Napking decoupage table-top makeover

Continuing on with my trusted table...today I wanted to show you how I finished it: Including how I transformed the table top from plain to extraordinary...

I will also show you how I made a new drawer pull...

Unfortunately, the Hemp oil I have ordered to finish off and protect the paint work has still not arrived as I write this...I will just have to update this post to cover the application of the Hemp oil at a later stage....apologies!

So with my table finished painted, I did a quick wax and buff using my clear finishing wax....just for protection...Milk paint has a tendency to dry out and start peeling (even more) if it is not sealed and protected....

 

Then I got on with my table top transformation....

But before I show you what I did, I will show you how I sealed and finished the paint job...(because my Hemp oil finally arrived today....just after I published this post this morning....typical, isn't it??)

I decided to use some Miss mustard Seed Hemp oil , because as well as sealing and protecting the paint finish, it will feed the dryness of the milk paint and prevent it from further flaking...

If you are in the UK , like me, you can get the MMS hemp oil from beautifully boho ...

It is really easy to use, and a great alternative to finishing wax....especially over raw wood and over milk paint , as there is no need for buffing...

Simply wipe it on with a soft rag...

I applied 2 layers, leaving 3 hours between coats...

It didn't really change the appearance of the paint finish other than taking away the dryness, so if you are after a sheen to your finish, stick with wax...

Now, for the table top transformation:

Like I said in the previous post, I have had a plan for this table for a while...

Over a year ago I found these beautiful napkins in TK Maxx, and immediately thought they'd look great on this table....Hence the colour choice for the paint finish....

 So, using mod podge I am going to show you how I decoupaged the table top:

First I laid out the napkins on the table top, so I could see how they would best fit...

Then I peeled off the extra layers of tissue on the napkins, so I was only left with the printed sheet....

this is very important to minimise air bubbles and wrinkles....

Working at one small area at the time, I painted a thin layer of mod podge directly on to the table...

I found it best to do this in straight lines, the length of the napkins, approximately 1-2 inches at the time...then I carefully placed the whole sheet (usually when decoupaging you will tear your tissue in bits and apply bit by bit, by overlapping...) of the napkin on top.....smoothing it down with my hand... 

Working like this....little by little....I continued to apply the mod podge, by folding back the napkin, applying the glue, then smoothing down....pulling the napkins gently into position....

I used the whole sheets of the napkins because I liked the kaleidoscope-effect it created when I butted the napkins up against each other....making sure the pattern in the napkins matched up as best as I could....

( this could be quite tricky, as the napkins will stretch and crease a bit when they are glued down....just take your time!!)

I didn't, as is usual when decoupaging, immediately cover the napkins with mod podge on top, because I didn't want it all to be sticky mess...and I found it easier to work this way....

The mod podge will dry quite quickly, so make sure you work swiftly and systematically, until the surface is completely covered with napkins....

 

I then used a metal ruler and a sharp scalpel to trim back any excess and neaten up the edges...

...don't do this whilst your napkins are still wet with glue, as you can risk tearing the napkins, but wait until the mod podge is just starting to stiffen...

...when I'd covered the table top, I pained a layer of mod podge all over the surface to seal it in...

 

As the napkins I've used, have a bit of writing on them down the sides (as you can see in the picture below), I decided to use some suitable images from my my stash of "glansbilder" (old fashioned glossy decoupage images) to cover this......

....and they were also useful for covering up any little tears and imperfections in the napkins....

You can of course  also cut out some images from you napkins to do this..

Again I used some mod podge...

I simply painted a layer of mod podge  onto the area I wanted to cover...

chose and placed some images that blended in with the pattern in the napkins on top, and painted another layer of mod podge over...

Then I used my fingers to smooth down...

I kept going back over the images to smooth them down, as they kept lifting off a bit at the edges, until the mod podge was almost completely dried...

Here are some pictures of the surface areas that I covered to get rid of the writing in the napkins:

     

 Not only did this cover the unsightly writing and any other blemishes in the napkins, but it also created some more interest in the surface...

