Mommy DIY :: Just Do It

A couple of months ago as I was running through my neighborhood, babies in tow in the good ‘ol Double BOB, I noticed a bunch of ‘junk’ left out for trash day.   Among that trash pile, I spotted something I wanted…something I could envision using for my daughter’s first birthday…something I could fix up and make all pretty! I’m not sure why in the world I thought I needed a project???  I mean, as it is I barely complete the most necessary daily tasks with two teens and two babies each day before plopping my weary self in bed each night! {Anyone with kids…can I get an AMEN?!?}  Not to mention, I could already picture my handsome hubs rolling his eyes and laughing when he came home from work, all the while knowing there’s no stopping a mama when she sets her mind to something.  {Just try us, right?!?!}  SOOOOO, since it was confirmed that I NEEDED this piece-o-junk, I then-and-there heaved it up and steadied it on my jogging stroller and ran the couple miles back to my house.

I looked a little A LOT awkward.  And you can bet your bottom dollar that in the next minutes that followed, I got multiple stares, two rolled down windows asking if I needed help, a couple of complete stops of cars to see what in the heck I was doing, and one “YOU GO GIRL!”  Oh, Lordy be…I’m picturing myself now and laughing.

This was my little fixer/DIY project.  It’s not about the chalk paint, not about the high chair.  It’s about a DIY project that catches your eye, that sparks YOUR interest, that makes YOU smile.  Just do it.  We’re mamas.  We got this, girls.  {My only advice – Try to NOT be jogging while your creative ‘genius’ hits.}

So here is how it went.  I started out with this….

misty trash to treasure with chalk paint

misty trash to treasure w chalk paint

Now, it’s best to break it up into four days…PERFECT for nap time or after those babies are in bed!  You’ll need less than an hour each day!  I’m no expert…but here’s what worked for me ::

Day 1

  1. Clean your project up with a wet rag.  Get any nastiness off!
  2. Apply Annie Sloan chalk paint {NO PREP NECESSARY…YAAAAAAY!} in Antoinette Pink. {Obviously, you can choose the color and brand of  your choice though.}  And let it dry overnight. The tester size bottle was PLENTY for this project!  Personally, I ordered from The Restored Home in Alvin.

Day 2

  1. Apply a very THIN layer of Annie Sloan Soft Wax with a wax brush.  Wipe it down with cheesecloth until you can’t feel any ‘tacky’ spots and let it dry overnight.

Day 3

  1. Use a 100 grit sanding sponge to ‘rough up’ the edges if you’d like a ‘vintagy’ feel to it. {And yes, ‘vintagy’ is totally a word.  Look it up.}
  2. Wipe it down to get all of the sanded grit off.
  3. Apply one more THIN layer of wax and wipe down with a cheesecloth.

Day 4

  1. Buff by rubbing with a cheesecloth in a circular method.

In the next few days, your project will develop somewhat of a sheen and become harder.

MOMMY DIY PROJECT COMPLETE!!!

I ended up with this… {We’re practicing for her birthday next month!}

How-To Refinish Highchair

I’d love to hear about your ‘creative moments’ or easy DIY projects.  Better yet, if you have a blog link to a DIY project you think we’d love…leave it in the comments below!

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Misty W
Born and raised in the Houston area, Misty married her husband Chuck in 2005, and is blessed to be called "mommy" three different ways...step, adoptive, and biological. Her kids are Maddi {Sept 1995}, Mason {June 1999}, Levi {Nov 2011}, and Kate {Nov 2012}. She and her husband struggled through six years of infertility. After enduring unsuccessful fertility treatments GALORE, their path led them to adoption and soon after, a surprise pregnancy! Misty is a teacher-turned-SAHM and is passionate about Jesus, her family, adoption, others suffering with infertility, running, reading, and chocolate. You can read all about her incredibly blessed journey and every day life over at so much more...yet to come.

18 COMMENTS

  1. Awesome job Misty! It looks perfect. I actually have an old kid-sized rocking chair that I want to do this with so your how-to will be put to good use very soon! I’m laughing at the thought of you running with that chair…stuff like that always seems to happen to me too! Love that I’m not the only one. Thanks for sharing your DIY project!

  2. It’s been almost a month since I first read this post, and I am STILL giggling thinking about you and that highchair!!! 😉

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