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Eileen

How to Get Astonishing Results with Milk Paint & Raw Wood

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How to Use Milk Paint on Raw Wood Post Preview: You will find out how to use milk paint on raw wood to create beautifully-finished furniture with a non-toxic, zero VOC paint.

This post is sponsored by Old Fashioned Milk Paint. All opinions are entirely my own.

We have been on a mission lately at the grocery stores, when online shopping, and even at the home improvement stores.

We’ve been choosing products that have the healthiest ingredients. Ones with basic ingredients, instead of long lists that we can’t pronounce. Ingredients that aren’t detrimental to our health.

If you’ve ever read the ingredients or warning signs on a regular can of paint, I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.

After a ton of research on paints with the best ingredients, I stumbled upon milk paint.

Milk paint is a non-toxic, water-based paint. It has been around for thousands of years – before adding solvents, toxins, and chemicals into paints was a thing.

I’ve painted tons of furniture before, and I was worried that milk paint would be hard to work with or not give me the results I wanted.

Well, my worries were met with a beautiful, easy-to-work with milk paint and that delivered the same results that a high-quality furniture paint would, without all the chemicals.

Entryway piece for mudroom painted with milk paint

How to Milk Paint Unfinished Furniture

My husband and I were in the middle of a mudroom makeover when we started our quest for natural paint. We had built a wooden entryway bench with locker-style cubbies. It would hold backpacks, coats, hats, diaper bags, mail, shoes and more.

In our search, we were ecstatic to find Old Fashioned Milk Paint, made from just milk casein, lime, and earth pigments. The milk paint worked exactly as a high-quality furniture paint without solvents, toxins, and other chemicals that have since been added to paints. Old Fashioned Milk Paint has absolutely zero VOCs, it’s bio-degradable, and non-toxic.

Most times when you see milk paint used on Pinterest and blogs, it’s usually used to refinish an already-painted piece of furniture.

However, milk paint can also be used very easily on raw wood. And, it looks beautiful.

Milk Paint Materials

Using Old Fashioned Milk Paint to paint raw wood

Materials for mixing milk paint

How to Mix Milk Paint

First, milk paint comes in a powder form. You simply mix it with water and then it’s ready to go.

While this is an extra step, it’s totally worth it to be painting with zero VOCs. There are also advantages to mixing your own paint. For example, you can easily create your own colors, the paint dries quickly, and it can be cleaned with simply soap and water.

To mix your Old Fashioned Milk Paint, follow these instructions.

1. Measure your ingredients.

First measure out equal parts of the milk paint powder and water. Dump these into a bucket or mixing container.

2. Add in bonding agent, if necessary.

You’ll want to figure out if you need a bonding agent mixed in your first coat. A bonding agent helps the paint to stick. It does make the first coat more watery but subsequent coats will be thicker.

Typically, if you’re using raw wood, you typically don’t need to use a bonding agent. We used the bonding agent for the first coat because we used birch to build our entryway piece. Birch is a close-grained hardwood, so we needed the bonding agent to get good coverage.

If you aren’t sure if you need a bonding agent, Old Fashioned Milk Paint has tons of information on types of wood and whether the bonding agent is needed.

3. Combine ingredients with a mixer.

To mix milk paint, we found that the paint mixer attachment on the drill worked perfectly. You can also use a regular kitchen mixer.

I’ve also used milk paint without use of a drill or electric mixer and I haven’t had as much luck, especially when mixing colors.

So you just dump your ingredients into the container and mix it very slowly for 2-3 minutes.

After your done mixing, let it sit still for 10 minutes. Then give it a good stir with the paint brush, and you are ready to start painting your wood with milk paint.

Mixing milk paint in a bucket with a drill attachment

Mixing milk paint with a drill attachment

How to Paint Raw Wood with Milk Paint

Now that your paint is mixed well, it’s time to start painting that wood.

1. Make sure your wood is clean of any sawdust or dirt.

Wipe down your wood to make sure it’s ready for painting.

How to use milk paint on raw wood

Unfinished wood bench ready for painting

2. Use an angled brush to put on your first coat.

We found that an angled brush works really well with furniture because you can easily get all of the nooks and crannies.

We also preferred a brush to a roller because we could control the paint better and watch for drips more easily.

If you have the bonding agent in your first coat, it will be more watery and thin. So you want to be careful of paint drips. Definitely start at the top of your furniture and work your way down. This way if you do have drips, you are painting downward and can even them out more easily.

The first coat is more about coverage than anything else. So a thin coat is fine as long as you are covering the area well. The first coat won’t look beautiful and that’s okay.

Let the coat dry and then you’ll be ready to move on.

Painting unfinished wood with milk paint

After one coat of milk paint (with extra bond) on wooden cubby shelf

3. Stirring frequently, apply your second coat, making sure to use even paint strokes.

While the first coat was about coverage, when painting the second coat, you want to make sure that you are evenly coating your brush and evenly spreading the paint on. Take time to go over your brush strokes to make sure the paint looks smooth.

As with the first coat, start at the top of the wooden piece and work your way down. If your paint is extra drippy, use less at a time or apply a thinner coat.

If your milk paint mixture is too thick, you can add a little water at a time and mix well. The paint shouldn’t be difficult to apply or difficult to spread. You could also wet your brush a little to help.

Painting with milk paint on unfinished wood cubby shelf

Getting a second coat on the cubbies

4. Apply additional coats as you see fit.

Depending upon how thick or thin your paint coats were, you might need three or four coats. Or, you could need three coats and a touch-up coat. Decide what you’re comfortable with. You might put an extra coat in areas that are more visible.

Wooden drawers painted white with milk paint

Homemade bench drawers with three coats of milk paint

Remember if your paint is too thick, add a little water and stir. The paint shouldn’t be hard to apply.

Here’s a useful tip for you. Keep some sand paper handy while applying milk paint. After some coats have dried, you may notice some hardened drips you missed.  Just lightly sand them down with 150 grit sand paper and cover up with the next coat.  Also, when your last coat of milk paint has dried, the surface may feel a little rough as you run your hand across it.  A very light sanding of 300 grit sand paper yields a super smooth finish.

Here is the finished cubby piece installed in our mudroom. The cubbies and the drawers were all painted in Snow White from Old Fashioned Milk Paint.

Locker-style cubbies in mudroom painted in Snow White Milk Paint

Finished locker-style cubbies and bench drawers painted with milk paint

Here’s a close-up of the drawers. The paint looks so professional. Out of all of the various furniture paints I have used, I’ve never been more pleased than I have been with milk paint.

Not only is it non-toxic and absolutely zero VOCs, but it’s absolutely gorgeous.

Mudroom cubby drawers painted with milk paint

Homemade face plates (and drawers) with snow white milk paint

How to Seal Milk Paint

Milk paint doesn’t always need a sealer, but if the furniture is prone to spills or moisture, then sealing is a good idea. We sealed our entryway piece because the kids would be sitting in there taking their shoes on and off, hanging up their wet coats and hats, spilling their water bottles, etc.

To maximize the longevity of the milk paint, we opted to seal the finish with an acrylic type glaze. The dried milk paint already seemed pretty sturdy, but we didn’t want to risk early wear on the milk paint. We used SafeCoat AcriGlaze because of the extremely low VOC content. Applying it was very easy. We used a good quality bristle brush, and applied just two coats of the sealer, about 2 hours apart. We were very happy with the product. True to its word, it had a very low odor which dissipated quickly with a fan. The glaze dried clear. You could not tell it was even there unless you ran your finger across the wood. It was well protected.

All in all, we couldn’t be more thrilled with our milk painted entryway cubbies. The milk paint was extremely easy to use, proved itself as a high-quality furniture paint, and most importantly, it’s a safe, natural alternative to the chemical-laden paints that are out there.

Thank you Old Fashioned Milk Paint for offering a safe alternative so that we DIYers can build and create without compromising our health.

If you are looking for an easy to work with paint with zero VOCs, definitely check out Old Fashioned Milk Paint. You will love it 🙂

And as for the building of the cubby shelves, that tutorial is on its way to you next!

Want to see what our mudroom looked like BEFORE the makeover?

