Up-cycling is always a great, budget friendly solution to changing up your furniture. An Up-cycle Challenge was put out by Essential Stencil (for which I am an ambassador), and I was keen to find something from around our house to upcycle and join in the fun. I love to inspire others with my upcycled furniture and decor. I love to be able to challenge others to think outside the box when it comes to changing up their existing home furnishings. Ask yourself, “Is there something I can paint or refinish, instead of purchasing the item new?” The bookshelf I’m showing you was well used over the y ..read more

Have you created a glaze finish over chalk paint? In looking at how to create a glazed finish over chalk type paint, I’ve found this method I show here, the best, in my opinion. It can be different adding glaze to a chalk paint (porous finish) than it is to a mineral paint (non-porous finish) that usually has a built in top coat. For a detailed post on the difference between chalk paint, mineral paint and milk paint – head HERE. In this post I’ll go through the basic steps I used to prep, paint, stencil and seal. Then I’ll explain the glaze process with the help of a tutorial video I recorde ..read more

Looking for a light tan toned wash for your next furniture project? Creating a stain wash with any water based paint is easy to do. During a Facebook live I did on my page this week for Essential Stencil using their adorable stencils, I shared a quick tutorial on how to create a stain wash on the large sign board I was using. In the world of painting with Fuson Mineral Paint right now, there’s a popular wash going around using the colour Algonquin. But in Australia, as of this writing, we are out of stock until our next shipment comes in. But I want to encourage you, that you can effectivel ..read more

I love refinishing silky oak pieces. This silky oak sideboard belonged to someone who had plans to refinish it herself, but along with a few other items, she decided to move it along to someone who might like to do it up. That’s me! It needed a few repairs, and the top drawer was missing a good chunk from the top edge, but I created a solution using builders bog (bondo). I realised I really didn’t take a lot of process pictures on this one, but you can always use the search bar here on my blog, to find particular process tips on other makeovers I’ve written up. How this piece started T ..read more

Easy side table makeover for first time painters on a budget This Cambridge side table makeover is a great example of an easy project you could do in one day, especially for those of you starting out in furniture painting. If you have never painted furniture or decor before, and you’d like to start with something simple, I’d suggest looking for something small like this side table or you could find a stool or small table without a drawer. I know how it is when you want to change up a space in your home, but a new piece of furniture isn’t quite in your budget. Here’s where you can easily tran ..read more

“Lost at Sea” – a New Colour Collection from Fusion Mineral Paint   “Lost at Sea” is the inspirational theme behind these 7 new colours from Fusion Mineral Paint in their latest release of new shades for your furniture painting pleasure. These are now available here in Australia for pre-orders as of today, 18th June 2023, and for purchase in store after the 24th. I’m excited to see what you’ll paint with these. You can follow along the pre-release inspirational posts on the Fusion Mineral Paint Facebook page for more images of furniture in these colours this week. You’ll find links ..read more

From Golden Pine Chipped Varnish, to Modern Wash & Paint Combo Cotswold Green Bedside drawer beginnings … These bedside tables had served a great purpose for many years, when I received them from a friend who was getting rid of furniture recently. I would usually start these together as a pair, stripping, sanding, and painting them both, side by side. This time I decided to make over one to start with, so that I could have a side by side before and after example to show the difference you too can make, on some old furniture you may have lying around at home. But, to be honest, I’m not s ..read more

Fusion’s Everett was a colour I was hesitant to try … Fusion’s colour, Everett, was one that I hadn’t thought of using for anything in particular, until a customer sent me a picture of the piece she had painted using this beautiful shade of olive green. I was inspired to find a piece to use it on, and I already had a silky oak dresser with two drawers sitting in my garage waiting to paint. Prepping the Dresser for a new Finish It was an old silky oak dresser that had seen better days, but it was a lovely marketplace find. I removed its handles as a few were broken. In this photo, I had ..read more

This decoupage plant pot is an easy upcycle, so if you have one lying around the house, why not give this a try. Materials used in this tutorial: bamboo plant pot Artisan Chalk Finish, colour – Creme Brulee Decoupage papers by Raggedy Bits. Artisan Flat Matte Sealer any paint brush for application of decoupage. I created a video below to show you more clearly how I used Artisan’s Flat Matte Sealer to use as a decoupage medium. If you’ve only used the sealer as a sealer, then let me introduce another creative idea for its use. A quick shout out to my fellow creative DIY-er & friend, Sam ..read more

This old tool box (the one at the back of this image, and a smaller version) was found at a local market, so I took it home for some TLC and a little transformation. Fusion Mineral Paint – Blue Pine In my Youtube video below, I show you how I painted the tool box using Fusion Mineral Paint in the colour, Blue Pine. Blue Pine is a versatile blue-green with a grey tint, making it the perfect choice to make a bold statement on its own or as a neutral foundation within any room. Stencils & Transfers Both the stencils and the rub on transfers I used on this old tool box are from US ..read more