Entertainment Center Redo & The Skinny on Homemade Chalk Paint

A few weeks ago while I was out hitting some garage sales with my sweet friend, Marybeth, I found this entertainment center. 

  {the above picture was taken with my iPhone, so pardon the quality}

Normally I don't even look for pieces of furniture this size because I have no way of getting them home! However, this garage sale was our first stop and just happened to be my next door neighbor. They were asking $50 {which is a good deal, but I was looking for a great deal}, so we settled on $35...IF it was still there after 1:00pm that afternoon. It was our first stop that morning so 1:00pm was about 4.5 hours away, but I decided to hold out. I'm glad I did! It's a pretty heavy piece...I'm thankful we didn't have to drag it far.  

  For now, we are going to use it as our entertainment center, but in the future, I'm going to add a shelf or two and use it to hold my craft supplies {I've become slightly addicted to buying fabric...even when I don't know exactly what I'm going to use it for...it's bad!}.

 

  I should have taken pictures of everything that we scored that Saturday. We both came home with some awesome finds.  

The best part was after I told my hubby, Jeff, the total $$ I had spent on all my finds, he was like "that's all???" and really meant it! I'm blessed with a supportive husband.  

  Below is the recipe that I used to make my own chalk paint. I've used it on several other pieces of furniture and I LOVE everything about it {see HERE & HERE}. I've used Annie Sloan chalk paint and it is very nice, yet quite pricy {try $30 for one quart!}. What I have found is that the homemade chalk paint is just as good and tons cheaper. You can make your own chalk paint out of "oops" Walmart paint! It doesn't get much cheaper than that! I've seen several chalk paint recipes, but one that I have referenced before is via TheSnapConference.com

Some of you might be wondering what's the deal with chalk paint anyway {oh and it's not chalkBOARD paint...just chalk paint...there is a difference}. I'll list out some advantages of chalk paint for you: 1} No priming OR sanding required prior to painting = major time saver! 2} It dries very quickly! 3} A quart of chalk paint goes further than regular latex paint. 4} If you're into the distressed/beachy/ worn-over-time look, then chalk paint is for you because it is so easy to distress {just use sandpaper - try a rougher grit for a more drastic, rugged look}! 5} With this homemade recipe, you can custom blend your colors using craft paint...yes, craft paint. I did it HERE and it works great! 

 Depending on what you are painting, chalk paint does need a finishing coat of wax to polish and protect it. I've never used Annie Sloan's wax, but I have used the Minwax finishing paste and it's fabulous...it goes a long way & it's only around $6 at Lowe's {I waxed my entire couch and entertainment center and I have about 85% of the can left}.

 For more ideas on what to do with your next project, check out my "Brush Up" Pinterest board!

  I'm linking up here:  The Shabby Creek Cottage Miss Mustard Seed   {connect with Emily here}