How I Transformed my Jewelry Armoire for $14

My jewelry armoire has been looking pretty sad lately, screaming for a re-do and I’ve also always wanted to try a chalky finish on something; so now, the time has come for both!  I went to Valu Home Centers to pick up some of this awesome Krylon Chalky Finish spray paint.  I know I’ve said this before, but I’m always amazed at the paint and spray paint collection at Valu. If you need it, chances are its there! Upon finding the chalk paint, I spotted this easy-to-understand explanation of how the paint works, so I snapped a photo for future reference.  Since I wanted to re-do my armoire, I had purple on my mind to match the walls in my room. Purple chalk-paint it is! After I purchased my supplies, I was ready to get this party started.

What I used for this project:

• 2 cans of Krylon Chalky Finish Paint
• 1 can of Krylon Chalky Finish Wax Coating
• Painters tape
• Paper/plastic bags for further paint protection
• A rag for cleaning
• A screw driver

To start, I cleaned off my piece of furniture with a rag to make sure everything was clean and dust-free. Then, I took it apart piece-by-piece. Even removing the hardware…outside on a sunny day. 🙂 Once everything was separated, I lined the drawers with tape and garbage bags.  I did this mostly for the fact that they were lined with velvet, but also because its a great trick to save on paint. My favorite part about this particular paint is that there is no prior sanding needed before the paint goes on. Yes, you heard me correctly! DIY’ers rejoice!  Once I calmed down from the excitement and my furniture was clean, dry and taped, I was (almost) ready to paint!

Side note: With any paint, make sure that you always read the back of the can before you start painting.  For this particular paint, shake the can for 1-2 minutes before using.  Spray 6-8 inches away from the object and ALWAYS test in a different area, like on cardboard, BEFORE spraying the object. Next up…painting!                Once everything was painted and dry, I applied the wax coating chalky finish. If you are leaving your furniture a solid color, this will simply help the furniture be more durable and will allow for a protective surface. Again, I always read the back of the can before use; shake the can for 1-2 minutes before using and spray 8-10 inches away from the object.  I also tested this in a different area beforehand. If you want a distressed look, I’ll get to how this comes into play later. Then once everything was dry, I reapplied the freshly gold painted hardware and brought everything into the house. Putting things back together always looks a little like furniture tetris to me. 🙂 And now the moment every DIY’er loves.  The before and after shots!

And another, just because… Pretty stylish right?  I think she looks like a million bucks, but it actually only cost $14.  Victory! If you’re curious about how this paint works for the “distressed look” follow all the same steps, except in between the color paint and the wax finish paint, give your object a sand in random areas and then wipe it clean before applying your wax finish.

Like this:

This paint was such a pleasure to use.  It went on smooth, covered evenly, and dried fast!  Check out some more tricks and tips here.

Thanks for reading!  And as always, remember to reclaim, reuse and upcycle!