I found this cute little desk at a yard sale for $10. It was a bit sad, boring and needed minor repair. I took it home with a plan to make it girly and pretty. It’s small stature called for something bright and beautiful. Let me show you how I transformed it into something beautiful!
Material List
-Napkins
-Mod Podge
-Brushes
I decided on a bright happy color by Dixie Belle called Mermaid tail. I had purchased some napkins from a discount store called Tuesday Morning. I also had saved a single chair in my stash of furniture and it fit perfectly with the desk!
To begin the transformation I cleaned the wood surface well with Dixie Belle White Lightening. After the surface was cleaned I roughed up the wood with sand paper to make sure the paint would have something to grab on to. I assessed the damage to the wood corner and used wood filler to repair and fill the missing pieces. Wood Filler can be purchased at any local hardware store. Another option is Dixie Belle Mud, it's a wood filler as well.
I removed the existing hardware and filled the holes with wood filler. I wanted to dress it up by using new fresh hardware and knobs that I purchased at Hobby Lobby.
Using a damp clean brush and applied two even coats of Mermaid Tail after sanding down my wood repair. I find using a damp brush keeps the strokes even and smooth. Dixie Belle paint is highly pigmented and covers thick and easily. I use a misting bottle filled with water to keep the brush damp.
I also painted the chair in Mermaid Tail. I removed the existing cover on the seat first and purchased a white faux fur to recover the seat when the paint dried. I often purchase lone chairs from the local auction just to keep aside for desks that need to be matched up.
After two coats of paint I was ready to add the decoupage butterflies. Each napkin was separated. Most napkins are two or three ply paper. You can peel them apart so the thinner layer is available to cut for decoupage. I then cut out my butterflies and put them aside to be decoupaged later.
When using napkins for decoupage I like to use a blend of stain sealer and Mod Podge. I pour a even mix onto a plate. I brush it on and this way it’s not too thick when you apply the napkins.
Take a small paint brush and dip it into the mix. Then paint the mix onto the area where you would like to attach a butterfly. Attach the butterfly to that area and work more mix from the center out to avoid wrinkles. To see a live tutorial using this technique click here.
Blend the glue mix outward and the butterfly is sealed onto the piece of furniture easily and evenly without wrinkles.
I continued to work my way up onto the top of the desk and then repeat the pattern onto the chair. Almost like a sprinkle of butterflies flying up from the corner.
After the glue from the decoupage has dried it’s time to seal your furniture. I like to use Gator Hide a protective water based finish. I brushed it onto both the chair and desk to seal. When the Gator Hide is dry I applied the wax.
Now it’s time to accent the finish. I like to use Best Dang Wax in black and Gilding Wax in Warm Gold. I apply both with a small brush to highlight the edges. The black wax was used to age the seams and edges.
I drilled new holes for the hardware and attached small gold hardware knobs. I used a staple gun to attach the new fur cover to the seat and reattached it to the chair.
By using Dixie Belle paint and a little imagination, the sweet little desk is now proudly shining in the light. It looks fabulous and is ready to be used again for generations.
Want to see a video tutorial on this desk? Click here.
To order your own Dixie Belle paint please click here
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Thanks for following along! I hope you enjoyed this makeover and will give it a try on your own! Remember, it's just paint!