Making Ordinary Unique (+DIY Chalk Paint)

Happy almost-Friday, people!!!

Remember that metal box/side table I told you I'd found at Goodwill for $10 in the house tour? Well, like I mentioned then, I'd been toying with the idea of painting some matte stripes or stenciling it with a pattern. Since my original stencil experience, I've been harboring ill feelings toward anything stencil-related (the process itself, not the outcome...I think stenciled walls and furniture and pillows...etc...are BEAUTIFUL), so, I went with a simple, Alina-capable stripe. :)

Here it is before:

And here it is after!

Just using painter's tape, I made 1.25-inch vertical stripes. I did the sides first and then moved to the top. Since I wasn't planning on priming it (I wanted it to still feel smooth, so I didn't want the paint stripes to be too thick), I did lightly sand my paint area with a sanding block, wiped it down and then painted it.

I wanted a super matte look to balance out the shininess of the metal, so I made my own chalk paint! I picked up a box of dry Plaster of Paris and a paint sample of Valspar's Tuxedo Tie. (If you clicked the link, you can see it's a deep charcoal color. I've been on a charcoal kick lately!) I mixed one part Plaster of Paris to three parts paint and stirred really well so that everything in the bottom was mixed in (I mixed it in a clear plastic cup so that I could see it). Since I was working on this over a couple of evenings, I kept my paint/paintbrush covered in the fridge between painting sessions so that I wouldn't have to rinse my brush out every time (and the paint won't dry on your brush). One time Pinterest told me to try this, so I did and it really works! :)

I kind of liked it before for its uniqueness and functionality, but now I REALLY love it!

 Here's a straight-on shot of the top, too.

I paid $10 for the box at Goodwill, $6.48 for a 4-lb box of Plaster of Paris (and I only used a couple of tablespoons, so I have enough left to last me for a very long time!), and $2.94 for the paint sample (and, again, I barely used any), so total up-front cost comes to less than $20 for a unique side table and place for storage! I'm thinking some of our not-pretty and rarely-used books may go in there since there's not enough room on the bookshelf!

Have you guys taken anything kind of cool and made it your own? A plain chair that went colorful? Furniture that you rehabbed? Share your stories!

And have a great Friday tomorrow!