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Thursday, February 10, 2022

From Cabinet Door To Farmhouse Style Decor

 

Have I ever mentioned that I teach cabinet painting workshops? Well, I do. And, I am fortunate to have a friend who remodels kitchens & bathrooms & gives me doors that he tears out of remodeling jobs. 

The doors he gave me from a recent project were a little more special. He was remodeling the kitchen of another friend, Terry, in the house she inherited from her sweet mother.
Most of the doors will be used for classes. However, there are some little doors that are the perfect size for home decor. The one I used for this project is only 11" x 11".
I cleaned the door well with White Lightening from the Dixie Belle Paint Company to remove any greasy residue. I rinsed well with water afterwards. I filled the holes where the handles had been with Dixie Belle's Mud. I let the mud dry overnight, then sanded it smooth.
I painted the door with the color Midnight Sky.
Because I planned on doing a crackle finish on the door, I didn't worry about perfect coverage of the Midnight Sky & only did one coat.
Once the paint was dry, I used a brush to apply crackle medium.
The crackle medium will quickly begin to "shrink" & look uneven. Don't worry...that's what it's supposed to do. So, don't overwork it trying to get an even finish.
I set the door aside to allow the crackle to dry overnight.
The next day I painted a coat of the color, Fluff, over the crackle. 
The cracking of the paint starts to happen quickly, so you can't overwork the paint. I made sure not to go back & forth with my brush.
Once the paint was dry, I added a cute little transfer from Re*design With Prima.
The crackle finish gives an aged, chippy look, however, I felt like the door looked a little too clean. I wanted to dirty it up a bit.
I could have aged the door with a colored glaze or wax, but I chose to put a little dirt on it... Dixie Dirt, that is. To me, this give it a more authentic dirty look.
I put a little Dixie Dirt & a little clear wax into a small, disposable cup. A little goes a long way.
I dipped a small, stiff, artist brush into the wax, then into the dirt. The dirt is a powder & needs the wax to stick to the door. I added the dirt to all the recessed areas & crevices.
I used a rag to wipe away anywhere that I felt had too much dirt.


The dirt added the perfect amount of grunge.
I gave the door back to Terry & it now sits on a bakers rack in the kitchen from where it originated.


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9 comments:

  1. Love this - wish i lived near you to take a class!!

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  2. Oh I like the effects of that also. I tried cracked paints years ago maybe 1995 and they just didn't turn out for me and that chicken would fit right in my kitchen decor

    Janice

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  3. I bet your classes are so much fun. Love how this cute farmhouse sign is going back to the home from which the door came.

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  4. It's funny to me that we want our things to look authentically dirty! But without it, it's just not the same. Loved how this turned out. I'm featuring it on Farmhouse Friday this week. Thank you for linking up and hope you do it again soon.

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  5. Totally awesome! I think I will try to adapt something like this; I do have some leftover wood paneling that would be fun to use.

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  6. Here is a really awesome trick I learned over 20 years ago. Instead of all the expensive products used to do the crackle finish, use wood glue. Paint your base color and let it dry fully. Then paint on wood glue(vary the thickness to vary the amount of cracking you get). While the glue is still wet/tacky, paint on your top color. You can let it air dry or use a hair dryer. Exact same finished products for pennies. Happy DIY/crafting. This project is adorable. I just bought 20 brand new cabinet doors for $1 each on Craigslist. I see trays and signs in my future.

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  7. Love this look! Can you actually do your kitchen cabinet doors like this but use some sort of sealer so they can be cleaned and the finish last longer?

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    1. You can absolutely do this to your cabinets. I would seal with Dixie Belle's Gator Hide. It's water repellant. If you put a transfer on the door, you'd need to seal with one of their clear coats first, then Gator Hide. For some reason transfers & Gator Hide don't work well together.

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  8. Beautiful project and such a thoughtful gift for your friend.

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