It’s almost unbelievable – but all of the pictures are here –>

How to Transform an Ugly Space into a Completely Functional Room

Using milk paint on raw wood

Using milk paint on bare wood

Using milk paint on furniture

How to Stencil an Accent Wall You’ll Absolutely Love

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How to Stencil an Accent Wall Post Preview: You will find out how to paint a stenciled accent wall, along with stenciling tips and tricks. 

This post is sponsored by Stencil Revolution. All opinions are entirely my own.

Everyone has a spot in their house that drives them crazy, am I right!? For me, it was our mudroom.

It was boring, barely functional, and beyond a mess.

So, we embarked on a mudroom makeover and starting building an entryway bench with locker cubbies. In the meantime, I wanted to add a little character to the walls.

With its beige walls and grayish tiled floors, the mudroom room was just so plain.

So, I had a plan to DIY my own “wallpaper” aka stencil an accent wall.

Can I just say that stencils are amazing?! I’ve used stencils before on a world map wall art project, but never on a wall. I couldn’t get over how much the stencil completely changed the look of the room. The previously boring space became completely modernized with the stenciled accent wall.

The best part?

With wall stencils, you get to choose your own colors, rather than be stuck with premade wallpaper. And, you can save money by doing the work yourself – perfect for DIYing on a tight budget.

If you’re thinking about stenciling a focal wall in your home, it’s super easy – it’s definitely a DIY project that anyone can do.

Today, I’m sharing all my tips and tricks for how to paint a stencil on an accent wall.

DIY wall stencil in mudroom wall makeover

How to Stencil an Accent Wall

First, I’m going to take you back a minute and show you a crazy before and after. It’s a little embarrassing, but seriously, this is what the room looked like prior to the mudroom makeover.

Before photo of entryway mudroomAnd here is what the mudroom looks like after its makeover.

View of mudroom locker cubbies and new light fixture

And here’s another angle – I continued the stencil across the adjacent wall too.

Mudroom cubby locker system for hanging coats, bags, and winter things with shiplap and a stenciled wall

Stencil and shiplap mudroom wall with hooks and an L-shaped bench

So let’s get started! To stencil an accent wall, you’ll need a good chunk of time, and the following items.

Materials for Stenciling a Wall

  • Paint
  • Stencil – We used the Freya tile stencil
  • Rounded brush – This is a great brush set for stenciling
  • Paper towels
  • Optional – level (not needed if you use registration marks on the stencil), paint stirrers, plastic cup for small amount of paint, baby wipes (to quickly wipe mistakes)

Hooks and shiplap with a stenciled accent wall

Check out our wall stenciling video to see me in action, stenciling the wall.

Step 1 – Choose your stencil and paint colors

First, you’ll want to choose your stencil. Stencils are awesome because you can create a wallpaper effect for a really inexpensive price. We love the stencils from Stencil Revolution – you’ll definitely be oogling over their new tile line. The stencil we used is the Freya stencil and it’s part of their new line. We loved the colors they used with the stencil, so we mimicked those.

These stencils are especially easy to work with because they have registration marks, where you can easily line up each stencil with the one before. Because of these registration marks, you can get by without needing a ruler or a level.

After you have chosen your stencil, you’ll want to start thinking about paint colors for your stencil and, if necessary, the wall. Stencils don’t have to be the mono-colored. You can use two or three colors. Additionally, consider painting the wall or room, if it’s not the right background color.

We painted over our beige mudroom with white paint, as we wanted the background of our stencil to be white.

Then we chose two colors for the stencil – tan and charcoal. When you’re deciding on colors for your stencil, try them out with the stencil in a test area. I had a few different versions of tan before I settled on my favorite. You can try the wall stencil on an area of your wall that will be covered (I tried mine where the shiplap was going) or you can use a foam board.

Paint Tip: When choosing paint for the stencil, it doesn’t need to be wall paint. You can use acrylic paint from the craft store. Using the small acrylic containers from the craft store make it really easy to test colors too.

Using a wall stencil to paint an accent wall with acrylic paint

Step 2 – Prepare the wall

Next, you want to prepare your wall. If you are painting the wall first, you’ll want to do that now.

If you want to wipe down your wall or the baseboards or tape off any area, you’ll want to prepare that before starting to stencil.

Side note – If you’re painting your wall white over a darker color like we did, it can take extra coats to get back to white. Keep that in mind when you’re thinking about your project timeline.

Step 3 – Decide where you want your stencil to start

Choose an ideal starting point for your wall stencil. Ideally, this is the spot where you’ll want your wall stencil to look the best. The most visible part of the room is always a good choice.

Keep in mind that at the opposite end of the wall, depending upon the length of your wall and the size of the stencil, the last stencil could cut off. When you’re making your starting decision, factor in the opposite end or ends of the wall.

Depending upon your stencil’s design, you could nudge your starting point just a little bit to help the opposite end terminate at a better point.

Or if you get really lucky, the stencil might fit perfectly across the whole wall.

I started the stencil right next to the window, as this part of the wall was the most visible when walking into the room. The stencil cut off at the opposite end of the wall, but I started the first stencil a half an inch inward, so the last stencil would cut off exactly halfway. I was okay with it cutting off there because that end was in a more hidden corner of the room.

Note – The starting point for the stencil doesn’t necessarily need to be where you first start painting. It’s just where the stencil pattern starts. You could begin painting in a less visible area, such as toward the ceiling, so that any early mistakes are made high up, where people won’t be able to see.

Using a stencil to paint an accent wall in the mudroom

Step 4 – Secure stencil to the wall

Next, you’ll want to attach the stencil to the wall. To do so, I just used four pieces of painter’s tape. It was super simple. When you’re done, you just peel the stencil and tape off and move to the next spot.

Some people like to use a spray adhesive, but I found that unnecessary. The tape was very simple.

Step 5 – Use a small rounded brush to start dabbing on the paint.

Now the fun part! To stencil the accent wall, you’ll want to use a rounded, stiff brush to stencil your wall. If the brush is too soft, it will bend. The best brushes are rounded that come to a point.

With your rounded brush, you are just going to dab the end of your brush in the paint. Do this as evenly as you can, and then blot the extra paint. This is important because if your paint is too thick, it will slip under the stencil and cause unclean lines. A little paint goes a long way.

As soon as your paintbrush is ready, gently dab it onto the wall. When you’re painting the wall, don’t use brush strokes, just stipple it onto the wall.

Now it won’t be perfect. But with a small amount of paint and a small rounded brush, it will be pretty close.

If your stencil isn’t flush against the wall, you can use your marker or pencil to hold the stencil flush against the wall with one hand, while you paint with another. I used a drill bit, rather than a marker, because it was the first thing I found 🙂

Brush Tip: As for brush size, keep in mind that a smaller brush will get you more accuracy and a bigger brush will get the job done faster. You could use a bigger brush in higher areas, where people won’t be able to see up close (because it goes faster) and a smaller rounded brush in lower areas.

Using registration marks on wall stencil to easily line up stencil when painting an accent wall

Step 6 – Remove stencil and repeat

Simply peel back the stencil and remove. If there are any stray marks, you could always wipe with a paper towel or a baby wipe before it dries.

Then, line the stencil up with the registration marks (see above) and work on your next stencil.

It will be slow going at first, but like anything, it gets quicker as you get used to it.

Stenciling a two-color accent wall with wall stencils

A Few More Wall Stenciling Tips

For our mudroom wall, I only stenciled the top third of the wall. On the lower part, I attached shiplap, which made for a really cool look.

I also ended up stenciling more than I thought. My plan was to just stencil the wall around the window, but I kept going around the doorway of the laundry room. If you are undecided on whether to continue the stencil on a neighboring wall, you can start with the wall that you are sure about. Then, go from there.

Stencil Cut-Off Tip: If you are doing a lot of stenciling and your wall stencil cuts off at the corner or around a window, you could do a couple of things. You could simple bend the stencil and tape it. I would use a lot of tape so it doesn’t slide when you are painting. It’s a little tricky to do but that’s what I did (see picture above).

Or, you could order more than one stencil, and cut the stencil so that you have a flush fit when stenciling around windows and near corners.

Here’s a close up of the finished wall, with the stencil at the top third, and the shiplap at the bottom.

