Boxwood Chest Transformation

BEFORE

AFTER

This antique chest was solid oak and had a lovely rustic feel, but It had been "modernized" in the 60s with added feet and new hardware.  (Not the look I had in mind) The bottom drawers did not slide that great so I removed them.  I had some old farmhouse wood trim pieces that fit great in the bottom of the shelves.  I chose to darken the top and paint the body with milk paint in boxwood.  Metal baskets fit on the shelves and give some extra storage.  The piece measures 30wx18dx28h.  Perfect size for so many things.  It would be great in for an entryway, or for a coffee bar, or for a kids room...

Antique Desk Chair Milk Paint Make-Over in Trophy

One Coat of Milk Paint

Before 

I found this Antique Desk chair in need of rescuing!  I love the style and it is solid oak; but had a very stained seat and the wood was very dry.  I cleaned and sanded it well before I painted it with two coats of Trophy Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint.  The chair soaked it right up.  I got a little bit of chipping on the seat.  I distressed the painted chair and then finished it Miss Mustard Seed's wax both dark and clear.

Painted Candy Corns

I love painting these Wooden Candy Corns.  Festive and Fun..  This set was painted by a student in a recent workshop.  We used Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint and a beautiful orange colored mineral paint by Pure Earth Paint.

Fun With Frames Workshop Coming Soon BYOF

Join Me in My Studio for a Fun With Frames Workshop.  Bring your Own Wooden Frames and Transform them ~ using my Fully Stocked Paint Bar and Supplies!   Paint Away using Miss Mustard Seed's Milk paint and also Mineral Paint! Learn some cool new painting and distressing Techniques!  

Friday August 7th 7pm in my Studio ~ $25

Fragrant Cinnamon Hearts to use as Sweet Little Scented Gift Tags.

Love the Beautiful Colors of Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint I Created a few Cinnamon dough Hearts ready to string for sweet little Valentine's Day Tags
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Cinnamon Dough Recipe:

Ingredients:
3 Cups Flour
1 Cup Salt
1 Cup Cinnamon
1 Cup Nutmeg
1- 2 1/2 Cups of Warm Water

Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
2. Add in the water a little at a time, keep adding water and mixing well until the dough is formed.
3. Roll the dough to desired thickness and begin cutting out shapes with a cookie cutter. Recommend to Roll out dough between waxed paper until thickness is 1/8 to 1/4 inch 

Create: 
Place ornaments on an ungreased baking sheet and use a straw to make holes for hanging the ornaments. 

Bake for 1 1/2 hours at 225 degrees. Place on a wire rack and return to the over for another 1 1/2 hours to ensure the ornaments are completely dry on the bottom.

Let sit and cool, then decorate. 

I painted my Cinnamon Hearts with Milk Paint.  It sticks well to the hearts and then Crackles for a nice Rustic look.  The Milk Paint does not smell so it allows the Cinnamon Scent to remain Nice and Fragrant.  

Milk Painting Canning Jars

I Love Painting the Simple But oh So useful Mason Jar... Great for Gift Giving filled with Flowers or Treats.

I painted these jars with Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint... I wanted a Charming Pink Color.
I mixed equal parts Ironstone and Tricycle and added a little bit of Shutter Gray  until the color was Just Right:  I am calling it So Sweet Pink..

I like to paint Jars to use up the left over paint from bigger projects.  I hate to waste the paint so these are perfect for that..

Now, How to get that Milk Paint to Stick to a Glass Mason Jar?

I first Spray paint the outside of the Jar. I use the cheapest white flat spray paint usually the $1 a can white Spray paint. Lightly Spray the outside of the glass jar a fine even coat.  Then let dry.  Sand lightly.

Next, Mix up your milk paint.. Add equal parts bonding agent. now paint your jar.   I Let the paint dry overnight.  The Milk Paint will just completely flake off the glass jar with with out the added bonding agent.

Now the Fun Part- Distress the jar lightly with fine sand paper to remove a little paint here and there .
I then Highlight the jar details with a Walnut Distressed ink pad.

To make the Jar's finish more durable. Spray lightly with a Clear Coat Shellac..

I embellished with bits and Pieces of Vintage Lace, Cute little tags,  and my homemade Cinnamon Hearts that I also painted with Milk Paint..


www.simplyhomesweethome.com
or Facebook: simplyhomesweethome

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Busy Painting And Crafting I love Red Chairs !

I love the Miss Mustard Seed Tricycle Red Milk Paint on this Antique Chair.  I distressed it and used lots MMS Antique Wax on it to give it a more Rustic Red.  Busy Crafting with Burlap and Coffee Filters!  

Doing a Little Painting and Loving Lucketts Green MMS Milk Paint

I found these sweet Framed Vintage Needle Work.  I did not like the color of the frames so I painted them.  Freshened them up and Now they look Ready For Spring.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Simply-Home-Sweet-Home/306647762682894

When to Use Furniture Wax and When to use Hemp Oil

I love using both products for the top coat on painted pieces of furniture but this article sums it up.  I found that I may have been using too much wax and hemp oil  and learned great tips!! 

This is a Great Article about Furniture Wax and Hemp oil from MissMustardSeed.com:

Furniture Wax

When to use it…

You can use it anytime you want to add a topcoat to a piece with a porous surface.  You do notneed to use wax over a piece with a satin, semi-gloss, or gloss finish.  Those paints can hold up fine on their own and any wax applied will just sit on top of the surface, not really serving a purpose.  Applying wax to a porous surface like flat latex, flat acrylic, milk paint, raw wood, stained wood, etc. is key.  It is absorbed into the pores of the surface, creating a hard and durable finish.

