I have not found any really fantastic pieces of furniture lately. That is how yard sales go sometimes, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t been looking. I am always on the look out for something to work with. It is fun to turn yard sale finds into terrific furniture and paint is such an easy way to do it. Painted furniture looks good and is easy to do. I recommend going with an open mind and consider it a treasure hunt. I also recommend getting up early.  That’s why the coffee cup is the opening picture!

This piece is a good example.  It just wasn’t that pretty anymore. The coffee table looked dated and dull. Do you have a piece that looks dated and dull in your house?  It may not even be a yard sale find.  The piece could be something you have had for awhile and just needs brightening up a little.

Turn Yard Sale Finds Into Terrific Furniture

The hardest part about turning yard sale furniture into terrific furniture is choosing a color. That is the one thing I deliberate over the most.  I struggle with making a choice, but you know what, you can paint over it if you do not like it.  Painted furniture instantly looks fresher and up to date.

Let’s just go over the steps to painting a piece again. Starting with,

• Clean
• Sand
• Paint
• Finish

Clean

Cleaning is not always necessary, but should be considered. Maybe the piece has been in your house forever. If that is the case then it may not be dirty. A table that is bought at a yard sale maybe have been stored in a garage or cellar.  So taking the time to wipe it down and get rid of all the cobwebs is important.  You do not want to take it back inside without wiping it down thoroughly. If the piece has drawers vacuum and wipe them out too. I had two pieces recently that were stored in a cellar.  I literally took a brush with hot soapy water and scrubbed them down a little.  After I washed them down, I let them dry.

Sand

No one likes to sand, do you like to sand? I really don’t and a lot of times I do not need to. If you are using chalk paint you may not need to. Lightly sanding will help any kind of paint stick better. This particular coffee table had a veneer top so a little sanding was in order. 

A little sanding veneer will go a long way and it really does not take that long to do the job right. You want to do it the right way. Sanding will make the paint stick even better. If you are going for the painted furniture route you want the paint to stay put.

Painted Furniture

If you are using chalk paint, which I highly recommend, your paint brush does not have to be high quality. Chalk paint goes on so easily. I used Rustoleum chalk paint this time.  It is a lot cheaper than some other brands I have used.  You can get it tinted to any color you like or just use white. I always have paint left over from other projects and custom tint a lot.

Finish

What do I mean by finish?  Well if you are going to be using the furniture on a regular basis you may need to put a finish on it, such as furniture wax. I can not say enough about Miss Mustard Seed furniture wax. MMS wax is a dream to work with. The wax is not stiff or does not stink like other brands.  It has the consistency of soft butter and goes on perfectly.  I have used others that are so stiff you feel like you are waxing a car. The finish is soft and buttery looking after you are done with the wax.  A little of this stuff goes a long way. After the finish dries buff it real well with a soft cloth.

Complete

There you go, complete. This coffee table went from drab and dreary to fantastic.  It took a total of about 2 hrs to finish.  The other wonder thing about chalk paint is how quickly between coats you can paint again. Give yourself a good 15 min between coats and you can paint again.  I put three coats of paint on this piece because it will probably get used often.

See you can do it too.  It is not hard work.  The hardest part is choosing a color.  I am serious. Just remember the steps, clean, sand, paint, finish and voila you have a terrific new looking piece of furniture.  Try it out with a piece that is not an heirloom and enjoy the instant results. It is so gratifying.