painting with layers

Hello from Sizzle filling in for Toots, who is completing her LDS mission in Uruguay. Today I am going to show you to repaint with layers. Distressing furniture is really in right now, so is painted furniture and sometimes you want color but not an over powering amount of color. This was my predicament.
I bought this cabinet at a garage sale. I thought I could redo it and keep my fabric in it.. So I sanded it, primed it and painted it this color:

I did several coats so this color was thick. I painted the doors this color too:
Then I got a candle and waxed the edges. Put wax where you want the next color of paint to sand off easily. It really works and keeps you from sanding down to the wood, instead you have this color show through.

Next I painted it a creamy white, I did several layers to cover the Amber Rose color. Then I sanded the edges where I had put the wax and some I didn't. This is the result.
See how I have the color showing through instead of the old wood color?

You can also use Elmer's Glue and get a crackle effect. Just paint over the glue while it is WET; so you'd need to do a section at a time. I was thinking I should have done that on the doors but I didn't.

Another tip: save money on hardware by buying a shape you like but not the finish. My knobs were this brassy gold and I got them for .97 each and spray painted them the color I wanted (the same color I did my desk chair in. It saved me a lot of money and now the hardware matches my desk too.


Before:

After:



A fun project - you could even do two colors and wax different parts and have two colors show through. The possibles are endless so keep the creative juices flowing!