How to Avoid Mistakes When Up-cycling a Trunk
Disclosure: I was compensated for doing this post with product. However, all the opinions stated…
I’m always looking to try new things with these trunks. And sometimes I get myself into hot water. Today I’d like to share how to avoid mistakes when up-cycling a trunk.
Here is a picture of one of the many I have. They all look the same. And they were all filthy and full of scratches. I was itching to get started on this particular project.
What I used:
- Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Soldier Blue (safepaint version)
- Paintbrush
- Homemade Beeswax furniture polish (which you can make here)
- DecoArt Greek Key Stencil
- DecoArt Americana Acrylic Paint in Antique White
- DecoArt Metallics in Bronze
The How To:
Look at the photo below do you see how uneven the surface is? Remember that.
But then I had a change of heart. I thought I would try my hand at stenciling after I received this one from the DecoArt Paint Company. They have lots of designs to choose from but I wanted to try out this one which is a Greek key. A girls gotta pay homage to her roots. 😉
And then I realized that I had waxed the trunk.
Hmmm… wax is used to protect the paint and seal it in. If I painted the stencil would it stay on the trunk or just slide around into a great big mess? I had come so close to amazing!!
I should have thought of this before adding the wax to the trunk. I hemmed and hawed and agonized over this for days. I went on facebook groups and asked their advice. I even had dreams about the stencil design dripping all over my beautiful trunk. I honestly don’t know what happened to me this time, maybe it was the excessive heat.
It was a rough week of procrastinating.
But finally I bit the bullet and just went for it. I figured if I mess up, I mess up. It is my fault for not sticking to my original plan. But these things happen and we have to go along with the flow. Of course that is easier said than done.I taped the stencil onto the trunk and then using two brushes, one to actually put the paint on, and the other one to push down the stencil, I went full steam ahead. Remember that photo above, the one I told you to remember, the one with the uneven surface of the trunk? Yes, that is why I had to hold down the stencil. It was like painting on hills.
Of course the right way to do this would have been to use one of those great spray glues; then there would have been no need for me to push the stencil down. And of course I had to dive right in and pick a tough one. I just went with it and kept on pushing the stencil down and dabbling the paint on.
I had become fearless I tell you! After all I had already messed up!
Could it possibly get any worse?
As I dabbled along all those Greek keys the color started to change. In some spots it was bronze while in others it was white and in between it came out a peachy color. And because of the aforementioned hills on the surface, I ended up with various intensities of color.
Was I going to let that stop me? Of course not!
A little color on the hardware and some wax on the straps.
And my trunk was finished!
No chips, no paint coming off, no more problems!!
Make sure to have a plan before starting your project!
Make sure to stick to the said plan!
Make sure you buy some glue spray!
And when all else fails, just go for it!!
I want to thank the lovely people in my Facebook group who offered their help for this traumatic time! If you need any help for your DIY projects or are looking for a community of like minded people join us here.
I guess good things can come from mistakes after all!
If you really like what you see subscribe to my blog and get my adventures twice a week in your mailbox. The form is on the sidebar and on top. Your e-mail will never be shared with a third party.
This blog is for entertainment purposes only; my DIY tutorials are not professional advice. Read my full disclaimer here.
I love it when I get your comments and I will try reply to them or visit you on your blog. Please do not add a hyperlink to your comment, otherwise we cannot publish it.
So glad you persevered with your trunk Mary!! I love how it turned out!!!
Thanks Sam I really wanted this one to work out even thought it was a bumpy ride.
All’s well that ends well eh! I don’t quite know how you pulled this off but it looks great Mary, I love the stencilling so you were right to go for it!
Julie I felt like I didn’t have much of a choice. I had already done a plane grey trunk a few months ago and now was looking to do something different. I love to try new things and if I mess up well, that is just a learning experience.
Hi Mary, I really love the stencil on there. The variation of the stencil colors give it a lot of depth and interest! I am glad you went for it in the end!!! Looks great!
Thanks so much Kathleen. I knew I wanted that stencil but had no idea as to how to go about it. I guess the hills on the surface helped to create this look.