Next, we put shiplap on the lower portion of wall, and we have a full tutorial coming on this! It was super simple 🙂

Accent wall with stencils on the top, shiplap on the bottom, and hooks for organization

Here’s a few more pictures of the other side of the room, including the portion above the laundry room nook.

Mudroom with locker cubbies for organization and stencils and shiplap for character in the home

And, I just adore these hooks! They look perfect with the stencil and the shiplap. I think there’s about 16 of them in the mudroom now 🙂 They’ll be no excuses for bags and coats not hung up.

 

Shiplap accent wall with hooks and a beautiful stenciled wall

Go for it!

If you’re debating whether or not to stencil a wall, definitely go for it. Stenciling a wall is an easy, budget-friendly DIY. With a little bit of work, you can completely transform the look of a room.

If you love the way the shiplap looks on our accent wall, that post is coming next, and our whole mudroom makeover will soon follow.

Picture of mudroom with wall stencils and shiplapWall with painted stencil and shiplap

So, there we have it! A completely transformed room with something as simple as a wall stencil. If you are looking for a thrifty way to redo an old space, definitely consider stenciling an accent wall.

 

How to Transform an Ugly Space to an Insanely Functional Room

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Every time I walked into the house, I cringed.

Every time I did laundry, every time I went to grab my coat, every time I went to get the mail.

I couldn’t stand our mudroom, and I was constantly in and out of it.

It was a tight space with a bench blocking the window. The bench filled up quickly with backpacks, hoodies, and amazon boxes. There wasn’t any place to put anything down and then of course a third of the room was a huge closet.

It was beige-y, boring, and not functional for our family.

We had big plans to knock out the closet and put in countertops and cabinets. However, we didn’t have the time or budget to take that on this summer.

We thought that we were stuck with this room as it was.

However, we changed a few things here and there – and it started with painting an accent wall and building cubbies. Before we knew it, we had a whole new room even with the old closet.

So, here are our 4 proven steps to transforming a room in your home.

If you love these, check out our room makeover workbook and you’ll be on your way to making over a room in your home too!

1. List the things that drive you crazy.

The first thing we did was think about what we didn’t like about the room. Figuring out what we didn’t like (other than just saying “ugh I can’t stand this room!”) helped us see what we could and couldn’t fix.

Here’s our list of things we didn’t like about our current mudroom.

  • There was nowhere to store coats, shoes, and backpacks – and therefore was always a mess.
  • There was not enough light.
  • It was a boring space – beige paint, beige and brown floors.
  • And, there was the huge walk-in closet, taking up a huge chunk of the room.

2. Brainstorm fixes for each item on your list.

Next, we jotted down a fix for each thing that drove us crazy.

  • Nowhere to store outdoor gear –> Build locker-style cubbies with bench and plenty of space for drawers or baskets
  • Not enough light –> Move bench away from window, switch out the light fixture for a brighter (more modern) one
  • Boring space –> Paint, stencil an accent wall, install shiplap?
  • Huge closet –> Tackle this stage of the project at a later date

By simply listing out the problems and fixes, we had ourselves a blueprint of what our mudroom makeover would look like. Now, we weren’t planning on tackling the closet/countertop fix this time. However, that’s okay!

With all of the other changes, I was certain our mudroom would get its much needed makeover. Here’s an after picture – what do you think?!

DIY Mudroom Makeover with Cubbies

3. Make a master list – break large goals into smaller action items.

In order to get our mudroom from the before picture to the after picture, we took our list of fixes (above), and then we turned it into our master list. We had four main items to work on.

  1. Stencil the wall
  2. Install shiplap
  3. Build an entryway piece with bench and cubbies
  4. Replace light fixture

And then, within those large items, we broke it down into smaller tasks. For example, the stencil task looked like this:

  1. Stencil the wall
  • Choose paint colors for wall and stencil
  • Paint entire room
  • Review stenciling techniques
  • Do a practice stencil
  • Stencil wall

Breaking large items into smaller ones make them more manageable and it gives you direction on what you need to do next. Also, action items keep you from getting overwhelmed or wasting time.

Stenciling an accent wall in the mudroom

4. Set goals to complete action items each day or week.

Now that we had a master list with manageable action items, we set goals each week to complete certain action items. Each day, we chipped away at our action items, crossing things off the list here and there.

It took us a month – but we had an incredible mudroom makeover. The process of listing out the problems with the room, then determining solutions worked so well for us.

All of the years that we’ve lived in this house that I spent frustrated with the mudroom or complaining about it, could have been channeled productively through creating solutions and chipping away at the projects.

I mean, you can’t tell that it was the same room!

 

 

5. Check out 33 Days To a Space You’ll Love

Looking to transform a space in your home? Tired of the room or space driving you nuts?

Check out our Room Makeover Workbook to guide you through transforming a room in your home in just 33 days! We will take you step-by-step through the process of making over your space.

 

 

 

 

10 Photos from this Insanely Awesome Mudroom Makeover

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Is there a room in your home that frustrates you? An area in your house that totally stresses you out? A space that just doesn’t work for you and your family?

For us, this was the mudroom. It was absolutely dreadful.

There wasn’t a good place anything – bags, coats, shoes, or packages that came in the mail all haphazardly piled up. We had a old bench awkwardly blocking the light from the window.

The room itself was pretty boring – the beige walls, the brownish tan floor, and an outdated light fixture.

Tired of sighing every time I walked in the house or did laundry, I decided to make some simple changes to the mudroom.

Here are 10 photos from our mudroom makeover that are totally awesome and will hopefully inspire you to transform a space in your home that drives you nuts.

How to makeover your mudroom and entryway area

Mudroom “Before” Photo

Let’s start with the before photos. Now, I just have to say that these before photos are real life. This is exactly what the room looked like day in and day out. You can see why it drove me so crazy.

Before photo of entryway mudroom

Mudroom Makeover Details

First, we cleared out the room, relocated the wooden bench and started fresh.

Stenciled Accent Wall with Shiplap

We decided to do an accent wall – that was half stenciled and half shiplap. It turned out so awesome, right?! The stencils are from Stencil Revolution, and we have a stenciling tutorial coming soon!

Mudroom with DIY bench, stencils and shiplap accent wall

L-Shaped Entryway Bench with Cubbies

We also built a DIY bench (see above and below). This was a simple place for people to sit to take their shoes off.

Additionally, we put drawers underneath for winter accessories. Underneath the drawers was open space for shoes. A tutorial and plans for this DIY bench are coming soon!

As you can see, the bench allowed much more light to come through the window.

L-shaped bench in mudroom entryway area that we DIYed

One of my favorite parts of the room are the card-catalog style drawer pulls. Insert heart-eyed emoji here 🙂

DIY drawers with card catalog style drawer pulls

Above the bench, we also built locker-style cubbies. Within these cubbies, we installed more shiplap to create a uniform look across the room. Then, we stenciled the wall above the entryway piece.

Mudroom locker-style cubbies with shiplap backing

New Mudroom Light Fixture

We found a new light to replace the dated one. We partnered with Wikibuy to find this awesome lamp. Wikibuy is a website and browser extension that finds you the lowest prices on things you want to buy online. It’s just like having a shopping assistant 🙂

It’s amazing the difference that a gorgeous light fixture makes.

DIY Mudroom Makeover with Cubbies

Next, we put hooks everywhere. You can never have too many hooks in the mudroom or entryway. I think we put at least 16 in 🙂

Mudroom entryway area hooks on shiplap wall with stencils

Mudroom “After” Picture

This was the view walking in. What a difference!

And, it was so much more functional for our family because there are tons of places to put everything. The drawers the huge, the hooks are plentiful, and the baskets help with extra storage.

Cubby shelves in mudroom holding various belongings

The baskets were an awesome find from Michael’s. They have three different sizes – this one is medium. I was able to use their coupons and make several trips to get each one discounted. 🙂

You could also make your own storage bins with cardboard and contact paper – thrifty and easy!

Wicker storage baskets used on cubby shelves in mudroom

And, comparing the mudroom to the before picture, here is the same view as the before picture. SUCH a difference, right!?

Mudroom entryway area with lots of storage

It’s absolutely amazing to walk into the room and not see a disorganized mess.