When the mod podge was fully dried....

I applied 3 coats of polyurethane clear varnish....making sure each layer was completely dried before applying the next...(It said on the tin to leave 6 hours inbetween coats, but as we are having a heatwave here in the UK at the moment, I found that 3 hours was sufficient for the varnish to dry...)

I used Polyurethane varnish on the table top because it is very hard wearing and durable...

...and it also created a nice sheen to the surface...

Making a new drawer pull...

Some time in between us moving house, and me digging this table out from our shed to do it up, the knob/drawer pull hag gone missing....

So I decided to make a new one to match the surface....

I used some oven bake Sculpey....

I got this shape by simply rolling a ball of the Sculpey on my kitchen table with the palm of my hand...

...then I put a light pressure on it to create a little flat surface on the underside, so it will sit flush against the drawer...it only took a minute!!

Then I cooked it in my kitchen oven for 1/2 hour at 130 degrees Celsius..

When it had cooled down, I drilled a hole in the back of it...

...so that I could simply screw it on to the drawer...

Then I cut a circular shape of my napkin to fit, with little "darts" cut in, so that I could easily fold it around the knob...then I simply decoupaged it on...

When the mod podge was fully dried, I varnished this as well...

 

This has been one of my favourite projects so far....a lot of hard work for sure, but I think the end result was worth it....

 

What do you think?

I am now ready to enjoy my day in the sun...

...so I wish you all a great weekend!!

xxx

June

homemade milkpaint over homemade chalkpaint....

...A shabby chic paint makeover of an old pine table

On Monday I showed you some pictures of my old Pine dining/coffee table...

I have had a plan for a while on how I wanted to transform it:

I want a two tone distressed effect...like it is a really old table that has been painted loads of times, with a chippy paint finish, where the "old" paint is shoving through...

 The table top I want to do something special to, and without being too mysterious, I want to save this for my Saturday DIY tutorial...so stay tuned!

So, having discovered the joys of Chalk paint last week, I thought: that is the perfect paint to use....

....but as I've been doing my research, I came across Milk paint....so then I thought: Why don't I combine the two for an ultra chippy-look on my table....

As I am on a tight budget, I decided to make the paints myself....so keep reading for easy recipes on both homemade Chalk paint ......and Milk paint....

I found loads of useful information on choosing the right paint type for your project at the very talented miss mustard seed's blog....this is also where I learned that chalk paint makes an excellent primer for milk paint....

If you would like to do some research yourself on different paint types and techniques, please visit my pinterest board painting and finishing for loads of useful links....

Anyway...you can do research until you are blue in the face....but the best way to learn is to jump in ....and just DO IT......(and maybe you'll end up with blue hands, like me, instead)!!

So here goes: 

The prep...

 

The first thing to do is give it a good clean....

...I used sugar soap

Then I filled all the holes and dinks with wood filler...

 

And sanded it level with the wood...

 After wiping off all the dust....

       

....I used some spray primer to seal in the knots in the wood...

(You can also use knotting solution for this...but I used what I had to save my pennies...)

 That's it....prep done!!

Now for the paint....

Homemade Chalk paint

So, last week I used a branded chalk paint to paint my friends book shelf.

So, feeling a little braver , I decided to try one of the recipes for home made chalk paint I found online at salvaged inspirations for my table.....

 

Recipe:

3 parts paint ( water based indoor paint ie: emulsion)

1 part plaster of paris

water

Mix up the plaster with some water until smooth and mix in the paint...

That's it....simple hey??

You can add more water if you would like a more runny paint...

 

Because I've got other plans for the table top, I turned the table upside down before I started painting..

It also made it easier to get into all those nooks and crannies...

I loved the chalk paint mix....it went on smoothly with good coverage...

I actually preferred this homemade version to the branded chalk paint I used last week...

I did two coats...making sure the first coat was fully dried before applying the next

Usually, you are meant to sand in between the coats, but as I am using the chalk paint as a primer , I didn't bother....

Hey! I like living on the edge...

