How to Upcycle a Dictionary Stand with Chalk Paint
This dictionary stand has been in my house for at least the last six years….
Yes, most of the furniture is either black or a dark brown. No cherry in sight here. It was time to upcycle the dictionary Stand with chalk paint.
Of course he used enamel paint on his furniture. You know the old fashioned kind that is thick and gooey and drips all over the place. But I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce him to the joys of chalk paint.
I added 3 coats of paint and let it dry overnight. The next day I sanded it a bit… not too much, and used cream wax from DecoArt to seal the paint.
I’ve done all this before with my bed frame makeover and the blue beach table.
Of course my dad was still skeptical till he saw this…
That’s what I wanted to hear!!!
And he liked the distressing!
You may be wondering why I felt the need to show all this to dear old dad. I mean why can’t I leave him alone and give him some peace and quiet? Well, I am going to paint some larger pieces of furniture in the house the same way and I needed to ease him in slowly with this smaller piece. See there is a reason for my painting madness.
Have you ever tried to make your own chalk paint?
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The stand looks so shabby chic, what a transformation paint can do! Great Job! Maria
Than you Maria. It was an easy fix with just a little paint.
Nice job! I like the way the chalk paint lightened up the piece, made it look not-so-heavy. It will be a nice addition to your room.
It already makes a huge difference Mimi. I’m also painting some other pieces to go with it. .
This is beautiful! You are lucky you won your Dad over with this piece. I keep showing my mother-in-law my latest projects and she just kind of says, “hmmmm” (meaning,if you don’t have anything good to say, say nothing!). I love it- it turned out really well!
Haha Melony, my dad is like your mother in law too. But I had him touching it so he could not deny the silky smooth finish. Now I have to convince him that I’m doing right with the rest of the pieces I’m painting.
Super cute! Gotta love homemade chalk paint:)
Chalk paint is a live saver. If I didn’t have that I’d actually have to spend money on a project I was hoping to finish quickly and on a budget. Besides I had to buy the wax.
I think its wonderful that you got to spend some time with your Dad, he must really miss you. Your post is timely as I just called our local supplier to see if they have the brand name chalk paint in white. Nope they are sold out! Thanks for sharing your recipe. Leanna
Try the recipe Leanna and save yourself some money. It is super easy to make and you can play around with the consistency.
Will do Mary. I have to see why everyone uses it instead of the told stuff. Enjoy your vacation and don’t work too hard. Leanna
Χαίρομαι που σε βρήκα Μαρία!Πολύ καλή η μεταμόρφωση αυτού του επίπλου,δείχνει πραγματικά πολύ καλύτερο από πριν που ήταν σκούρο.Θα του πήγαιναν και τα κουτιά με τις ρίγες στα ραφάκια του!
Έριξα μια γρήγορη ματιά στο blog σου και πρέπει να επιστρέψω σύντομα γιατί έχεις δείξει πολλά “θαύματα” εδώ μέσα που θέλουν μελέτη!Καλή συνέχεια!
Ευχαριστω Λαμπρινη! Θελω να τελειωσω κι αλλα δυο κομματια και μετα θα δειξει η ομορφια του.
Mary, I really love cherry wood, it is such a pretty color. But, if the piece is not serving you it doesn’t matter what color it is does it? It did look dark and dreary before. Now it looks fresh and pretty. And you can really see the shape of the piece.
I like the way you went about this, getting your dad to like it by showing him how you did it. It is hard to retrain how people think, isn’t it? I’m happy that he came around and that he has seen the value of your homemade chalk paint. Can’t wait to see how the rest of the furniture turns out.
Nikki my dad is a work in progress too. I still have to get him on board with the rest of the radical stuff I’m planning on doing. Cross your fingers.
gorgeous! I’ve never heard of a dictionary stand before but love this one! And your tray with the seashell handles is amazing!!!
Audra I had to google it because I didn’t know what it was called.
What a pretty transformation! I am the laziest DIYer out there…I don’t paint furniture anymore, but you make it looks tempting! 😉
Kim it really is super easy with chalk paint. None of those nasty fumes and no dripping like with the older enamel paints. Go for it. Paint something red!
Mary – I love it! Such a huge improvement. I have never seen a dictionary stand in person, but the pictures are beautiful. I love what you did with this piece. I found you at #WayWow
I guess it is kind of rate Debbie. I know that in order to figure out the name I had to google it. I’m glad you like it. Paint transforms everything.
Mary,
This piece turned out beautifully. You are so clever..mixing your own concoction. Chalk and milk paint are so freaking expensive. Hopefully you convinced your dad it is ok to paint furniture.
Much Love,
Erica
Erica, you’re not kidding. I go thru chalk paint like water. I convinced my dad for this piece, now I need to work on the rest. He is a hard sell.
Wow, Mary–what a transformation! Pinned and I’m sharing on FB too! Thank you for sharing at Vintage Charm!
Thank you Cecilia. It is so much better than all that red!
What a fabulous transformation Mary! Love the how nice and bright it looks now. I had never heard of a Dictionary Stand before so thank you for sharing that with us!
Thank you also for sharing your project at Waste Not Wednesday!
Sam I had never heard of that term before either. But I knew it had a special name and google helped me along.
Hi Mary, the stand looks so much better after you’ve up-cycled it. And it sounds like you can teach an old dog new tricks, or teach him to like different things.
I like the tray on top too. There are a couple of traditional carpenters on the island that similar stuff.
xx
Debbie he is learning weather he wants to or not. Haha.
I love your painted projects. I don’t know how you come up with a way to make your own chalk paint…good for you! It turned out very professional looking.
Thank you so much for that Debbie. My dad is my harshest critic. So if he’s satisfied so am I. Chalk paint is actually easy to make, once you get the hang of it.
I love it in white – It was the perfect thing to do to it and it turned out great
Amber it stuck out like a sore thumb before. Now it looks so much calmer and fits in with the whole room.
Mary, what a beautiful transformation. It doesn’t even look like the same piece at all. Way to convert you dad to an updated way of painting furniture!
Toni he had to move forward with his painting ideas, kicking and screaming all the way. 😉
Such a great upcycled piece of furniture. I am a huge fan of homemade chalk paint and this turned out awesome. Thanks for sharing with us at Waste Not Wednesday.
Homemade chalk paint is great when you cannot get your hands on the ready made stuff and it is equally as good.
Oh I love the book stand in white Mary! I got my Mom on the painting bandwagon by having her create a piece of her own with chalkpaint now she’s in the tribe with her very own set of brushes… lol Thanks so much for sharing your project at Fridays Furniture Fix!
Brenda I do believe I have converted him! What a great feeling especially at his age.
Fantastic makeover! And the added bonus – getting your dad to change his opinion. 😄