You can basically use any brand of wax over any brand of paint, so just figure out the combination that you like.

How to apply it…

Wax can be applied with a brush…

…or a cloth.

I know that wax brushes are all the rage (I’m coming out with one of my own in fact), but you don’t have to strictly use a wax brush to apply wax.  These brushes are well suited to the task because they have natural bristles and a lot of them!  They hold a lot of wax and are ideal for spreading it and getting it into the details of a piece.  If you don’t have one of these brushes, though, you can use an old paint brush that has bushy bristles.  That will do the trick.  For a cloth, make sure it’s a lint-free cotton cloth.

With both types of applications, only apply a very thin layer of wax.  I know, especially with the brushes, it’s easy to load the brush with a huge glob of wax, but that’s going to give you headaches.  If your wax is smeary, smudgy, sticky to the touch, hazy, etc. you have applied too much.  Massage the wax into the surface as you would apply lotion to your hands.  This will also give you a nice and even finish.

The more coats of wax you apply and the more you buff it, the shinier it will get.

Drying time, durability & care…

Wax should feel dry to the touch just after it’s applied and rubbed into the surface.  It’s okay if it feels slightly waxy or a little cold, but it shouldn’t feel sticky or wet.  You can start using the piece right away, but give it a full 30 days to cure.  During the cure time, just be gentle with it.  For cleaning, I just dry dust it with a cloth or scrub it with a wet cloth for dried on yogurt, oatmeal and the like.  The thing I love most about wax is that you can simply reapply it if a piece starts looking tired or gets scratched.  Lightly sand it with some steel wool, apply another coat, buff it and you have a new finish in about 15 minutes.  You can’t do that with poly!

The downsides to wax…

As I unfortunately learned one year at the Lucketts Antique Market, wax is sensitive to heat.  Just like crayons left in a car, a wax finish will melt in intense sun or heat.  For that reason, it’s not a good option to use on pieces if you sell them outside or are going to put them on a sun porch, etc.  It’ll do fine with some sunshine on it through a window or sitting near a radiator, as long as it doesn’t get too hot.  Keep this in mind if the piece will be stored in a truck or storage unit that isn’t climate controlled.  This is true of all brands of waxes, by the way.

The other downside is that it does take some muscle to do all of the applying and buffing.  I’ve gotten used to it, but it can be a lot  on the biceps!

Hemp Oil

 When to use it…

 Hemp Oil can be used as a top coat and, like wax, is best on porous surfaces, so it can penetrate the surface instead of just hanging out on top.  If you use Hemp Oil as a topcoat, that is all you need.  You don’t have to put something else on top of it.

 It is also awesome at reviving wood that is dried out, water damaged and has lost its luster.  Again, the surface needs to be porous to work.  It’s not going to do much for a poly finish that looks tired.

 How to apply Hemp Oil…

For a while, I applied it with a cloth, but I have started using a brush in recent months.  I feel like it’s a little faster and works the oil in a bit better, but a cloth will certainly do the trick and is probably better for large, flat surfaces.  You just wipe it on, let it soak in and then wipe away the excess.

It can also be used to “wet sand” a piece.  I just learned this technique at the retailer’s training in Baltimore and it rocked my world.  Brush on some oil, then sand with some fine sand paper.  Wipe away the excess oil with a cloth.  You can either sand to smooth or sand to distress with this technique and the result is a buttery smooth finish.

 Hemp Oil provides a matte, almost satin finish, but the level of sheen increases with each coat.   I usually just apply one coat on the body of pieces and two coats on the tops for a little added durability.  The key with Hemp Oil, though, is to only apply what the surface will absorb.  If you apply too many coats, the oil will just sit on top.  There’s no harm if that happens, but you have to wipe the excess oil away and it’s a bit of a waste.

Drying Time, Care & Durability…

Hemp oil dries to the touch very quickly, because it’s absorbed into the finish.  In other terms, it’s sort of the difference between lotion (Hemp Oil & Wax) and nail polish (latex, acrylic, poly, etc.)  While the oil is dry to the touch, it does need about 30 days to fully cure.  You can use the piece during this period, but it might feel a little oily to the touch while it’s curing.

I care for it the same way I do the waxed pieces.  Just a dry cloth for dusting and a damp cloth if something is being stubborn.  If the finish looks tired or is marred, I just rub on another coat of Hemp Oil (and wet sanding would be a great idea here, too.)

 The downsides to Hemp Oil…

I haven’t tried painting over a piece that has cured Hemp Oil on it, but I’m guessing that might be a little tricky.  Some sanding and a bonding primer may be in order, but I’m not really sure.  I’ll have to let you know when I try it or hear from someone who has.

The other downside, if it really is one, is that it doesn’t have anything added to it.  It’s just oil, so it doesn’t have the “solids” and other things that make a finish feel hard to the touch.  A Hemp Oil finish doesn’t feel as hard as a wax or poly finish, but it is working and is very durable.  So, this isn’t really a negative, but something you need to expect and get used to.

So, which is better and which do you use when?

This is totally a preference thing.  I use both and love both.  I use Hemp Oil when I know a piece will be exposed to heat, so I don’t have to worry about melting.  I use wax when I’m just in the mood to use wax!  So, you’re really going to have to answer this question for yourself.  You may find you prefer one over the other or you like something else entirely!

I hope explaining the differences will help you decide.