Everything has a place in the entryway cubby shelves. The locker-style cubbies help to keep everyone in the family’s things organized. The L-shaped bench provides plenty of seating for our family and visitors to put their bags or sit and take off their shoes. The stencil and shiplap add so much character to the room.

It definitely looks like a completely different space.

Have a room that you want to makeover?

If you are wondering if you can do this, you CAN!

You can totally makeover a room into something you love too!

Join our FREE Challenge!

If you have a room in your home that’s driving you crazy, stressing you out, adding to your frustration, then definitely sign up for our FREE challenge 33 Days To a Space You’ll Love. 

We will send you daily emails with simple assignments which will help you transform a room in your home in a month’s time.

You don’t need to have a lot of time or money to makeover your room – just a willingness to make some small changes. Small changes in a room make a HUGE difference.

Make sure to sign up for our FREE guide  and you will be transforming a space you don’t like into a space that you LOVE.

And when you do, don’t forget to send me before and after pictures. I would love to see 🙂

Entryway and mudroom makeover

Top Prime Day Deals for DIYers

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Well, the day is finally here.

It’s Amazon Prime Day!

It’s such a big deal because thousands of items go on sale, so you can get great deals on things you need. We’ve gotten some ah-mazing deals on tools and craft supplies, and we want to share them all with you!

We will be updating this post throughout tonight and tomorrow, so be sure to keep checking for great deals.

You have to be a Prime member to benefit from these deals, so if you aren’t yet then head on over to sign up for a 30 day FREE trial. You can’t beat that!

Home Improvement & Home Deals

Deals I Love

More Ways to Save

  • If you aren’t a Prime Member, you can sign up for a 30 day FREE trial. You can’t beat that!
  • Install Amazon Assistant (to get desktop notifications on deals), you’ll get $5 off your purchase of $25.
  • If you’ve never downloaded the Amazon app before (and you are a prime member), you’ll get a one-time $10 discount off your purchase.
  • Go to Whole Foods for 10% off your entire purchase PLUS $10 off on Prime Day.

 

7 Easy DIYs for Your Walls

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This post is sponsored by Stencil Revolution. All opinions are entirely my own.

Even though we moved into our home years ago, we still had way too many bare walls in our home.

The walls were my last priority in getting ourselves unpacked and settled. So, picture frames sat in boxes in the garage for months and months.

What I didn’t know in my procrastination was that I could have been using all that blank wall space to our advantage.

Wall space isn’t just for pictures – it’s a gem of versatility! From floating shelves to accent walls to cool wall hangings to easy DIY wall art ideas, here are six easy DIYs for your walls so they will no longer be bare or boring.

Create simple DIYs for your Walls

1. Build Simple Shelves

One of my favorite spots in our home is my craft room, which is just a sitting room off our bedroom. When we moved in, we had no idea what we were going to do with it. Ha! I’ve completely taken it over with craft supplies.

When I had filled every inch, I moved to the walls.

We built two simple shelves with the dimensions to fit four fabric storage bins on each. That’s eight storage bins – filled to the brim – and not taking up any closet or desk space!

If you’re running out of space in your home, take a look at your empty walls, and see where you could put up a few storage shelves.

2. Make a Cool Wall Hanging

It’s hard to find the perfect wall hanging to go over couches and beds because they need to be so big to look nice. And, art is expensive! So, why not DIY it?

Using a world map stencil to create DIY wooden wall art canvases

I partnered with Stencil Revolution to create this awesome stenciled world map wall hanging.

They have really cool stencils, and they have more than half a dozen sizes for each stencil. So you can paint a giant wall with a huge stencil or make a custom DIY piece like I did.

To make this, I first measured the area above the couch in the craft room. Then, I ordered the world map stencil size that was a little smaller.

After that, I put together three wooden boxes, painted them white, and then used the world map stencil.

Using a world map stencil to create DIY wall art

As far as the paints, I used acrylic paint and faded one color into the next.

It looks amazing in my craft room above the couch – it fits the area perfectly and I got to create something exactly the way I wanted. Definitely check out the stencils that Stencil Revolution has 🙂

Easy DIY wall art of the world map

Rather than have blank walls above couches or beds, think about making a custom DIY piece with cool stencils. This is one of my favorite easy DIY wall art ideas 🙂

3. Create Gallery Wraps

Another way to create wall art is by making your own gallery wraps.

Simply purchase a few canvases from the craft stores, and then find some wall decals that fit the theme of the room. Paint the canvases and then apply the wall decals. I painted some a solid blue and others striped. The striped ones added some extra flair.

You could also use stencils on these gallery wraps too. These are great for nurseries or kids rooms.

And, if the decals come up easily, you can swap out the decals for other ones as the kids grow up.

DIY Wall Art - Easy tutorial that anyone can do

These canvases are definitely a go-to project for easy DIY wall art ideas.

4. Put Together Scrap Wood Picture Ledges

These picture ledges were free! Yes, you read that right 🙂 We made them out of scrap wood laying around the garage (I love a good scrap wood project) and painted them with paint we had on hand.

The little ledge at the end is perfect for holding picture frames, and I emptied an entire box of frames. The picture frames perfectly took up the wall space in between two windows.

Not only were the ledges free, but it took just a few hours to put together.

5. Spray Paint Frames for an Artistic Gallery

If you’re looking to make a gallery but can’t find enough frames that will compliment each other, use spray paint.

I had an entire gallery of brown wooden frames, but two of the embroidered pictures had frames that just didn’t go.

With a little painter’s tape and some spray paint, the pictures now fit perfectly.

Galleries are a fun way to hang pictures – especially in hallways or staircases. It can definitely add some character to these places.7 Easy DIYs for Your Walls

6. Create an Accent Wall

I love a gorgeous accent wall, and it’s an amazing way to bring character and flair to your space.

There are so many ways to create an accent wall – you can wallpaper, you can stencil an accent wall, or you can paint – a whole wall one color or a simple striped wall.

One of my favorite things about an accent wall is it saves you from painting the whole room – just updating one wall usually is enough.

Easy DIYs for walls - stencils

7. Hang Pegboard for Office or Craft Supplies

This is another of my favorite DIYs from my craft room.

By installing pegboard, I was able to empty my entire desk. In fact, I got rid of my desk of drawers for a much simple table-desk design.

I didn’t know if I would like the pegboard because I would have to put everything back always (something I’m not great at), but I LOVE it! It looks so cool, and I can see everything.

Also, I don’t get asked questions by my husband and kids about where my scissors or markers are because everything is in plain sight. My son has a little spot on the edge, where he stores his markers and paint brushes too.

If you have overlooked wall space in your home, turn it into a fun DIY project.

You can use wall space for storage – floating shelves, storage shelves, pegboard organization, or built-in cabinets. You can use the space for fun décor to add a little style in. You easily update or modernize your home with cool pictures or wall hangings with these easy DIY wall art ideas.

Wall space is undoubtedly a little gem that can be used in efficient or creative ways. If you’re looking to add a little flair to your walls, definitely try one of the above DIYs.

You’ll be loving your wall space in no time.Learn how to make stenciled wall art - easy and save money doing so! Check out these amazing DIY projects for your walls!

DIY Year of Dates Gift Basket

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I was knee deep in decorations, games, and food planning for my sister’s bridal shower when an idea hit me.

A few years back, I made a Year of Firsts wedding wine basket for my friend’s bridal shower. It went over so well, and I had planned to make one for my sister too. However, the teacher in me always has to improve on previous ideas. 🙂

Instead of making a Year of First Milestones, I would make a Year of Dates wedding gift basket.

The basket would include a planned and paid for date for every month of their first married year.

My sister and her fiance were always looking for new things to do in the city, and this was the perfect opportunity to make a special DIY wedding gift for them.

Year of Dates Wedding Gift Basket

My sisters and I always watch “The Bachelor” together. And by together, I mean we watch it at exactly the same time and send tons of group texts back and forth.

So planning 12 dates made me feel a little like Chris Harrison.

