Upcycled Nightstand

Teaching the Alphabet to Toddlers and Pre-schoolers

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Some of our friends were getting rid of this old t.v. stand and I thought it would be just the right size for a new nightstand! My husband has a bedside table on his side of the bed and I had been using a folding t.v tray on my side of the bed so I would have a place to set my glass of water (being pregnant makes me very thirsty at night!) so it was definitely time for a more permanent solution. Also last time we had a newborn I switched sides of the bed with him so I could be by the table and lamp for the middle of the night feedings and now we won't have to do that this time!

I must admit, this is not fine furniture... but it was free and I think I made it look pretty nice! It's amazing how a can of spray paint and new knobs can really transform furniture. Furniture face-lifts really don't get much more simple than this!

Here's what it looked like before (yuck)!:

I removed the knobs (and threw them in the trash) and lightly sanded the whole piece.

Then I wiped it down with tack cloth which is sticky and great for removing all fine dust so that the paint will adhere properly.

I decided to try out a new product, Krylon spray paint and primer in one! That saves me the step of having to spray on primer and also since I was planning on sanding the edges to distress it I didn't want the white primer showing through.

I sprayed a few coats of brown paint.

Here are some tips for spray-painting furniture:

*Don't be cheap when purchasing paint. You will end up doing a lot more work and using a lot more paint so go for the good (expensive) stuff.

*Remove drawers and doors if necessary.

*Work in light coats. I think it took me 4 coats of brown to get complete coverage. If you spray on too much at one time it will get drips, which you really don't want.

*If you do get drips, you will need to let it dry completely, then sand it until it is smooth, then spray it again (no fun).

After 4 coats, I had it painted solid.

I let it dry overnight and then lightly sanded just the edges for a distressed look. Sometimes I sand the whole thing (like this blue dresser) but this time I just felt like doing the edges.