Painting Tips~ Hopefully

I had several requests for painting tips and a few questions after I posted photos of my dresser and nightstand. Thank you for all the nice comments. I wish I had something profound to share about painting. I’m definitely not an expert and you can probably find better advice on-line but I’ll share what I know. I hope it helps if you’re considering a painting project. Let me know if you do a project.

Supplies I used: Paintbrushes, Sandpaper, Oil Based Paint, Spray Primer (found at Lowes or any craft store), Canned Primer (for the larger pieces too heavy to bring outside), Putty, Paint Thinner, Can of Compressed Air, Old Towel, Latex Gloves

~Before~

~After~

To begin the project, I recommend removing a door or drawer from the piece you are painting and head straight to Sherwin Williams (SW). They are the experts! I brought a drawer to SW and explained what I wanted to do. They knew exactly what I needed and they'll know the best kind of paint to use.

Before you start, remove the old hardware and clean the piece. I wanted to purchase new hardware, which would not allow me to use the existing holes. I used Putty to cover the holes and painted over them.

Andrea asked, “Did you prime?”

I did NOT want to prime. I’m lazy but SW highly recommended priming. They said my furniture could turn yellowish if I didn’t prime. Even though priming added an extra (long) step, I’m glad I did it.

SW recommended a primer in a can. I started by brushing the primer on the small pieces. It was not fun and I hated myself. So, I decided to take the smaller pieces outside and I use a spray primer I had purchased from Hobby Lobby. It was SO much easier. I used the canned primer on the larger pieces in the house.

Jess asked, “Do I sand by hand or with a sander? How rough should my sand paper be?”

Luckily, my furniture was an unfinished rustic wood purchased from Pier One 9 years ago. I did not have to sand it; plus, I wanted the final product to have a shabby chic look. If you have to sand your piece before starting, I’ve heard great things about Liquid Sander but I’ve never used it. Liquid Sander is probably cheaper and easier to use than an electric sander.

After we primed the furniture and it dried, weird fibers appeared on the surface of the wood. My mom said this was normal. We used sandpaper to remove the weird fibers. I used “Sandblaster Sandpaper” by 3M, purchased from Lowes. As I was shopping for sandpaper, I had no clue what kind of I should use. Honestly, I ended up with this type and brand because it said, "Less Work" on the package. It worked great!

Andrea asked, “Did you use a foam brush, roller, or a regular brush?” Jess asked, “Do I paint with a roller or a brush?”

SW recommend a camel hair paintbrush that set me back $15.00. They said it would work best with the oil paint. At the beginning of the project, I used it and my mom used it. We both agreed it was difficult to use and was leaving streaks. We ended up using the cheap foam brushes from Lowes.

I think a small roller brush would’ve been wonderful but I was tired of going to the man store, Lowes. So, we just used the foam brushes I already had.

After the primer dried and we had sanded the weird fibers, we started painting. I let the pieces dry overnight and touched up the next day.

I discovered drawer knobs and handles at one of my top 5 stores, Hobby Lobby. They were 50% off. I love a deal!





My Pawpaw came over with a drill. We measured and made new holes for the new knobs and handles.


Tip~I wore latex gloves as I was painting. It's so messy!

Tip~ Purchase extra foam brushes, you’ll need them. They're so cheap (.39-.99), you can throw them away at the end of each day, much easier than cleaning.

Tip~ Paint Thinner is handy for cleaning expensive brushes and removing paint from your skin.
Tip~ If you’re doing a project this big, work on a few pieces at a time. Don’t expect to complete everything in a day. I painted a dresser, 2 nightstands, and a large mirror. Since I had to work on the project during my free time (weekends and evenings) it took me about 3 weeks to complete the entire project.

Tip~ I love compressed air in a can. :) It came in handy when we were cleaning the shaving from sanding.

Tip~ If you notice a paint drip, take a piece of masking tape and stick it on the drip. If it's not dry yet, the tape will remove the drip. Next paint over it. You don't want the drip to dry.

Tip~ I had help! My mom is the most talented person I know. Back in the day when colleges offered it, my mom was a Home Economics major. She can do anything. My mom is the one who always says, “That's easy to make.” If we are at Neiman Marcus or the best restaurant in town, she can duplicate anything at home.