I wasn’t sure how the Year of Dates wedding gift was going to come together, but I knew there would be date cards and roses involved 🙂

12 Months of Preplanned and Paid for Dates

How to Make a Year of Dates Gift Basket

1. Set a Budget

I shared the idea with my mom and sisters and asked if they wanted to go in on it with me. That way we could plan some really nice dates for the Year of Dates wedding gift. I was happy to hear they loved the idea.

You can make the dates as expensive or inexpensive as you’d like. Or, you could vary it like we did.

Some of the attractions we included were free, so we could make other dates more expensive.

Once you set your budget, divide by 12 so you know around how much you can spend on each date.

Make a Year of Dates Gift Basket

2. Collect Materials – Free Year of Dates Printables

To make the Year of Dates gift basket, I used the following materials. The printables and templates are available for you to download too.

  • Organza pouches to hold money, tickets, and gift cards
  • Mini envelopes to hold the date cards & money pouches
  • Burlap ribbon
  • Tissue paper
  • Stickers or washi tape for decoration
  • Large basket
  • Items/trinkets to go with the dates (see below for explanation & ideas)
  • Dates cards (free printable)
  • Spreadsheet for organization (free printable)
  • Month labels (free printable)
  • Year of Dates Sign and skewer (free printable)

I started by making an Excel spreadsheet to track all of the information for the Year of Dates wedding gift. I seriously am in love with spreadsheets, and this was the easiest way to organize everything.

On this Year of Dates spreadsheet, there’s a column for the date venue, date card poem, website, address, helpful hints, cost, item/trinket, and the months (so you don’t plan an ice skating date in the summer),

The item/trinket was my favorite part, but more on this later. To download the free Year of Dates printables, see below. 🙂

3. Research Date Ideas

The next thing I did was start researching things to do in their city. I found lots of great blogs and articles with tons of ideas for date nights.

Before I finalized any of the 12 dates, I read the reviews of the places on Trip Advisor. That’s the absolute best way to find out if a museum, restaurant, or attraction is worth the time.

Before we had kids, my husband and I used to travel constantly. I would research our destinations for hours before making our very detailed itinerary, and Trip Advisor always had the most accurate and detailed reviews. For the Year of Dates wedding gift, I used the detailed reviews to make a “helpful hints” list for each date. More on this later 🙂

Putting together a Year of Dates gift basket for bridal showers

If you are looking for date ideas, some general date ideas are ice cream dates, movie dates, ice skating dates, tree lighting dates, beach or lake day trips, concerts, festivals, picnic dates, swimming dates, gym dates, rock climbing dates, hiking dates, bike riding trips, cooking class dates, dessert dates, sports games, and zoo dates.

There are just so many possibilities.

When researching the 12 dates, we stayed away from any potential idea where we had to lock in a certain date because we had no idea what their work schedules are like. So any festivals, concerts, or games were out.

As soon as a date attraction/venue looked good, I added it to my Year of Dates Excel list.

Make a Year of Dates Basket

4. Choose an Item/Trinket for the Basket

In putting together the 12 Months of Dates gift, my sister had the idea of putting an item or trinket with each date. So instead of just giving an envelope with the date card and money or tickets, there was a cute little trinket too.

So, we creatively found items to go with each of our 12 date ideas.

For example, we picked up beer cozies to go with the beer tour date. We included a pack of colored pencils and a little sketchbook to go with the art museum trip.

We found a easily-foldable blanket for their picnic, cute mason jar cups with champagne to go with their beach date, and hot cocoa and hand warmers for the Christmas tree lighting. Other items we got were a fancy wine cork, magnets, star book, walkable map for their tour, photo album with a map on the cover, and a chocolate bar to go with a chocolate tour.

These little trinkets can add up so I suggest going to Target’s Dollar Spot section or using a coupon at the craft stores. I love the idea of trinkets because it really made for a nice gift basket. It made the Year of Dates wedding gift so much more than envelopes of money.

Year of Dates Gift Basket Wedding Gift

5. Make the Date Cards

For the date cards, we wrote Bachelor-style poems for each of the 12 dates. Here’s an example of one:

A free outdoor pool that’s located by the Charles, a bike path, and a Trader Joe’s,
you’ll have a blast at this best kept secret if you accept this rose.

On the back, we wrote:

“Should you accept this rose, enjoy your date at:”

Here we filled in the date venue, address, and website. We also included any helpful hints, such as the hours the pool was open and the availability of bathrooms/changing rooms/lockers. We used the information in the reviews on Trip Advisor to compile the Helpful Hints for each of the 12 dates.

It’s the same research that I would have done if I were going there, and since everyone isn’t a crazy researcher like I am, I’m sure the helpful hints were appreciated.

And remember, I have the date card template that I created available for free for you. 🙂

Year of Dates Gift Basket Date Cards

Making Date Cards for One Year of Dates Wedding Gift

6. Acquire gift cards or tickets (or cash)

For as many of the dates as could, we got gift cards or tickets. Being out of town, we couldn’t pick up everything we wanted – but lots of places were able to mail us these or we were able to buy/print online.

Keep in mind that since it is a year of dates, some of the dates won’t happen for several months. For those far-off dates, we tended to include cash – just in case the place went out of business or went downhill before their scheduled date.

We also included cash if there were any places that we were unsure about. For example, we included a museum that looked like my sister would love it; however, we weren’t sure if she’s been there before. If she’s already been there 4 times, she might not want to return. So, we did cash for that one – and she can decide.

Making a Year of Dates Gift Basket for Significant Other

7. Put everything together!

I wasn’t sure how I was going to present the Year of Dates wedding gift. I was thinking maybe a cooler bag, and then they could use that for their picnic. However, I felt that this wouldn’t be the best presentation because you wouldn’t be able to see everything.

I ultimately went with a gift basket and really thick burlap lace ribbon for the envelopes and items. This gave all the assorted trinkets a uniform look.

How to Make a Year of Dates Gift Basket

Also, I didn’t want the money or tickets to get lost. So, I bought these organza pouches. These pouches made it easy for the recipient to keep track of money or gift cards.

Then, I put the date card and the organza pouch in little colorful envelopes. I printed the month labels (free printables) and glued them on the cards. This also contributed to a uniform look.

Year of Dates Gift Basket

I found a nice basket at Michaels for the 12 Months of Dates wedding gift and got to work filling it up.

Then, I used the burlap lace ribbon to wrap around the items and then I slipped the envelope in. Between the monthly labels (free printable) and the burlap ribbon, it tied together all the “random” trinkets we picked up. I stuffed some tissue paper at the bottom to keep items in place.

I also printed off a Year of Dates poem and taped it to a little wooden skewer.

12 Months of Planned and Prepaid Dates Gift Basket

Last, when doing my research for the Year of Dates basket, I found out that you can get free or discounted passed to many places in their city through their library.

So I added a little “Bonus” date card and printed out the list of places they could go by reserving the tickets in advance at their local library.

Making a Year of Dates Basket for Wedding

The Year of Dates wedding gift went over so well! My sister loved it so much and is excited to check out lots of new places around the town.

It’s such a creative gift to give 12 planned and paid for dates, and I know they really appreciated it. I love giving a gift that’s creative and shows that you put a lot of thought in.

The Year of Dates gift basket really came together so well. Maybe if my husband is lucky, I’ll make him one for Valentine’s Day or his birthday 🙂

BEST WEDDING GIFT IDEA! Make a Year of Dates Gift Basket - perfect gift for weddings, showers, and couples. Free printables! DIY Wedding Gift Idea for Bride and Grooms - Make a Year of Dates wedding gift basket with planned and paid for dates!!

10 Budget-Friendly Ways to Add Color to Neutral Rooms

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This post is sponsored by Commercial Silk. All opinions are entirely my own.

Moving into our home, one of the most appealing things was the fresh white paint that adorned the entire house.

Glossy white paint.

This new space of ours was definitely light, bright, and airy.

However, before long we realized just how plain the rooms were. The bright white walls along with the off-white carpets and our neutral furniture made for some really boring spaces.

Scrolling through my Instagram feed, it was easy to see that neutral-colored rooms are definitely gorgeous and in style. Neutral colors make rooms feel larger, fresher, and more welcoming.

The neutral color scheme in our new home was a good start for us, but we needed to incorporate some color to add character and expression to our new home.

