Nursery: Dresser Makeover

January 26, 2016 Carley Kelley

We have been preparing for the arrival of our baby girl for several months now. As soon as I found out we were having a girl I started planning her nursery. I quickly found out how expensive it can be to create the perfect space for a little one.

I drooled over this campaign dresser from Pottery Barn Baby for several months and finally ordered it. Unfortunately it was on backorder and would not be delivered until after our due date and I wanted everything to be ready before her arrival. I disappointedly canceled the order since it would not be here and it was too much of a splurge for us even with being able to purchase half of it in gift cards.

As much as I was tired of doing DIY projects and was just ready to have something in the room we turned to Craigslist and started the search for the right dresser to redo. This was our first Craigslist experience and we were happy to have loved the first piece we went and looked at and scored it for $140 - a fraction of the cost of the Pottery Barn Dresser. I loved the mid century look of the dresser and that it was a really unique and fun style.

As usual, I purchased a quart of Annie Sloan Pure White paint and re-painted the dresser. We removed the mirror it came with and purchased new hardware for the piece from Hobby Lobby. My husband drilled new holes for the hardware and was able to cover the old ones with wood filler without noticing them at all.

We both love the way the finished dresser turned out (and how much we saved!) and can't wait to have the nursery completed. Check back soon to see the completed space :)

Annie Sloan Kitchen Makeover

May 15, 2015 Carley Kelley

My husband and I recently purchased our first home. We're excited to be out of the city and closer to our family. There are several things on our new homeowners to-do list, and painting the kitchen was at the top.

We both wanted white cabinets to brighten up the kitchen but we didn't have the budget to hire someone. Luckily I like a good DIY project, so I enlisted by brother's help and tackled the kitchen paint job.

The thought of taking cabinets apart, sanding, painting, and replacing them seemed like a nightmare. I've used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint on smaller projects but never something this big. I researched things and decided it would work. Annie Sloan is more expensive than traditional paint but you make up the cost by avoiding sanding and priming.

I went with Pure White Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. I painted the whole kitchen with only four quarts of paint. The only prep work I did was wipe down the cabinets! I learned that painting kitchen cabinets isn't easy but the final product was worth the effort.

Here is the kitchen before:

My brother, Carson, helping me paint the kitchen. He made the job a lot easier on me!

I put three coats on the cabinets. The chalk paint gives the textured and imperfect finish that I like. I worried about waxing the cabinets because I thought it would wear off in a high-use area like the kitchen. I didn't want to have to re-wax them every few years so I decided to finish the cabinets with Annie Sloan Floor Lacquer instead of wax. I'm very pleased with the results and believe it will prove to be a more durable finish that can be wiped off time and again. If you choose to lacquer your cabinets, make sure you use a water-based sealer so you don't experience any yellowing.

The project took three days from start to finish and cost less than $300.00. I also highly recommend using the Annie Sloan Paint Brush. Annie is proud of her brushes but they're worth the price.

and after:

DIY - Moss Covered Letters

March 5, 2014 Carley Kelley

I recently got married in October so my mind was on DIY wedding craft mode for 8 months. I saw several places where I could order moss covered letters but I was not satisfied with paying over $30 per letter. Instead I paid under $30 to create my whole new last name.

Here is what you will need:

flat wooden letters (I got mine at Hobby Lobby 1/2 off for around $2 each)
1 large bag of loose moss
glue gun and glue sticks
a cup of ice cold water - for when you come in close contact with hot glue :(

Then all you have to do is cover a small areas at a time with the hot glue. Then get a clump of the moss and press over it. Make sure you get a thick layer that way you do not burn yourself while pressing it down. I also worked over a large bag because the moss can be pretty messy.

Then you have beautiful moss letters for a fraction of the price. I just placed them in a window seal at my wedding. To add something extra you could hang them with ribbon - which would look great for a wedding, party, or even a nursery.