I’m really happy to share today’s post with you as it’s very special. I have joined together with a group of other bloggers in a furniture flip contest. It’s called The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest -all contestants makeover a piece of furniture according to the theme for the month. This month the theme is “Inspired by Mom.” Each month the contest has a different sponsor and prize. Ever heard of CeCe Caldwell’s Paints? Of course you have when I shared our Menu Board that’s the paint I used. CeCe Caldwell Paints are the sponsor and the winner of the contest will win a prize pack including this awesome chalk paint. So now you have all the details here is my submission a Clock Side Table -Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest. I’m saving the special part for the end of the post so keep reading…
I started with an plain stool and a large clock. When did our kitchen upgrade we removed the island so we didn’t have a use for stools anymore. We occasionally use the stools for a quick side table in our family room. They are just the right height to hold a drink and book or whatever else you need handy when relaxing on the sofa or recliner. I’ve had this clock for several years. In one of my moves the hands got messed up and it didn’t work even after I purchased a kit and tried to add new hands it never worked quite right. I’ve held onto it hoping to eventually figure it out but decided it wasn’t going to be a clock anymore and would serve a better purpose as a table top.
To make the stool not look like a stool anymore I sanded down all the legs and the side of the seat. I have a palm sander(like this sander on Amazon with my affiliate link) that I used for this but a sanding block and sand paper will work great. I had to use sand paper on parts anyway because the sander wouldn’t fit between the legs and on the dowels because a flat sander and a round piece of wood just don’t work well together.
Here’s the stool all sanded and ready for paint. I was trying to come up with a paint that worked well with the already painted clock. Basically the clock is black but I wanted to take it further. I mixed basic craft paint in black, a tiny touch of gold paint and water in a small jar. I was going for a black washed look for the under layer.
I will say I probably used too much water, like it would have been ok if I was doing a stain and had planned to wipe it off after saturation but not for a thin paint. So I had to paint the water paint on slowly and watch for drip marks and catch those and clean them up as I went. Hindsight, you know. But once it was dry I was happy with the color for an under treatment. I think if I had had CeCe Caldwell’s Paint in Beckley Coal it would have worked great.
When the black was dry I again used basic craft paint, this time in gold and with a soft cloth rubbed the gold paint over the entire stool. I wanted it to looked rubbed on and not totally covered. I think I achieved that look. I think one of CeCe Caldwell’s Metallic Wax Enhancements would have be a good choice to use.
Now for the clock. It has a metal piece sitting on top and around the sides to divide the numbers. I wanted a smooth table top so you could sit drinks and items on it.
The metal piece was attached with a few tiny nails so I pulled those out and off it came.
All the front of the clock needed was a good cleaning.
The back of the clock had hanging hardware and some wood slats that needed to be removed before being joined to the stool. The hanging hardware was easy to remove by taking out two tiny screws. The slats came off with a few light taps of the hammer. Then I wiped down the back so it was ready to meet the stool.
I used E6000 glue according to the package directions to join the stool and the clock face. To make sure you have the clock face centered on the stool use your tape measure against the stool seat, you want to get the same measurement as you go around the seat. Be quick as you do this before the glue sets up.
All done.
And here it is in my Mother in Law’s living room.
I chose to do this project for my Mother in Law. When I signed up to be in the contest and found out the theme was “Inspired by Mom,” I obviously thought of my own mom. Decorating isn’t really her thing and I know my parents plan to sell and downsize soon so the last thing she would need is another piece of furniture. My mother in law on the other hand recently purchased new furniture for her family room. Her sofa and chair look great in her home but she isn’t happy with the “old” end tables and coffee table paired with her new furniture. She has been shopping around for the right pieces. This contest seemed like the perfect challenge and opportunity to do something nice for her.
Here she is in the middle, this is Mother’s Day this year, after she cooked a nice lunch for us. I said afterwards we need to plan ahead better because on Mother’s Day we deserve a break, her response, “I really don’t mind.” She likes family time and having us over for holidays, and celebrations and cooking for us all. I know a lot of work goes into each meal she prepares for us so this is a way to say thanks for all the time and energy that goes into making our family time together special.
The Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest is hosted by Stacy at Anastasia Vintage and Evey at Sweet Song Bird by Evey’s Creations. You can visit both sites to see the other furniture makeovers by the other blogger contestants. If you are a blogger you can get information on joining the monthly contest and fun at Stacy and Evey’s sites. I’m going to enjoy looking through the other contests “flips” and can’t wait to see who wins this month.
Thanks for stopping by At Home with Sweet T!!!
-Tracy