If you are finding yourself in the same position, check learn how to add color to neutral rooms on a budget.

10 Ways to Add Color to Neutral Rooms on a Budget

Add Vibrant Throw Blankets

One of the easiest ways to add color to neutral rooms is by incorporating throw blankets. A cozy blanket tossed over a patterned chair or the arm of the couch adds color, comfort, texture, and style to your home.

Blankets can work in any room – but are especially perfect for adding color to living rooms or bedrooms. We tend to decorate our kids’ rooms in neutrals and then use pops of color here and there. Throw blankets are a really easy way to bring color into a room in a subtle, thrifty way.

Decorate with Expressive Throw Pillows

Throw pillows are another perfect way to add color and character to neutral spaces. For example, if you want to incorporate navy blue into your living room, you might not want blue walls, a blue couch, or a blue carpet. Yet, adding blue throw pillows is a subtle way to bring in a vibrant color.

For my living room and family room, I went digging in my collection of pillow covers to find something that would add some color and texture to our boring rooms. I love having pillow covers on hand. You aren’t stuck with a ton of pillows when you change your style or mind – and you can much more easily store covers than whole pillows.

You can also easily sew pillows and save money. Just grab a fabric you like and a pillow insert or stuffing, and get cracking at that sewing machine.

One of my favorite ways to save money on pillow-making is through buying throw pillows that are severely discounted- no matter the color or style! I’m talking crazy colors and patterns. Instead of buying a pillow insert or stuffing, I use the discounted throw pillow as the insert and just sew a pillow cover. You can get really great prices at Bed, Bath, and Beyond on these.

Another place to get a great price on pillows and pillow covers is Amazon. They have pillows similar to Pottery Barn and Pier 1, but at much better prices. I ordered the below bird pillow years ago, and it’s still so gorgeous.

Add Throw Pillows for an Easy Way to Add Color to Neutral Rooms

Accent pillows are the perfect way to bring in vibrant colors

Beautify with Plants and Greenery

Plants can instantly change the appearance of a room. Just by adding a little greenery, your neutral room becomes more lively and homey. Plants are definitely an easy way to add color – no painting or sewing necessary.

If you don’t have a green thumb, a high-quality artificial plant adds the same effect. We have a beautiful, artificial ficus tree (below) from Commercial Silk in our family room.

This ficus tree looks real but doesn’t come with the task of keeping a real plant alive. We incorporated it into our living room, and it’s the perfect pop of color against our red brick fireplace.

Add color to neutral rooms with plants and greenery

Adding plants and greenery to neutral spaces instantly make a room feel more welcoming

It’s nice knowing the leaves won’t brown, and it instantly made the room feel more welcoming and enlivened while adding some much needed color to our previously-boring space. It’s like a breath of fresh air!

Add color to neutral rooms with plants and greenery

Paint Old Furniture

If you have an old piece of furniture that has seen better days, why not give it a coat of fresh paint to add color into a neutral room. Whether it’s an old chair or an outdated dresser, there are lots of wonderful paints that can be used to give an old piece new life.

Chalk paint or milk paint are great options. Depending on the piece, you might even be able to get away with spray paint.

We recently redid an old dresser (we shortened it too), and it perfectly adds color to our way-too-neutral bedroom.

How to transform old furniture with milk paint

This old wooden dresser was refinished with milk paint, bringing color and modernity into our neutral bedroom

Add Patterned or Stenciled Walls

Accent walls are another thrifty way to add color to a neutral space, and there are so many options that you can choose from. You can do a patterned wall, such as stripes. Or, you can do a solid color wall (if you do this, definitely pick a color in the same tone as your main color). You can even do a stenciled wall – or put decals or wallpaper up.

We painted a gray and white striped accent wall in our nursery – which we loved! We painted a heart stenciled wall in our second nursery. We applied wall stickers on canvases in our toddler’s room. And, we have a stenciled wall coming soon to our mudroom.

Each of these things added just the perfect amount of color and flair to our neutral rooms. And, we didn’t have to change the glossy white in the rest of the room because the patterns and stencils complimented what was already there. Thus, we saved money on paint by just doing an accent wall.

Add color and character to neutral rooms with a stenciled accent wall

A stenciled or wallpapered accent wall is a simple solution to a room of white

Adorn with Wall Hangings and Pictures

Don’t underestimate the creativity and color that you can add to your home by decorating your wall space. A bright picture or an interesting gallery wall brings character and color to a room. Also, you can easily spray paint frames for a little more color too.

I also love to find a vibrant picture and use the colors in it as an inspiration piece to decorate the whole room.

My favorite spots to shop for budget-friendly pictures are Home Goods and Christmas Tree Shops. You can also find some great pieces at the craft stores, as they are carrying more and more home decor items.

Enrich with Fresh Slipcovers

If your couch or upholstered chairs are looking a little too neutral, and you want to add freshness or vibrancy, think about throwing a slipcover over them.

Slipcovers add color and aren’t as expensive as replacing couches or chairs and the comfort they provide. You can also easily wash them.

Slipcovers might be just the touch of color that your space needs.

Use Eye-Catching Duvets

Along the same lines as slipcovers, duvets provide a similar solution. They can easily cover an old bedspread to add color and freshness to a room.

Easily washable, you can switch out duvets based on the season or your mood – and they are much less expensive then buying new quilts or bedspreads.

Hang Vibrant Curtains

An easy way to add color to a room is through hanging vibrant curtains. There are so many options with curtains – from popular patterned designs like Moroccan and damask to simple stripes. Curtains are one of the best ways to infuse your neutral living room or bedroom with color.

If you have a neutral bathroom, add a vibrant shower curtain. We added a green plant shower curtain to our brown and tan bathroom, and instantly it softened the appearance of the room.

When thinking about how to add some vibrancy to your rooms, think about letting the sun sweep in with an eye-catching curtain.

Add Color to Neutral Rooms with Vibrant Curtains

Eye-catching curtains add tons of character and color to living rooms and bedrooms

Incorporate Accent Rugs

There’s no reason color has to stop when the wall ends. Add a little more style and flare with a smartly-colored accent rug.

Committing to a bright carpet can be daunting; however an accent rug is just the flare that a neutral room needs. They’re easy to add, move, or clean, and can go anywhere in your home – from the kitchen to the entryway to little reading nooks.

If your home is looking a little too neutral, delight your eyes with a gorgeous accent rug.

How to Add Color to Neutral Rooms

So, if you’re looking to add color to your spaces, these top ten tips are definitely ones to incorporate.

You’ll have your home looking much more expressive, homey, and vibrant without spending much. Even just a few of these home decor tips will work wonders.

How to Add Color to Neutral Rooms

How to Get Amazing Results with Milk Paint

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Learn how to use milk paint to refinish furniture with this easy tutorial. This amazing before and after shows just how easy and beautiful milk paint turns out. 

This post is sponsored by The Real Milk Paint Company. All opinions are entirely my own. 

Ever since I painted an old nightstand with chalk paint, I was hooked on using alternatives to regular latex paint.

For me, chalk paint was one of the easiest ways to transform old furniture and the results were amazing.

Since I had such a great experience with chalk paint, I had been wanting to work with milk paint.

Yes, there is a difference between the two! Milk paint comes in powder form, so you mix it with water.

Milk paint is always non-toxic, which is a huge bonus.

We have been moving toward having a more organic and natural lifestyle, and with our love for DIY, milk paint seemed like a natural next step for us.

So, our first milk paint project was giving an old dresser a makeover. This dresser was given to us from my aunt and uncle and it easily dated back to the 1950s.

My goal was to bring some new life into this old piece by using milk paint.

Updating an old 1950s oak dresser with gray blue milk paint

The dresser was really tall, and I recently saw that you can run furniture through a tablesaw to shorten it! So, I gave my husband the challenge of shortening the dresser, thinking it would make for a less bulky piece.

Below is the old dresser, in its original form.

Sanding the top of an old oak dresser before painting it with milk paint

My husband accepted my challenge and transformed the tall dresser into a shorter one using a jigsaw (for those details check out how to shorten a tall dresser).

I was so thrilled with how the four drawer dresser looked and couldn’t wait to start refinishing it with milk paint.

