Tag: #furniture

Old Chair Gets A Quick New Look 

Blue Song Creations

I have been sick and stuck in bed for a week now. So to say I am about to go bat crazy just laying in bed day after day is an understatement. But – cruising Pinterest has kept my creative ideas flowing!  I have really been itching to get back to painting, creating and repurposing. 

I finally had some energy today so I decided I wanted to use that energy to do something creative. (I could have cleaned or done some laundry but…um…I’m not THAT well yet. teehee!)  Being stuck in bed, I’ve had the opportunity to stare at this old white chair in the corner of my room for DAYS now.

I really do love how this chair has weathered and chipped perfectly over the years but I wanted to add a little color and fun to it. I didn’t want to paint it and cover up all that beautiful, white chippy goodness so I decided to decoupage it just a little bit. 


I’ve had this gorgeous, shabby chic floral scrapbook paper for a while and I thought I would add it to the chair.


I grabbed my beloved Mod Podge, the scrapbook paper, some water, paint brush, X-acto knife, and sand paper.


I decided to alternate the slats with scrapbook paper and keep some of the chippy white slats as is. I lightly sanded the slats I wanted to cover.


I lined the paper up how I wanted it. I then used a very wet paint brush to soften the paper so I could easily tear it. You are probably wondering why I didn’t use the X-acto knife or scissors. The reason is I wanted a rough torn edge. When the paper is wet it is super easy to tear and it gives me that rough uneven edge I wanted for a used look. It is also easier to control the tear when the paper is wet.



Once I had all my pieces ready I decoupaged them to the sanded slats. 

I gently smoothed each piece down with damp fingers. I had to be very careful to get all the air bubbles out before the Mod Podge dried.



Once all the pieces were on – it looked like this…After the Mod Podge completely dried I sanded all the edges off. This is the fun part! If the paper rips or tears more – that is great! It only adds to the worn, chippy, shabby chic style.


When it was all finished I added another coat of Mod Podge to seal her up! I love how she turned out. The floral pattern added a little more interest and some shabby chic style. 



Thank you for checking out my post! If you decide to do something similar – I would love to see it! Please share! 🙂

Have a beautiful day! ~Tricia

New Life from Layers

Blue Song Creations

I was recently asked to refinish a little side table that had forty years of use and multiple layers of cracking paint on it. I got really excited to take on a job like this because it was a chance for me to try a stripping product I had been reading about online.


In various blogs and painting forums I have been reading about a great furniture stripping product. Comments like, “little to no odor”, “blew through layers of paint”, “I can use it in my house without obnoxious fumes”.  So, I had to see for myself. Well, let me tell you – this sweet orange scented stripper did just exactly all that and then exceeded my expectations with how easy it is to use. I highly recommend this product.


It is called Citristrip. Many of you already know of it but if you don’t it is a must try! Citristrip is super powerful yet it contains no methylene chloride. It is a gel so it easily clung to all surfaces of this table and it completely blew through three layers of paint in less than thirty minutes. 



It is non-caustic – so it is great for indoor use. It doesn’t really have a smell at all other than a slight orange scent. Citrus is my favorite scent in absolutely anything so it really put me in my happy place. It is also biodegradable. 

To me, the  perfect stripping product. 


Look at that! A little final clean up with mineral spirits and she was ready to be sealed.


Stripping furniture is no fun at all. Messy, sticky and gloppy (gloppy is a word right?) but if you have to strip a piece – CitriStrip is the real deal! So easy to use  – and it leaves the exposed wood in great shape too! But like with all stripping agents you will need the proper clothes protection, gloves and eyewear – so please read the label! 

After sealing this cutie she was ready to go in my clients new study. I love the beautiful wood that is now bringing some rich depth to the room. 


You can purchase Citristrip at Lowe’s, Ace Hardware, Sherwin-Williams, Home Depot – just to name a few. Check out Citristrip’s website for more information and suppliers.  

http://www.citristrip.com/

Thank you for reading! Have a beautiful day.

~ Tricia