Yardsticks and Milk Paint Nightstand

More experiments with Old Fashioned Milk Paint! *this post is a sponsored post since I received goods from Old Fashioned Milk Paint to complete my project. Opinions and experience are all mine.*

 

Found this really well made little nightstand by Drexel. (Their pieces are worth picking up when you find them) Even though this Chippendale style is not really my thing, I knew it would be cute with a little love and creativity.  First off, it had contact paper on the top. I feared it was a mess underneath, so I formulated a plan to cover the top with my beloved yardsticks.

I pulled out the heat gun that I rarely use to see if it would make pulling off the contact paper a little easier. It did.  The surface of the top was actually fine…not sure why they bothered with the contact paper in the first place. I stuck with the plan regardless.

Still kind of in love with the results I got on the milk paint sign using my latex with calcium carbonate undercoat, I decided to go the same route.  Initially I thought red would be a great base coat, but of course I didn’t have any red on hand and MUST PAINT NOW, so it got the leftover paint from the turquoise table I have in the shop.  I wasn’t sure how much chipping would happen and in the end the result is a little more subtle than I was aiming for. But that is why we experiment! So I just started painting her with one coat of turquoise.

I did slow down long enough to tape off the sides of the drawers and inside so it wasn’t sloppy.

While that dried I got out the Old Fashioned Milk Paint in Pitch Black and Snow White. I was wanted a worn, faded black, like the print on the yardsticks. I started with two parts black and added white. I would have been better off starting with white… It took six parts white in the end to even see a difference in the black. Good thing I started with a small amount. The true milk paint comes in a powder and you mix it with water. Because it is actually made with milk and no toxic ickiness, it does spoil, so you only mix what you need.

Painted on the graphite-y dark gray color. One coat with some touch up did it.

Tried a little wet rag distressing. Here you can see just how subtle the difference is between the turquoise and the gray.  This was probably premature as the paint really hadn’t dried yet. After a bit longer I did some more distressing with a bit of sandpaper along the edges. That gave me a little more precise control than the rag did.

Next I cut the yardsticks to fit the top, staggering the numbers a bit and making some lengths more than one piece long. Squirted some wood glue on the top and pressed the yardsticks into place. Found a really good use for the reference books I recently picked up. I love books…. Later I added some skinny nails to the top to be sure the yardsticks weren’t going to escape.

Instead of the traditional brass pull that was on the drawer, I thought a little yardstick bit was in order. I found some tiny wood cubes in my stash. (which is why it is so hard for me to get rid of “useless” stuff in my hoard. It is all useful…) Drilled a hole in each cube to be the spacer for the pull. Then used E-6000 glue to attach the cubes to the yardstick bit. For this low use and lightweight drawer, this should be strong enough.

Waxed the whole thing with Daddy Van’s BeesWax Polish. It is a little less industrial strength than the more toxic waxes but mmmm, I rubbed it into my skin when I was done.  I think this little nightstand will be cute in a kid’s room or next to chair somewhere, maybe even a classroom.  The back is finished too, so if it floats in the room a little it will look good from all angles.