Shortening a dresser and then painting it with milk paint

For a sneak preview of how the dresser turned out, check out the picture below. The milk paint completely transformed this old piece, and now I’m hooked on milk paint!

If you have an old piece of furniture that you’d like to redo, milk paint can completely make it over. From choosing a paint to putting on new hardware, all the details are in this simple tutorial.

How to transform old furniture with milk paint

How to Choose Milk Paint

When researching milk paints to use on furniture, I came across the Real Milk Paint Company and loved how natural the paint was. Their paint is entirely environmentally-friendly.

There’s absolutely no VOCs in the Real Milk Paint, and it is completely non-toxic. It’s made from iron oxide pigment, milk casein, and lime. You can literally discard the paint in your garden.

Crazy, right?!

Using milk paint in French gray to refinish an old dresser

After reading all the benefits of the Real Milk Paint Company’s paint, I knew it was the perfect choice for my next DIY furniture transformation project.

French Gray Milk Paint from The Real Milk Paint Company How to Prepare Furniture for Painting

First, you want to clean your piece and remove any hardware. Sometimes your piece of furniture might be old, and the hardware might be difficult to remove.

Ours was like this too, and we have a great tip in the a below section (How to Put New Knobs on a Dresser).

Now with milk paint, you need to be able to get the milk paint to stick to the surface of the furniture. So, you have two choices:

  1. You can either sand down your piece OR
  2. You can use a bonding agent in your milk paint.

If you use a bonding agent in your milk paint, you eliminate the need to sand.

Sanding and refinishing an old oak dresser

For this old dresser, we did a little bit of both to prepare the furniture for milk paint. We sanded down the top of the dresser to give it a fresh start, but we mixed the bonding agent in the paint for the rest of the dresser.

You only need to mix in the bonding agent with the first coat. So, if you make another batch of paint for subsequent milk paint coats, you don’t need a bonding agent.

The Real Milk Paint Company has a product called Ultra Bond, which is really simple to just add into your mixed paint. Then, you don’t have to sand your piece, which does save a lot of time.

Using ultra bond as a bonding agent when painting with milk paint

Milk Paint Material List

The following list of materials is what we used to transform this old dresser. I highly recommend getting a new high-quality bristle brush when working with milk paint, but more on that later.

  • French Gray milk paint
  • Lakeview Blue milk paint
  • Ultra Bond – This is the bonding agent which eliminates the need to sand your furniture.
  • Finishing Cream
  • Bristle paint brushes – This is a great brush set for milk painting.
  • Measuring cup – I grabbed an old 1/4 cup from the kitchen.
  • Cup for water – Plastic solo cups work well.
  • Plastic spoons – These are helpful for dipping into the finishing cream and milk paint powder.
  • New hardware – This is your preference but updating old hardware is such a great upgrade! And, I’m loving these half moon drawer pulls.

How to Mix Milk Paint

Milk paint comes in a powder form. Don’t let this scare you though because mixing the milk paint couldn’t be easier!

You definitely don’t need to be an artist or a even cook to be able to mix and measure your milk paint.

It’s a one-to-one ratio, so the measuring is simple.

And then you just shake, shake, shake.

Mixing milk paint from the Real Milk Paint Company in Lakeview Blue

So I was mixing the Real Milk Paint Company’s French Gray with just a little bit of their Lakeview Blue. However, I LOVED the French Gray so much that I added very little of the Lakeview Blue in.

To start, I grabbed a quarter cup from the kitchen and a few plastic spoons. I also filled a red solo cup with water.

Out in the garage, I scooped out a quarter cup of the French Gray and dumped it in the paint can.

Then I scooped one spoonful of Lakeview Blue and added it in.

Then, I filled the quarter cup again with water and dumped this into the can. I also added one spoonful of water (to balance out the blue) and added that to the mix too.

How to mix milk paint powder in French Gray

I closed the paint can and started shaking it up. You’ll hear the marble that comes with the can bouncing around.

This helps to mix the paint up.

After giving it a really good shake, let it sit for 20 minutes. After that, if any clumps come to the surface, simply shake it up again.

That’s it! Easy, right?!

Milk Paint Mixing Tip: If you are going to mix colors, make sure to write down exactly what you mixed so that you can create the same color again.

Testing Your Color

As tempted as you will be to start painting, it’s best to test your color first. You want to make sure the color dries the way you like it.

So, pick a small little area and give the color a little while to dry to make sure you like it.

The French Gray and Lakeview Blue mix that I conjured up was more powder blue than charcoal blue, so I decided that when I made another batch, that I would use a smaller amount of Lakeview Blue.

This was one of my favorite parts of painting with milk paint – you make your own color!

Of course, there are base colors to start with, and then you can add other colors in to achieve the look you want.

With regular latex paint, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken a can of paint back because it wasn’t exactly what I had in mind.

With milk paint, you eliminate all that by making your own color.

How to Use Milk Paint on a Dresser

Okay, I simply cannot stress this enough, but you need to use a really, really good paintbrush with milk paint.

You might not want to go digging in your bucket of brushes and instead just buy a couple really nice ones.

You’ll thank yourself later when you love your refinished piece.

If you use a poor paintbrush, you’ll end up with lots of streaks and uneven surfaces. But a smooth bristle brush will give your surface a really nice look.

Using a good bristle brush to milk paint an old dresser

Where to Start with Milk Paint

So, back to painting. Now that your paint is mixed and you’re happy with the color, it’s time to get started.

I would choose a small area to start in, so that you get used to the milk paint on a smaller surface.

Rather than jumping right into the top of the dresser, I started on a drawer.

Starting on a drawer gave me a smaller area to work on so that I could perfect my milk painting technique.

As you’re painting, keep your water cup near your paint can, because depending on how thick your mix is or what coat of paint you are working on, you might need to add some water.

Tricks to Painting with Milk Paint

Milk paint has a different consistency than regular paint and a different consistency than chalk paint. It’s not as smooth as either of those. It can be watery, thick, or can even clump together.

Light Coats – The trick is you want to give your furniture light coats.

Don’t clump on thick layers of paint because milk paint doesn’t work this way. Paint will start to build up in places and start to crack. Light coats are key.

The milk paint might look streaky because you’ll see the wood coming through, but that’s okay. Another coat or two of milk paint will even it out.

Even Brushing – Another tip is that milk paint usually dries the way you are painting it on.

So, you want to make sure you are running your brush from one end of the piece to the other, so you don’t have brush strokes on your piece.

f you’re seeing brush strokes when you paint, you will see these when it dries.

Adding Water – If you’re painting and the milk paint seems too thick and it isn’t spreading well, then dip the very, very edges of your brush into your water cup.

A little water goes a long way. Then attempt to spread the paint.

You also might do this with a second or third coat to help the paint spread better.

Now, if your paint becomes bubbly, you have too much water. Keep going over the bubbles with the brush, until they are completely gone.

Getting into a Rhythm – I think the best tip I could give you is to just work with the paint, and the more you work with it, the more you’ll find a good consistency and technique for you.

As you start painting, you’ll start to get into a rhythm and notice what works well for you.

How to Use Milk Paint on Furniture Video

In the below video, I show you my process for painting with milk paint, using a drawer as a test piece. 🙂

My Milk Paint Process

Just to back track, after painting a test spot with milk paint, I went on to paint a drawer.

I was happy with that, so I continued onto painting the rest of the drawers. 

After the drawers, I was comfortable with my consistency and I moved onto painting the top of the dresser.

It took me a little while to paint the top of the dresser with milk paint. I started in small areas, like I mentioned above and continued to keep smoothing out the milk paint.

I didn’t do the rounded sides of top quite yet because the milk paint dried so fast – that I was spending all the time getting the top to look perfect.

After I was pleased with the top, I moved onto the front of the dresser and the rounded sides. For the rounded sides, I wanted to paint these with precision.

I needed to be careful not to get any paint on the dresser top – since I had already painted that and it had dried. For the rounded sides of the dresser top, I used a small brush from my craft room.

techniques for refinishing old furniture with milk paint

Pictured below is the whole dresser after one coat of milk paint.

It was a little more blue than I wanted, so the next coat I mixed up, I used just a half spoonful of Lakeview Blue.