I slightly unscrewed the table legs before painting, so that I didn't paint them shut... 

 

Chalk paint done....

I painted the table top with a coat of  primer...

I let the paint cure over night...

Then I used my palm sander to smooth out any brush strokes and distress the chalk paint....

The curved table legs I sanded by hand...I used 80 grit sand paper.

Then I used my sanding sponge (ca. 120 grit) to smooth over any rough bits..

The homemade chalk paint distressed beautifully when I sanded it...but the moist rag technique didn't do anything....

Now is the time to mix up your....

.....Home made Milk Paint

Milk paint has been around since Egyptian times, and is traditionally made by curdling milk, separating the curds from the whey, and adding pigments....

But I managed to find this simple recipe at Steve Tomlin Crafts.

It is a naturally thin paint that is very good for using on raw wood and porous surfaces, as it soaks in like a stain, yet looks like paint...

As with chalk paint there is no need for sanding and priming before painting, and when used on top of a previously treated surface, it will naturally peel off and distress beautifully and is perfect for creating that chippy old paint effect....

When purchasing a branded milk paint, it will come in powder form that needs to be mixed with water...

This is exactly what this recipe emulates:

Recipe:

1 part bicarbonate of soda

1 part pigment

4 parts milk powder

6 parts water

Mix all the powders together....

Add the water...mix well.

Let stand for 1 hour to let the powders settle...

Then stir vigorously just before painting....

Whilst I waited for my milk paint to settle, I gave the table a once over with wax...

Because I wanted the milk paint to do its beautiful chippy thing, I needed to seal the porous surface of the chalk paint...so that the milk paint wouldn't just soak in...

After a quick wax and buff using an old pillow case....

 

....I painted my table with my homemade milk paint....

...it goes on like a wash..

Don't hang about when painting with milk paint as it dries very quickly....

...and take care not to go over where you have painted already before the coat is properly dried, as this will cause the paint to lift, and make a mess of your paint job....

I left the first coat to dry for 2 hours before applying a second coat....

The second coat gave a good coverage....

When the second coat was fully dried, it was again time for some sanding and distressing...

The properties of the milk paint will cause it to flake off when sanding ....

...milk paint will flake off in an unpredictable way: some places will flake more than others....

Don't panic! This is the look of milk paint, and you will end up with an authentic flaky aged patina...

I used my palm sander on the flat areas of the table, using sandpaper grit 80...

You can control the flaking a bit by using a higher grit sand paper, or if you want a softer distressing effect, you can sand by hand.....

On the curved table legs I used 80 grit sand paper, and sanded by hand....

When I was happy with the distressed effect, I  used my 120 grit sanding sponge all over, to smooth out any brush strokes, and the grany-ness of the milk paint....

 

You can also distress the milk paint with a moist rag, but then you wont get the flaky effect...more a streaky wash- effect....

After a quick wipe down to get rid of any dust from the sanding, I am ready for the finishing...

Milk paint should always be finished using either hemp oil or a finishing wax, for protection...

...But more on this on Saturday, when I will also show you what I did to the table top....

I know this look is not for everyone, but if like me, you like the aged and distressed look, chalk paint and milk paint lends itself very well to achieving this effect....

By making my own paints, I have saved my self a fortune:

A tin of branded Chalk paint can cost between £20- 50....I made my own for less than £5

and a bag of Milk paint powder will cost upwards of £20....my home made version cost me just over £4...

If you don't feel brave enough (honestly: these recipes work really well) to make your own:

Annie Sloan is the original and best brand of chalk paint, and are now widely sold in the UK...

You can find lots of useful information  and video tutorials on using chalk paint at the Annie Sloan website.

And the ready mixed miss mustard seed milk paint powder (This link will take you to her blog that has lots of useful information and tutorials on using milk paint) , you can purchase from beautifully boho..(if you are in the UK).....just add water, and mix it up as you go ....

I hope I have inspired a few of you to try these two paint type....It is a lot of fun, and you can be very creative with both colours and techniques...

Pop back again on Saturday to see how I finish my table off!!

xxx

June