Average But Inspired

Inspiring creativity at home.

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A Friendly Little Stool Makeover with Homemade Chalk Paint

Friends.

I cannot explain to you how HAPPY I am that the weather is finally improving in Chicago.  Aside from being able to let the kids go outside and run around, I have been able to get some furniture painting done, which has given me so much joy.  Never in a million years would I have pictured myself as a furniture painting junkie, but I think I may be reaching that status.

I can’t get enough!

Last weekend I had some fun giving a makeover to a sad little stool that my sister found for me at a thrift store.  We had gone there to donate some baby clothes, and my husband had given me strict orders not to buy any additional furniture.  But I just couldn’t help myself when it came to this little guy.

Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
He was pretty banged up and lonely looking, but I thought he’d be perfect as a plant stand on my front porch.  So for $5.99 with my $2 coupon I got for donating clothes that day, I snatched him up.
I eventually confessed my thrift store shopping sins to my husband, and while he wasn’t upset that I’d purchased another thing to fit into the garage, he totally shot down my plant stand idea.  Ah, yes, this little stool would not fare well on our front porch because it is essentially a wind tunnel.
Oh well.  I’d find another use for him.
My original plan was to spray paint him green, but then I decided that I do not like working with spray paint, nor did I want to make my little stool friend so boring.  So I did this instead. . . .
Drumroll please . . .
Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
Taa daa!  What do you think?  Kinda weird with the “Hello” on there, right?
Whatever – even if it is weird, I think it’s cute in a cheeky and friendly way.  And what a transformation!  You can’t deny that it looks better, even if you think it’s strange.
Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
For this project, I whipped up some homemade chalk paint (1 cup latex paint // 2 tablespoons calcium carbonate // 1 tablespoon water), and brushed on a rustic coat of a light gray chalk paint all over.
Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
Next, I got super brave and (successfully) attempted to make a stencil with contact paper on my Silhouette Portrait that my husband gave me for Valentine’s Day.  (How sweet is my husband?!  Forget chocolates and flowers – he knows the way to my heart!)  I followed these awesome directions from Shanty-2-Chic, and everything went great.
Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
(Do you like my cute new Sperrys?)
I then applied my light turquoise paint to the stencil and to the bottom and top “X” portions of the stool.  After everything dried, I roughed it up with some sandpaper and then sprayed it down with two coats of poly.
Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
Now this friendly little stool has a place of honor right next to our kitchen table.  He is so happy to be out of the thrift shop and into our home . . . I just know it!
Homemade chalk paint stool makeover
This post makes me sound like a total nut job.
– Bre

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Comments

    • Hi, Linda! Thank you! I am so thankful for the warm up – after the winter we had, I’ll take anything that’s above 60 degrees! Have a great day. 🙂

  3. I love this little stool. The fact that you painted the little x part of the chair blue was adorable. I am in the Milwaukee area and yesterday was glorious, it has been a looooonnnng winter!

    Emily- Our house now a home

    Reply

    • Hi, Emily! My family lives in Milwaukee! It’s a great town! I know you’re so glad to have the awesome weather, too! My goodness was the winter brutal. Thanks for your sweet comment on my stool. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

  9. I think it looks terrific. A small piece of furniture like that is the kind of project that it feels “safe” to tackle, right? And it could go so many places. When I looked at the “before” in my feed I guessed you had painted it black, but this is much cuter… especially with the blue down at the bottom. Nice job!

    Reply

    • Hi, Seana! Thank you! Yeah, the chalk paint title leads many to believe it would be black, hahaha! Thanks for your sweet note!

  12. Hi Bre!
    I love this makeover! I really need to try chalk paint, I always love projects that use it so much! I’m one of the new cohosts of Do Tell Tuesday and I picked it as one of my features which will be up tomorrow, so stop by and grab a featured button! Have a great week!
    -Cassie @ Little Red Window

    Reply

    • Hey, Cassie! Congrats on the new co-host gig. That’s awesome!! And thanks so much for choosing my stool as one of your features. I’m so excited! Have a great night!

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