Monday, August 29, 2011

Thrift Store Magazine Rack (Stencil Makeover)

It was true serendipity when I received an offer to review the new Martha Stewart Crafts Decorative Paint Line by Plaid. I am pleased to not only share my impressions of the product, but also to show you how I made over a thrift store find and turned it into something my girls are excited to use!


Our main bookshelf is downstairs, but my girls love books, and story time is part of our bedtime routine. Most of the books my girls bring up to their room end up like this:























When I found this magazine rack at a local thrift store for $3.50, I knew at once that I could use the goodies from the Martha Stewart/Plaid line to make it more presentable.























When I opened the box of crafty goodness, I was blown away. I had no idea that so many different tools for craft paint and stenciling existed! I'm pretty the "Hallelujah Chorus" was cued in the background.























My first job was to sand and wipe down the rack before priming and spray painting it white:

The only dilemma was choosing exactly which stencils and paint colors I wanted to use! There are over 160 paint colors in five finishes (Satin, High Gloss, Glitter, Pearl, Metallic) to choose from. They each come in 2 oz. bottles and are non-toxic, which meant I didn't need to stress when the girls wanted to help me pour the paints out.

I chose paints in satin and pearl finishes to coordinate with the bedding in the girls' room:


The stencils are sturdy and come in a handy resealable case. I was very impressed by the selection of patterns!























I eyeballed and marked off my stencil area with a pencil before taping the stencil down. I chose brushes designated for wood projects and got to work with my paints.























The stencils peeled off easily, with no problems. This was my first time using stencils on a project like this, so I was worried about paint escaping underneath, but I didn't really have any issues with that. I didn't want to go overboard and turn the rack into an 80s craft nightmare, so I made myself keep it simple:


I really liked the final product!

So were Natalie and Michaela Byrd:

It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to work with Martha Stewart products! If you are interested, you can find the new craft paint line exclusively at Michaels craft stores in the US and Canada. You'll be blown away by the different crafting options the line can offer you: brushes to create stripes and waves, attachments to roll your paint on, sponges, glazes, and even a new product to help you create your own spray paint! The paints are formulated to work on all crafting surfaces, including wood, metal, glass, ceramic, terra-cotta, and fabric. It is indoor/outdoor safe, and dishwasher-safe on glass.























I see a lot of fun crafting in my future!

Full post disclosure here.

Linking to Just a GirlTatertots and JelloThrifty Decor Chick

31 comments:

  1. Cool, Amanda! I'd say the Martha Stewart crafting gurus are pretty smart--who better than bloggers to sample their wares and put them to good use? Your book rack looks great!

    I LOVE that photo of Michaela Byrd sitting in the chair and reading. That is absolutely precious. Honestly, that is frame-worthy!

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  2. I swear, as long as there is paint in this world, there will never be a need to throw anything away again! Great makeover :)

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  3. Great job on your project!!! Great minds think a like since I also used the circular flower burst pattern too.

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  4. So cool! And what a great find too, it looks nice & sturdy & the stencil looks to be a pefrct fit. :-)

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  5. LOVE! I really need to go thrifting with you some time, you find the best stuff ;) It looks amazing!

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  6. Hello Amanda,

    Love the restyled piece and was wondering if when used on glass, you need to heat set the piece before it is dishwasher safe?

    I used to be a glass painter and historically dishwashers don't know the difference between food and paint...it will try to clean off both.

    Love the pic's of the girls reading.

    Janet xox
    http://theemptynest-janet.blogspot.com/

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  7. It is precious! Love how it looks in the room too. Thanks for sharing.

    Saved By Love Creations

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  8. Looks fantastic -- and yay for you for going "less-is-more" with the stencils. I would not have been able to restrain myself!

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  9. The magazine rack looks great! I saw all the new Martha Stewart paints at Michaels. They filled one whole aisle! Unfortunately my husband was with me, so I couldn't do more than glance at it.

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  10. Great re-do! Your daughters are precious. There is nothing in the world like reading with your kids.

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  11. Hi. I love this tutorial! I hope to make one myself soon.

    I re-posted it at www.gomakeityourself.wordpress.com.

    I also like your lilac afghan on the chair in the above picture. Did you crochet that yourself?

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  12. Love makeovers like this - feeds my creativity. Nice job!

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  13. Great idea to use it in the girls' room, and the makeover is so cute!
    When I saw it sitting next to the chair I thought "my word! that thing is huge!!" until I realized the chair is pint-sized. :)

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  14. Very sweet Amanda. And your girls are soo cute. : ) Nice job. I've been wanting to get a magazine rack even though I don't really need one. I have a basket and an antique wood crate I keep mine in. But I REALLY like the look of the rack, hmm. Maybe I should just get one anyway. : )

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  15. You turned someone else's Goodwill donation into something cute and functional for your home. I love your stencil and paint color choices.

    I hope you'll have more fun projects to share with your MS samples.

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  16. I love the transformation! Great job!

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  17. Ok, I m seriously 100% jealous!! What a lucky girl! The magazine rack looks so cute. What a great idea! Btw..you got yourself some cute chickens! :)
    www.moddybee@gmail.com

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  18. What a sweet makeover! Your girls are so adorable in these pics. How fun to play with MS crafts and make wonderful memories, too.

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  19. Your book rack makeover is adorable! I love it, and I think your little book corner is awesome. What a sweet way to develop a love of books and reading in your girlies.

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  20. So cute! Love the idea of using the magazine rack for their bedtime books! I bet the girls love it! :)

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  21. That turned out GREAT! It looks adorable with their bedding colors and I love the stencil design. Very cute!!

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  22. Love the stencils you used and the color combo just pops out from the white paint. It looks perfect in your cozy reading corner! I have a similar magazine rack that I was also thinking of using for my girls' playroom. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  23. Love the colors you chose! And your girls are darling. :)

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  24. It turned out so cute! I'm just a little jealous of all those awesome craft goodies that you got!

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  25. White looks so much better than the brown!

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  26. That adds SO much! Great job! Love the colors you used!

    I'd love for you to link this up @ Show & Share--

    http://southernlovely.blogspot.com/2011/08/show-share-3.html

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  27. too cute*

    i've been hearing a lot about the new martha stewart stencil and paint... can't wait to try it out.

    i have a magazine holder just waiting for me to paint her up pretty :O)

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  28. Aw, how cute! And your girls love it too - great job!!

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