This is a short and sweet tutorial showing you how to add some ticking stripes to furniture. It is a easy way to add some farmhouse charm to any type of surface!
To begin, I found some amazing napkins at Tuesday Morning, a local discount store. They had a neutral color so I knew if I used them for decoupage they would blend away seamlessly on a neutral color!
I purchased a old cedar chest at a auction and knew that together this would be the perfect look! I cleaned the whole chest with Dixie Belle's White Lightning, its a great way to remove old grime and dirt and prepare your piece for paint. I scuffed up the surface to help my paint adhere and filled the existing hardware holes with Dixie Belle's MUD. When this dried I was able to sand smooth in the front for paint.
The color I chose was based on the napkin. Dried Sage was a perfect choice. I applied two even coats of paint to the chest base. On the second coat while still wet I used a misting bottle filled with water to help me blend some darker color into the groove. I chose Gravel Road to age this piece.
The top was cleaned and sanded lightly in the direction of the wood grain to prepare for stain. Since I didn't want to sand down to the wood grain, I chose gel stain to hide imperfections and go right over the existing finish. Dixie Belle's Espresso Gel Stain was the perfect warm dark color. I apply the gel stain with a old t shirt like rag. Wearing gloves, I wiped on the stain in the direction of the wood grain. I applied two coats, waiting for the stain to dry completely in between coats. I used Dixie Belle Clear Coat Flat to seal the top of the stain.
When my base colors were dry it was time to add the detail with the napkin decoupage. Napkins have a couple layers to them, usually three. I peel back the tissue layers until the first layer containing the print is off. I then cut out the stripes I wanted to use. To adhere the stripes to the front I use Mod Podge glue. I apply the glue in the area where I want the stripes and then brush onto the napkin to adhere to the painted surface. Don't worry if you get some glue on the edges because when you seal the piece with wax, these will disapear.
When the glue has dried you are ready to seal your painted surface. I use Dixie Belle's Best Dang Wax in Clear to the whole base of the cedar chest. This seals the paint and protects when it's in use.
I also used a small piece of sand paper to distresss the edges lightly. This give the chest a rustic feel.
That is all there is to the whole process! It's very easy and simple to achieve a farmhouse look using Dixie Belle Paint products and a little napkin decoupage.
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Thanks for following along! Melissa