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Add Pizazz To Old or Unfinished Furniture (with kid appeal!)
Spattering, sponging and foam-stamping can be as much fun as finger painting. Decorative paint techniques are just as playful, especially on a child's furnishings.
These and other do-it-yourself touches give plain furniture pizazz. By adding a splash of color and a hint of detail, they jazz up a setting for someone young.
Detailed with paint, furniture acts as a canvas for myriad designs. If parent and child pool their decorative ideas, the result is bound to be meaningful.
Because growing up means growing into different looks, it's wise to consider furniture for a child's room that easily changes face. With a little elbow grease and a colorful new decorative finish, painted furniture assumes as spirited or sophisticated a personality as you want.
Before deciding what furniture to paint in a room, consider the age and interests of its resident. For a preschooler who likes tabletop activities, think about detailing a small table and chairs with a stencil design in his or her favorite motif. Once he or she is school age and doing homework, zero-in on a desk or a big table suitable for projects, and paint it in a color the student prefers.
For ideas about painting furniture, visit museum furniture exhibits and folk-art stores, or study painted doll house furniture, kids' clothing patterns or books on Americana. And look in the library for how-to books on painted furniture finishes.
If you lack talent to do a detailed project, take on something easy. In a room devoid of bold furnishings, even one object in a solid bright color pops out from the surroundings. Painting the handles of a dresser or desk in a contrasting color is another touch that doesn't demand special skill.
Sponging and spattering are among finishes with kid appeal. Both entail free-form expression similar to finger painting. Sponging involves dabbing paint on a surface with a sea sponge. The mottled effect is magical if more than one color is applied. Spattering is just as splashy. All it takes is a flick of the wrist with a brush wet with paint. What lands on an object in front of it creates a flecked pattern as fanciful as confetti.
Foam stamps add whimsical flair on kid's furniture, too. Toy and bath stores sell high-density foam designs as tub toys, lightweight blocks or pre-cut letters and shapes. Once acrylic paint is applied, decorating furniture with foam stamps is as easy as using rubber stamps and ink pads. Clear lacquer will protect it and the wood beneath.
An unfinished furniture store is a good place to start if you want to unleash your artistry on something new. Besides chairs, desks and dressers suitable for any age person, you'll see armoires and other storage geared for an older child.
As with finished furniture, unfinished items come in varied woods. If you plan to paint a piece, the wood chosen may seem inconsequential. It isn't. Oak, for instance, has a distinct grain that shows through paint.
Recommended unfinished woods include alder, aspen and better pine. As for knotty pine, be advised. For the dark knots not to "bleed" through paint applied over them, you'll need a base coat of shellac or polyurethane as a sealer. For guidance, consult an unfinished-furniture dealer or paint store personnel. Do-it-yourselfers should also check how-to guides with step-by-step techniques for antiquing and stenciling.
Old furniture renewed
As appealing as something new may be, it's not the only game in town. Old furniture lightly sanded can be repainted with a zippy design. In some cases, old pieces may require wood stripping.
Besides looking at home for relics worth camouflage, check secondhand shops for finds. But think twice before buying a highly detailed piece of furniture. The more intricate it is, the more time-consuming its preparation for decorative application.
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Doll Armoire and Dresser Plan (Woodworking Project Paper Plan) $14.00 Create this armoire and dresser for your little ones dolls and other essentials with the help of this paper plan! There is plenty of storage available for little treasures, doll clothes, doll shoes, or whatever kids choose. Perfectly sized for most dolls, but still large enough for little hands to use. Youll get full size patterns for all curves, a list of materials, and instructions that will ... |
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Doll Armoire Toy Furniture Woodworking Plans $9.95 The Winfield Collection woodcraft pattern #W1444KF - Doll Armoire. The package includes the complete pattern to make the original design shown & easy assembly & finishing instructions Elegant looking spindle style armoire is perfectly sized for 18" dolls such as the American Girl doll. Simple construction from 3/4" pine, thin plywood & turned spindles. Features full width clothes bar and storage d... |
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Badger Basket Trundle Doll Bunk Beds With Ladder - Pink/White $23.99 One. .Two. .Three. . Time for Bed! The Bunk Bed with Trundle goes the extra mile when an extra dolly friend drops by. Pull out the bottom platform and there's an extra bed for the night! Features: Trundle with wheels is independent of the bunk beds and can be used separately, or can be used as a storage drawer tucked under the bunk beds, too. Includes three, removable, padded mattresses with at... |
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Badger Basket Doll Bunk Beds With Ladder - Pink/White $35.60 When dolly's best friend comes to visit, they'll bunk together in this charming white-finished bunk bed set with sweet pink gingham cushions. Includes a realistic ladder for the dollies to climb. Fits dolls up to 20". All paints and finishes are non-toxic. Made of painted wood and wood composites with poly/cotton fabric. Spot or wipe clean as needed. Some assembly required. Measures 11.5" x 22.5" ... |
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Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Doll High Chair $37.32 The Melissa and Doug Wooden Doll High Chair makes the perfect seat for a hungry doll. Featuring design details just like the real thing, this charming piece of doll furniture includes a removable, locking tray and a beautiful, white design. The Melissa and Doug Doll High Chair suits any decor and accommodates dolls up to 20in.... |
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Making Furniture & Dollhouses for American Girl and Other 18-Inch Dolls $24.95 Providing the plans and instructions for an heirloom-quality dollhouse and sturdy doll furniture, this guide is written with the home woodworker in mind. All the projects are made with tools commonly found in home workshops, and every set of instructions follows a detailed step-by-step process. Simpler projects are suitable for beginners, and several challenging projects are intended for advanced ... |
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Making Doll Furniture in Wood: 24 Projects and Plans Perfectly Sized for American Girl and Other 18 Dolls $19.95 The patterns included in this woodworking project guide are sized for 18-inch dolls such as the popular American Girl dolls and can be scaled for larger or smaller dolls. Each project includes a list of all materials needed and details the start-to-finish procedure, from preparing wood to staining and painting the piece. Patterns for 30 pieces of doll furniture are included, and five step-by-step ... |