At first I wasn’t sure about the stenciling but I really love how it turned out. It gives that lovely old trunk some dimension and I love it against the blue of the trunk,
Yes I was looking for something more than just a new color since I had already done that on a previous trunk. Thanks Toni!
Oh Mary, this is me…I never have a plan. I dive right in and hope for the best! It looks fabulous! Exactly how big is that basement? More trunks, huh? It would not surprise me at all if you pulled a car or a boat out of that space! 😉 And I know that if you did, you would do something spectacular with it.
You know the bigger the basement the more stuff that can be stored. I think it is a bad thing because we end up keeping things that we don’t really need. We have an iron gate door which I love but it is so heavy we cannot move it out of there.
I think this turned out great! I love the blue color, as well as the variation in color on the stenciled areas. Definitely a great makeover! I’m also super interested in your homemade wax. I need to check that out!
Yes, that wax has to be amazing if it allowed the paint to stick on while protecting the other paint below.
I like it! Definitely an upgrade! Love the color and the greek key design! The difference in the white and bronze just adds to the patina effect!
Jeannee
Exactly Jeannee I love that variation of color for the stencil.
Mary,
Your trunk is beautiful!!! I think this is my favorite of all the projects you’ve shared recently… I’m biased, though. I have three trunks: the one my parents bought unfinished and my father stained a reddish brown, the wicker one I bought at Cost Plus when that store was new to Sacramento back when I was 16 years old {one of my first ever decorating ideas!!!}, and a true antique I asked my father-in-law to refinish and have never found leather handles for. Still love them all!
Wonderful job and great idea adding the Greek key pattern!
Barb 🙂
Barbara you have quite a collection there. Have you shared any of them on your blog?
Mary, it turned out gorgeous! I’m amazed that the paint adhered over the wax, but good to know. I end up changing steam over the course of a project and I admire your sticking to it. I would have put it in the corner with the other unfinished projects! I love the depth and shade of the paint, it makes it so interesting. And the color combination is perfect! Love all your trunks, but this may be my favorite!.
Nikki you know I had a time bomb ticking over my head with this one I had to finish that apartment.
THIS IS GORGEOUS! <3
Thank you Evey I am so happy everything turned out well in the end.
Έκανες καταπληκτική δουλειά Μαρία.
Εχω κι εγώ 3 μπαούλα και σκέφτομαι να τα βάψω.
Καλή συνέχεια.
Kali idea Rena. Ta ginoun koukles!
I love how your trunk turned out the blue is lovely with the gold stencil. It almost has an oriental look to it.
Yes an old world kind of look. I was actually thinking of the byzantine empire for this one.
Greek Key is a favorite pattern of mine and I don’t use it often enough. I love the color you chose and it came out looking very good. I have my mother’s trunk and it’s probably 50 years old and very banged up. Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, and I hope your week is going great.
I hope I’ve inspired you to tackle your mom’s old trunk. Mine was in really bad shape but you know we all love the power of paint.
I love the old trunks and I think my mother in law she had one.. somewhere .. You did a great job Mary!
Thank you Eleana I was not about to let it sit there unfinished.
Your trunk is lovely. I love hearing about people’s “oopses” because so many times all you see is the perfection and for someone who has made boiled frosting and ended up calling it chocolate sauce, it makes you (knowledgeable, just about perfect) “bloggers” seem just like the rest of us novice DIYers! Thank you for sharing your project!
Thank you so much Kathy. Your comment means the world to me. I am all about the mistakes because those are the ones that makes us better DIYers.
Glad you stuck with it – it looks great Mary
Amber after all those sleepless nights there is no way I was going to give up!
Great blue color and the stencil turned out great. It really gave it personality! I love the little imperfections. Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Thanks so much Jann. It really needed a bit more than just a little color.
Stencilling onto a rough surface is almost impossible. You did a really great job Mary, sometimes you need to go for it. Your trunk turned out really well Mary.
Thanks Leanna it was driving me crazy and I figured I had nothing to lose except my mind.
Mary, the trunk looks beautiful! I’m glad everything worked out and the paint went on without mishaps. The variation of colors was a good move, it looks wonderful!
Thank you Keri, this one is my favorite out of all three. But wait when I make another one that will become my favorite. 😉
Haha, you’re an artist, Mary!
Thank you Cath, I can only aspire!!