When I saw this dresser recently while thrifting, I knew I needed it.
I wasn’t sure however if I would be able to let her go once she was done!
I did a bit of research after bringing her home, and it looks like this dresser is probably WWII or prior due to
the wood wheels on the casters (cool huh?)
When it came to choosing a color I was completely stumped. I wanted to do something fun, and decided that
this pretty leaf green would be a fun addition to many color schemes.
I used my Homemade Chalk Paint Recipe, and I love how she turned out!!
Don’t be alarmed by the first couple coats of paint when you are painting furniture. Using chalk paint I have
found the first coat looks pretty horrible, the second coat a big improvement, and by the third coat the color
and coverage are gorgeous.
I have tried this recipe different ways many times, this is the formula I love:
Chalk Paint Recipe
1 cup of paint (flat latex paint or acrylic craft paint works great too)
1/2 cup of plaster of paris
1/4-1/3 cup hot water
Mix the hot water and plaster of paris together until smooth, stir in paint and have fun!
If you feel like your paint isn’t thick enough, pour a small amount of paint you have made into
a 2nd container, and add a few Tablespoons plaster of paris with a Tablespoon of hot water to
thicken, blend together then add to the main container of chalk paint you mixed. Mix well.
Cover unused paint well and with a good stir it should work well again and again.
After the paint has completely dried, I usually wait overnight, I do a light overall sanding, then focus a bit more
on any areas I would like to distress a bit. Next I wipe the piece down with a soft cloth so all debris has been
removed, and use a dark wax lightly (very sparingly with light paint like this) and accent around the edges
a bit, blending it in well. Next I use beeswax polish all over the piece and put the knobs back on.
In this case with casters, I chose not to remove them first, due to the hardware but covered them completely
in painters tape to protect them.
I also used a bit of beeswax polish on the wood casters as well, which brought out their luster too.
Here is the before picture right after I removed the knobs. I ended up using them again because they are
such a pretty tortoise color, and probably original to the piece.
We have had a couple beautiful sunny afternoons lately so outside we sent to take a few pictures.
She’s a tough one to let go of, but I literally am not sure where she would go!
So up for sale she is, waiting for her next adventure.
Have a blessed & creative day friend,
Tanya,
I’ve never made my own chalky paint, but I’m definitely going to pin your recipe. Love the color of your dresser transformation! Go Bold!
I wasn’t sure about the green at first, but I am so glad I went with a color I really love. Thank you friend, have a wonderful day!! xoxo
Gorgeous transformation! The green color really brought the dresser back to life! Pinning your recipe, I have an accent table I am wanting to paint this weekend! Have a great weekend!
Thank you so much Christine!! I hope you link up that table or email me a pic I would love to see it 🙂
Thank you for visiting, hope you are having an amazing week- xoxo
Try WWI!!! Those old dressers with the casters are from the 1910-20 era. Just a bit of dresser trivia for ya! Nice green!! Love bright colors on those old dressers.
REALLY? I am so excited, I kind of wondered if it might be early 1900’s, thank you so much for visiting Beth!!
Have a fab week- xoxo
I must be really out of the loop on chalk paint. I only just started hearing about it. This dresser turned out great!
It’s been gaining in popularity, however it can be confusing with chalk, milk, and now mud paint on the market. Where to start?! Thanks so much Kyla, have an awesome day- xoxo
I just love how all these bright colors are coming into style now! You did a great job with this it looks awesome! Thanks for sharing!
What an adorable makeover Tanya! I love it- thanks for sharing it with us at Work it Wednesday. Featuring you this week!
~Krista
Thank you Krista!! I really appreciate it 🙂
Have a great day friend- xoxo
Love the dresser..going to do ours white also really soon, just wondering once painted and waxed what is a good way to clean the table for every day use..mommy here with an 8 & 3 year old lol so I am sure I will be cleaning it a lot..thanks
Hi Daisy!
I like to use orange oil as it smells amazing and keeps furniture looking good too 🙂
xoxo, Tanya
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