How to turn a dresser into an island

A few months ago I found this dresser at 

my favorite thrift store for under $100.

Pretty typical thrift store dresser.

And by typical, I mean bleck.

To steal all the good stuff before I get there, visit

(psst. sign up for their mailing list for a 20% off coupon!)

This dresser was originally featured on a Fox29 segment I filmed with Jenn Fred.

(click the picture below to watch the whole sha-bang)

And, just so you don't think I am some amazonian giant, Jenn Fred is tiny.

I'm tall, but not like freak show tall.

Let's begin, shall we?

Start with your preferred cleaner.

Mine is Simple Green.

And paint.

I prefer Annie Sloane or Miss Mustard Seed.

Today is Annie Sloan.

Why? Because I don't want to prep, sand or prime this sucka'.

So, I need the super adhesive power of Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint.

I mixed this color myself, so ignore the color

"Florence" on the label.

I covered most of the piece with the paint, including the hardware.

That's the beauty of Annie Sloan - you can paint right over the hardware and it will stick.

(Although, in the end I wound up removing the hardware and spray painting it black)

I wanted to use this island in the middle of a room, so I painted the back with chalkboard paint

(not CHALK paint, chalkBOARD paint)

  

Once you paint the back with chalkBOARD paint, let it dry 24 hours.

Then season the entire surface.

What the heck does that mean?

It means cover the whole chalkboard area with chalk dust.

 Then wipe it off with a DRY paper towel.

You'll create a dust covered surface that won't hold ghost marks of your last note you wrote on it.

For the top of the island, I went to Home Depot and purchased a 1" thick piece of pine board and

had it cut to size right there on the spot.

I stained it and sanded it smooth.

I used liquid nails and a few screws to attached it to the top of the dresser.

I let it hang over the back edge to create a little bit of a bar.

And a little bit on the left and right sides too.

It's awesome!

And it's for sale.

You can find it in the window of

Mason Jar Vase

I love how simple this project is.

You know I love my thrift store shopping. And, I've always got a ton of mason jars on hand.

So, the combination of 2nd hand belts and a few jars was simple.

Crafty Summer Party Ideas

Recently I filmed a segment for FOX29's GoodDay Philadelphia.

(TG for interns)

I shared some ideas for how YOU can have a crafty summer party.

Yes, you.

I started with some slate tiles from Home Depot and some green carpet squares from IKEA.

I want to create a base on the table that resembled an English Garden.

I thought it was pretty darn clever.

The first segment we filmed crafts.

So we painted a few mason jars.

After I cleared the crafts, I set up my version of a Ralph Lauren type picnic. 

Each guest would get a tray and a clean dish towel. 

(I like dish towels in place of napkins for their size)

The table was simply decorated with paint swatches and twine.

You've seen me do this before. 

The water bottle labels are covered in duck tape.

To create more time with the guests, most of the side dishes are pre-made and put in mason jars.

Easier to handle too.

I stole the watermelon idea from Kelly at Eclectically Vintage.

Other drinks we color coordinated and places in mason jars.

Fill a bucket with ice and place your mason jars in them if your not in the

bar-tending mood.

There's even some table top games color coordinated with the party.

Don't forget to accessorize your straws with washi tape too.

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