I gave a sneak peek of these nightstands in the post a few weeks back, “Little Tables for Sale!” that you can read here. I get a lot of questions from my followers regarding Furniture Makeovers and whether or not a Wax or Sealer is best.

Is one or the other really best? I don’t think so! It’s all about preference in my opinion.

I am NO expert on the matter and I can only speak about the products that I use and sell. Here is just an example of SOME of the items I tend to go towards on my furniture makeovers.

For the Vintage Night Stand Makeover below I used Annie Sloan Clear Wax. I painted them with two coats of Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint in Letterpress Grey then added two coats of Annie Sloan Clear Wax.

Wax Furniture Makeover

I love the look of Wax, and nowadays they come in all different colors, clear, white, black, dark, etc. I’ve also seen projects were you can take your paint color and add it to the clear wax. I believe that Wax works best on furniture pieces that are not being used in heavy traffic areas.

In the “Painted Furniture With DIY Paint” blog post, I used a clear and white wax on the Side Table and you can read about it here.

I prefer to use a Top Coat or Sealer when I am working on a piece of furniture that has high usage, like a table top for example. The Top Coat or Sealer is more durable and can stand up to wear and tear a little better than Wax.

In the Vintage Side Table with Magazine Holder I used a Top Coat Sealer and I think it came out great. You can read about it here.

The market is full of other paint products that are also known as finishing products. Here are some examples, just to name a few:

• Debi’s Design Dairy DIY Paint; Dark and Decrepit or Golden Ticket,
• Sweet Pickins Milk Paint; Oil Wax or Cream Wax,
• A Maker’s Studio; Gel Stain’s

Of course, most of these products I sell online at CreateWithCynthiaShop.com or at my store space in Redwood City, California.

Now, go out there and create something.

Cynthia

The post Wax or Sealer for Chalk Paint! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

Do you avoid having people over because you don’t like how your home looks??? I felt that way until I did my Dining Room Makeover and you can read about it here.

Furniture Makeover DIY!

Do you feel like furniture makeovers are just way too much work and too much time???

Are you living on a budget and not able to go out and purchase expensive furniture???

So, what is it that’s holding you back from doing a furniture makeover? Leave a comment below and let me know?

You can read my post, “Creating a Feature Wall for my Home and a Story About FEAR” here. Keep in mind we have probably all been resistant to start a project at some point because of an Emotion that is holding us back.

What You Need to do a Furniture Makeover!

Today, I want to help you put aside any concerns around doing a furniture makeover.

Perhaps you just don’t know what you need, or where to start?

So, if your feeling that way. I totally understand, because, I’ve been there. I got ya Sweet Friend!

Today I am going to give you the quick and dirty of what you need to do a furniture make-over. And you probably have most of it in your home, besides the paint)!

10 Things you need to do a Furniture Makeover:

(and most you probably have laying around the house)

1. Drop Cloth or Blanket.  I picked up my Drop Cloth on Amazon and I’ll include the link below. In the past I’ve used old curtains or towels. The important thing is to protect your surrounding areas, and not make a mess.
2. Cleaner – If I don’t currently have any of my favorite furniture cleaners on hand then I usually will just grab something from the kitchen. Mrs. Meyers All Purpose Cleaner works great and I usually have it on hand because each month I receive non perishable type of groceries through Grove Collaborative. Here is the link to sign up. My favorite cleaner to use on my furniture makeovers is A Maker’s Studio Furniture and Cabinetry Cleaner. It really cuts through the grime on an old piece of furniture.
3. Sand Paper/ Sanding Block – An Orbital Sander is nice to have and I have linked my favorite below, but it is not necessary. I usually choose 200 grit sanding blocks below. But a paper bag can act as Sand Paper to smooth out a surface.
4. Paint – if you use an ‘all in one paint’, you won’t need a primer.  Check out some of my previous videos and blog posts on the products that I like to use.  I sell my Favorite Paints on my website; Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint, A Maker’s Studio Rescue and Restore Paint and Sweet Pickin’s Milk Paint.  Some Paints even have a Top Coat/ Sealer in them, which allows you to skip #5.
5. Finishing Product; Top Coat, Sealer, Glaze or Wax – Debi’s Design Diary Diy Paint is one of my favorite paint products to use but it does not include the sealer in the paint. A Maker’s Studio Rescue and Restore paint does have a sealer in the paint, so two to three coats of it and your furniture makeover is be complete. Sweet Pickens Milk Paint also carry top coats and waxes and I love all of them. I won’t bore you with all of the details and paint brands, but it is probably the one thing that your money will be best spent on. Total Aside: If you are painting a dark piece of stained wood a light color, you may want to use a stain blocker. 
6. Brushes – If you have the money to invest in good brushes, I would suggest making the investment. You can shop my website for good paint brushes. That being said, there are many projects I’ve done with just a Dollar Store paint brush and the end result was beautiful.
7. Tools – Screw Drivers are usually needed on furniture makeovers so that you can remove the hardware. You may also need a hammer, drill, wood glue, clamps, etc. depending upon whether or not the piece needs some fixes. Sometimes I like to leave the hardware on and paint over it, but it’s also nice to remove the hardware, clean, paint and or replace it.
8. Beautifying Products – Products that add a “One of a Kind” element I call Beautifying Products. They are optional and are like make-up for your face. I carry a variety online at CreateWithCynthiaShop.com including Stamps, Moulds, Air Dry Clay, Decor Transfers and Stencils.
9. Time – Don’t give yourself too much time to work on a project. Be realistic about how long it should take you. Three to five days is pretty realistic in my opinion. If you give yourself too much time, you may get caught up in second guessing yourself. Remember, your project might go through a yucky phase like I explain in the Feature Wall Video. I’m merely speaking from experience. My video, The Buffet Makeover JRV Approved is another perfect example. Check it out here.
10. Desire – If you made it this far, thank you for reading and being a loyal subscriber. If you still don’t have a desire to do a Furniture Makeover, I get it! But if you look around your home and have projects you want to tackle, I hope I have inspired you to create with me.

