Sit!

On a recent thrift store visit, I unexpectedly came across a find that caught my eye, grabbed my heart and held its grip. And, not just because it was $2.98.

My discovery was something I wasn't even looking for. The seemingly ordinary, vintage wooden folding chair had numerous surface blemishes, but the bones were good, as they say. I didn't really need it, but I snatched it up anyway.

Why? Because this was the same type of chair that my grandparents' country church used for its gatherings in the basement and on the lawn. Fredericksburg Lutheran Church was one of the beautiful, white country churches with the steeple that could be seen from miles away. Over the years, I sat on what could have been that same chair for a multitude of social gatherings, wedding receptions and funeral lunches. I just couldn't pass up this bit of nostalgia.

This honey of a chair deserves a second chance and will be nice to have around when we need extra seating for guests. So, I decided to make it fun with a great Victorian hand graphic from The Graphics Fairy.

I sanded and primed, then painted the chair with two coats of Gray Cloud, which I got free with a coupon from my local hardware store. Then, I distressed it all over.

After printing the graphic on plain paper, I rubbed the backside with the type of soft-lead pencil contractors use. Getting a good transfer requires rubbing in all directions--horizontally, vertically, diagonally. It also helps to put a magazine underneath to provide a little padding. The paper picks up more graphite when rubbed on a semi-soft surface than on a hard surface. 

Next, I trimmed the paper closer to the image shape and size to make it easier to work with. I taped it to the chair--image side out--and traced hard on the actual image. The image transfers to the chair so it can be used as a guide for painting.

 

I painted over the rubbing with charcoal paint and, after it dried, distressed the images slightly so they would blend well with the previous distressing. I finished it off with a satin sealer.





And, would you believe me if I told you Barney can read? Sit, Barney, sit.

Linking to:

The Graphics Fairy

Homemaker on a Dime

Sisters of the Wild West

Her Library Adventures

Under the Table and Dreaming

Under $25 Makeover

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Coastal Charm

{Primp}

Very Merry Vintage Style 

The Colorado Lady 

The Thrifty Groove

Designer Garden

Upcycled Linky Party