here’s my thrift store coffee table.

poor thing-needs some love! and when i say love, i mean spray paint! <3 wheeee!

here’s what i did…

first, she got a little loving…some light sanding to smooth out the bad nicks and rough edges.

then, i wiped her down with a damp cloth.

after that, she got her first coat of white primer.

followed by a coat or two of white semi-gloss.

(yes, you should prime. don’t argue. it really does turn out better.)

you may recall, that got us to this point. i asked if i should leave it white or paint it gold.

susan had a fantastic idea of GOLD DETAILS!!!! Heck yes!

so…stencil time! i went to the craft store to try to find something i liked, but craft stores still haven’t quite figured out that we are looking for something a bit more not lame.

so i decided to make my own stencil out of shelf liner. because it peels off easily. mostly.

at least it does when you really want it to stay lined to your shelf.

and let me just tell you, this whole ‘make your own stencil’ thing involves a lot more swear words than you think.

here’s some advice from one who went before…let the shelf paper uncurl.

iron the stuff if you have to because IT WILL CURL UP AND STICK TO ITSELF.

<end rant>

okay! grab a permanent marker, a sharp razor knife, and your paper.

draw your design…

cut out your design, peel that frakking backing off without getting it stuck to itself, and stick it to your project.

COVER EVERY SURFACE.

i also highly recommend gloves at this point, especially with the metallic spray paints.

and open the garage door. use a fan if you’ve got one.

spray paint.

peel off stencil.

once dry, spray or roll with a protective coat of a clear acrylic.

enjoy!