When tackling projects that seem unattainable, the rewards can be larger than you expect.

Just like Debi of Debi’s Design Diary says, 

“I believe creativity is like a muscle and as you push against the resistance and the fear, you get stronger. I want to encourage you to keep building your creative muscle.”

I’m hosting craft workshops in my store space in Redwood City, California, if you need some inspiration and motivation to get started. You can read about them here.

Now go out there and create something beautiful.

Cynthia

Here are some of my favorite products to use on Furniture Makeovers:

Drop Cloth: 

Orbital Sander:

5 piece paint scraper:

Clorox disinfecting wipes:

Blue Shop Towels:

Sanding Sponge:

3M Tack Cloth:

HomeRight Heavy Duty Paint Sprayer:

Many of the links on this blog are affiliate links. CreateWithCynthia.com receives a small commission when certain items are purchased, but the price is the same for you. CreateWithCynthia.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to certain companies.

The post What You Need to Start a Furniture Makeover! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

I hope you’ll stop by and do some shopping!

Don’t forget to subscribe to my channel as I upload new videos on Monday and Wednesday of each week.

The post What’s new in the Create With Cynthia Store in Redwood City, California! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

Furniture Make-Overs on Transformation Tuesday!

Today on the blog I’m sharing with you about my move back to town.  I left the Woods in Northern California at the beginning of June and moved back to town.  I spilled the beans about the move on the “Furniture Chest Make-over for my Bedroom” post.  The video is on You Tube here.

Upcycling Furniture for your Home!

When I finally settled into the new place I decided to stop buying new furniture pieces to make-over and focus on what’s in my home.  It was hard leaving the amazing beautiful redwoods that I woke up to each morning, but the view out my bedroom window is a little similar.

And Sofy loves siting on the chest looking out.

The new place is nice and spacious and the boys are happy to be close to their school! I’m excited about starting fresh in a new space and working on my projects!  I talked about my project list a couple weeks ago here.  I’ve been true to my word and still have not purchased any new furniture pieces!

I’m excited about working on the Rocking Chair above that sits on my patio.

In the post on “Time Blocking” I showed off some of my finished home projects, like the desk below.

This week I’m hoping to work on the Rocking Chair, the Chest above or the Sewing Cabinet turned Desk below.

Make it a great day!

Cynthia

The post Transformation Tuesday Home Make-Over Projects in a new home! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

Happy Thursday!

Happy (almost) First Day of Summer!

Happy Graduation!

Happy Father’s Day!

Did I miss anything???

Create With Cynthia updates!

Furniture Make-over’s on Create With Cynthia!

Furniture Make-over’s at the Chabot College Flea Market!

The post What’s going on at Create With Cynthia! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.

Gallery of Furniture Make-overs!

I love what I do!  I love the products that I am able to sell and use.  This video is just a little of what I have done over the past year.  I hope you enjoy seeing my creations.

If you are not able to see the video above, click here.

Upcycling Furniture is Fun!

My hope is that this video will inspire you to “Create With Me”.  Most of the products that I use can be purchased on my website or at my store in Redwood City. Stop by and take a look.  You may just be inspired to “Create With Me!”

I no longer allow comments on my website, due to problems I’ve had with “Hackers”, but you can find me on Instagram or Facebook and message me there.

Make it a great day!

The post New Video on You Tube! Gallery of Furniture Make-overs! appeared first on Create With Cynthia.