Stencils

So, Tuesday I decided to get creative with my drawers.  I had a "stencil" I bought at Michael's from the scrapbooking section.  

I placed it on top of the drawer and used a dry brush technique with some Behr paint I had brought from the "oops" section at Home Depot. 

I added a little bit of water to the paint so that it wouldn't be as thick.  There was one problem- the stencil wasn't wide enough, and when I placed it on the remaining half of the drawer, it kind of messed it all up. 

I wasn't happy with this look.  I decided to try and put some of my Martha Stewart glaze over it to soften it a little bit.  When I went to rub the glaze off, all of the taupe colored paint rubbed off as well.  Fail.  

I ditched this plan.  I attempted this again with a smaller stencil, and a blueberry color paint.  

The stencil bled a little bit, but oh well.  After I stenciled opposite corners on each drawer, I whitewashed it with "ice blue" to try and soften it a little bit. 

Lauren helped me with the stenciling.  I distressed the edges a little bit more.  

This is one of my favorite parts.  It is where you can really go crazy and blow off some steam!  I am still undecided on how I like the blue stenciling.  I love trying different things because I can always start over again.  

I can't wait until this heat wave passes.  I have so many projects I want to do, but they need to be done outside.  I'm considering taking the drawers back to white.  What do you think?

-E

Most people may not know this about me- I am obsessed with everything "shabby chic."  I love taking an old piece of furniture and giving it new life with a few coats of paint and wax.  I also enjoy repurposing things, such as my antique shutter headboard.  My fiance and I are buying an older Victorian home.  This blog will document our transformation of the house, and of course, my pursuit of all things shabby chic.  

Right now, I am in the middle of refinishing an old dresser I bought at a yard sale for $10.  It has been a lot of work because I have had to store it in my parents shed and I have only been able to work on it outside.  It has just been too hot.  So far, I have stripped and sanded the entire dresser.  All of the drawers have been primed.  I have painted the drawers this color: toque white from Sherwin Williams.  I have distressed two of the drawers and tried two different glazing techniques on them.  I am trying to decide if I like them that way, or if I just want to keep them plain white. I  used this glaze.  The color is called Medallion.  On one of the drawers, I wiped the glaze over the entire drawer and then rubbed it off.  It left a metallic finish on the entire drawer.  On the second drawer, I just wiped the glaze on the spots that I could see the wood that was exposed during sanding.  I think I like this way better.  Then again, I might just leave them plain white.  I am planning on staining the top a dark color wood because I know that white paint does not hold up well on top of dressers.  I plan to add pictures of this project soon. 

So, here we go!  Please join me on this journey of home restoration- and being the shabbiest girl I can be. 

-E