And, the third coat of milk paint, I used all French Gray.

The picture below is after the first coat – so the dresser was looking quite blue.

Using milk paint to paint an old dresser - furniture refinishing techniques

I continued on to paint two really good coats of milk paint on the entire dresser, and then a third light topcoat.

Letting the Milk Paint Dry

Milk paint dries super fast, so you can knock out a milk painting project in a short amount of time.

Paint a coat, head inside for a snack, and by the time you’re done that snack, you can probably do another coat.

That’s why milk painting is a great naptime project for mommas!

Painting an old dresser with French Gray milk paint

How to Apply Finish to Milk Paint

Applying the finish to the milk paint dresser couldn’t have been easier. Once the milk paint furniture is dry, you can apply your finish.

We used the low sheen finishing cream from The Real Milk Paint Company. I simply scooped a dollop out with a spoon and then used an old sock to rub it all over the dresser.

You use enough of it to cover your area. It was super easy.

The finishing cream is non-toxic – and doesn’t have any kind of smell. Only one coat was necessary too!

Milk Paint Finishing Tip: Some of the milk paint pigment might rub off on your cloth. This is normal. If your piece of furniture is more than one color then you might want to use a separate cloth for each milk painted color you are applying the finish to.

How to Put New Knobs on the Dresser

Part of the upgrade that we were giving the dresser was new hardware. I loveee adding new hardware to old pieces because it is an instant upgrade.

Prior to painting, when I removed the original hardware, I had a little trouble removing a few of the old knobs. 

Some of the screw heads started to strip with my screwdriver because of the age, so I used my impact driver to easily remove them with no damage.

In putting the new knobs on the dresser, I decided to use round knobs on the top small drawers and half moon shell knobs on the rest of the drawers.

This made the two smaller drawers the easiest to upgrade as it was just a matter of swapping the old knobs with the new ones.

Update old furniture by replacing the hardware - makes a big difference

The larger drawers needed some additional holes drilled to accommodate the half moon shell drawer pulls. I used a ruler to line up the existing holes.

My husband helped me out with this since my kids’ naptimes had ended.

He drilled new holes parallel to the ruler, offset by 2.5″ from the old holes (the spacing required for the new handles).

How to add new knobs to old furniture

Excited to see the refinished dresser with the new hardware, I laughed when I saw that my husband installed all the half moon drawer pulls upside down haha! (see below).

He thought the half moon shell pulls were like little bowls 🙂

Gray blue dresser after being painted with milk paint - tips and tricks

After having a quick chuckle, I easily flipped the half moon drawer pulls. It was just a quick fix to flip them, and voila! The refinished dresser was done.

Gray Blue dresser after being paint with milk paint with the sky in the background

I finished the piece just as the sun was setting and was anxious to move it inside.

Using French gray milk paint on an old dresser to make it brand new again

Once inside, I quickly adorned it with some of my favorite decor, including the below picture of my late grandmother.

So fitting too because she was a DIYer back before the term ever existed. A flea market fanatic decades before all of the network shows.

Boy, she would have loved to have known about milk paint.

Overall, I was so thrilled with how the refinished dresser looked in our home. It was truly quite a makeover.

An amazing milk paint furniture makeover in French gray - milk paint before and after

If you are looking to transform an old piece of furniture or if you are just looking for a non-toxic, child-friendly, pet-friendly safe paint, definitely check out The Real Milk Paint Company.

They offer tons of colors (and you can mix even more yourself), the paint is easy to work with, your painting projects and possibilities are endless, and most importantly, the paint is safe.

Milk paint before and after - an old oak dresser transformed into a modern gray blue dresser with silver knobs

How to Build a Hexagon DIY Planter Box

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One of Ash’s favorite meals is a simple pot of rice and beans – but he gives it a little kick with a hot pepper called a wiri wiri pepper. It’s a Caribbean hot pepper, so it’s hard to find around here.

Luckily, Ash’s mom had a plant to give him. She was happy to pass it on because they were having trouble growing it in their soil.

That’s how the wiri wiri pepper plant on our fireplace came to be.

But here’s the ridiculous part – Ash didn’t have a planter around, so he looked around the garage and ended up planting it in a fish bowl. It’s even more ridiculous that the fish bowl wasn’t meant for fish – it was originally going to be a helmet for a robot scarecrow.

So, it was only a matter of time until I suggested a proper planter with some drainage, rather than the silly fish bowl. I was thinking we could make a collection of planters too, so I could plant some herbs. The wiri wiri pepper was growing really well on the fireplace, so why not try my hand at a little indoor garden.

How to Build Geometric DIY Wooden Planters for an Indoor Garden

How to Build a Hexagon DIY Planter Box

While thinking about a creative DIY planter box to make, I remembered how much our toddler loves (and I mean LOVES) shapes. Rather than asking people their favorite color or favorite food, he asks them what their favorite shape is.

And, he can rattle off everyone’s favorite shape: “Grandma loves triangles and daddy loves triangles and I love hexagons and mommy, she loves hearts.”

So, rather than making a couple ole rectangular planters, we decided to be a little creative with shapes for our DIY planter boxes.

How to Build DIY Planter Boxes in the Shape of a Hexagon

With DIY planter boxes, you can either fill the box up with dirt or just conceal a pot inside.  Putting dirt directly inside the box requires the use of certain types of wood (like cedar) or protective stain treatment (I highly recommend a non-toxic stain if growing herbs).  Without this, the wood may start to rot quickly.  Since we had a lot of scrap pine board cutoffs in the garage, we went the simplier route and decided to just hide a terracotta pot inside our hexagon planter box.

Materials

  • 1×8 board, 6′
  • 1/4″ plywood sheet (2’x2′)
  • wood glue
  • finishing nails

Instructions for Building a Hexagon DIY Planter

To build a hexagon DIY planter box, we needed six identical wooden segments to make the six sides of the hexagon.

Then for each segment, we needed to bevel the edges at a 30 degree angle so that they could fit together seamlessly to form the hexagon. Bevelling the edges was a breeze with our table saw.

How to Make a Hexagontal DIY Planter Box for an Indoor Herb Garden

Once we had 6 segments, it was time to connect them together with wood glue and finishing nails.

We used a clamp (our handy JawHorse) to hold the segments in place to help with this process.

Here is Ash applying some wood glue to a segment:

Using wood glue to make a DIY planter box in the shape of a hexagon

Next, we pressed another segment against the glue, and used two finishing nails to hold the pieces in place while the glue dried.

Then, Ash used his finishing nail gun to speed up this task.

Using a finishing nail gun to make DIY planter boxes

Here is a finished segment:

How to build a wooden DIY planter box for an indoor herb garden

Segment by segment, the DIY hexagon planter started to take shape. When all the sides were connected, it was time to cut out a base for the wooden planter box.

To make the base, I traced the outline of the hexagon against a plywood sheet.

How to Make a Wooden DIY Planter Garden Box

With the assistance of a clamp and a jigsaw, I cut the hexagon out of the plywood. I had to hold the plywood very firmly as I ran the jigsaw through the wood.

Making a hexagon DIY planter box

To attach the base to the planter box, we used more wood glue and finishing nails.

The hexagon planter box was mostly done at this point.

Hexagonal planter box made of wood

How to Build a Triangular DIY Planter Box

The triangular planter box was very similar in design to its hexagonal planter box cousin.

The main difference was the number of segments – I just needed three. The segments still needed 30 degree bevelled edges to make a seamless triangular shape.

I repeated the steps I did for the hexagon planter box, producing this nice triangle planter box.

How to Make a DIY Wooden Planter Box in Geometric Shapes

Finishing the Planter Boxes

As with most woodworking projects, you’re not done until you give everything a good sanding.

So I used my random orbital sander to smooth all the edges, making the planter boxes easy on the hands to handle.

How to Build Geometric Wooden Planters that Fit Terracotta Planters

I haven’t decided if I am going to paint or stain these DIY planter boxes. Check back next week for an update – along with an updated picture of the wiri wiri pepper’s new home.

And as a bonus, here’s a picture of the wiri wiri pepper in the fish bowl 🙂

Creative Planters for Indoor Gardens