peeking through?
See that bright turquoise peeking through?
And the final step was to wax. I used both clear and dark wax and applied with a lint-free cloth. I buffed the wax into the furniture for beautiful and instant sheen!
The finished piece is bright and bold and such a change from the boring original!
This back room of our home is a sun room, where I have become a crazy plant lady! It has a wall of windows looking out into the backyard, as well as the back of our massive 2-sided fireplace for cozy winter evenings (rather rare here in TX but still...)
I have big plans to add wood walls and create a cozy space to hang out, read and relax...and grow more plants! The way it's going with my back, either it's going to have to wait or Mr DIY will be doing all the work. I'm hoping for the latter! 😉
Update: the sunroom is finished! It's a light, bright and airy space where we love to hang out! The wood walls make it extra cozy; you can view it here.
Have you ever glazed or antiqued a piece of furniture? I would love to hear your thoughts!
Update: the sunroom is finished! It's a light, bright and airy space where we love to hang out! The wood walls make it extra cozy; you can view it here.
Cindy I hope you are feeling better. Prayers for a speedy recovery. Your chest is so pretty with all those layers that you have applied. Pinning this one.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Mary, your prayers are appreciated! Taking it one day at a time... and lots of ice! Thanks for pinning my trunk makeover!
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