When it comes to staging a home for sale,
I do subscribe to the theory that
LESS is MORE.
That is pretty usual in my own home, so
maybe that is why staging a home is a
welcome change.
For the kitchen, I created some
E-A-T letters and wanted to show you
How to Paint a Distressed Wood Look.
First of all, these are NOT wood letters.
Nope, not even close. My original idea
was to make them with reclaimed or pallet wood.
But, time was a factor.
Or, in other words…I was running out of it.
We had to get this house listed!
I originally envisioned having an accent wall in the kitchen
with large E-A-T letters as an accent. So, once the Accent Wall
was completed, it was time for the fun part. The staging.
So, when a stroll through my local Hobby Lobby to buy
large letters proved to be too expensive for my budget –
(which was close to nil by the way) –
I looked for an alternative idea that would give me the same results.
That is when I discovered these.
Cardboard Letters.
But, no way did they look like distressed wood.
In fact, they looked kinda…well…
cardboad-y.
🙂
I mean, they were paper for goodness sakes.
So, I grabbed my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
in Provence Blue, and a can of Ebony Stain,
and got busy.
I had no clue if it would work, but I wasn’t
about to spend $20+ each for ready-made letter.
I do have a secret, and it’s right out of the
“Playbook for Cheapskates.” I went back
over a 3-day period to buy one letter each day, so I could
use my 40% off coupons.
So, each $9.99 letter was only $6.
(Please refer back to the above re: my non-existent budget)
🙂
I dipped my brush very lightly into the blue, and
quickly applied a dry-brush application on the
letters. Don’t forget the sides.
Start with a light application and add more,
if needed.
Once the blue paint dried, and that didn’t take
long at all… dab a cloth or rag into your stain
and gently apply some of the stain right
over the blue. No rhyme or reason.
Just apply it as you think it looks best.
Keep a light hand. If you think you have
added too much stain, take the dry brush and
add some more blue paint over it.
Here is the important part…
Don’t try to cover the entire surface.
The color of the cardboard actually works
in your favor, because it looks like the color
of rustic wood in some ways.
Once you are happy with your paint
applications, you are done.
So, how did I hang these?
I used Duck-brand Poster Putty.*
These letters are lightweight, and this
product worked great. A few dobs of
putty on the back, and they hung perfectly.
I decided to let them rest on the ledge
of the new accent wall, but the putty helped
to keep them from tipping over.
‘Cause there is nothing worse than an
“E” in the kitchen floor when potential
buyers come through.
😀
If you liked this project and
would like to save it for reference for later,
please PIN IT to your fave Pinterest Board.
I would also love it if you would TWEET this message:
[Tweet “How to Create the Look of Distressed Wood (On Cardboard Letters} #DIY #craftsy @AnnieSloanHome “]
Join me later this week for a great Guest Post from
my Design Contributing Editor Dawn from
Creative Cain Cabin. She is sharing her collection
of Melamine Dinnerware.
Then, I will be sharing a very cool Spring Project
for your Garden that I think you will love!
#thinkspring
Thank you for spending a few minutes
of your time here with me at
The Everyday Home.
You can also follow along with me at:
xxoo, Barb
*Amazon Affiliate Link
sharing with:
Confessions of a Plate Addict/The Scoop – Concord Cottage/Something to Talk About
Between Naps on the Porch/Metamorphous Monday Home Stories A-Z/Tutorials and Tips Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life/Inspire Me Tuesday – My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia – Inspire Me Monday
French Country Cottage – Feathered Nest Friday – Craftberry Bush – Inspiration Friday
Tatertops and Jello – Link Party Palooza
TwoPlusCute says
Well done! Surprisingly realistic. *pins*
View CommentDenise says
Great tutorial Barb! I shared last week and have pinned. Hugs! Thinking of you and your family.
View CommentBarbara Maw says
Looks great! Can’t wait to try this!!
View Comment