Shabby Chic; Volume III

Seakay

yes, you can use home made chalk paint as an undercoat to ensure adhesion and then paint with whatever you want on top (water based)
You can also buy specialist paints to use on kitchen cupboards which should work on your laminates

chalkysoil

I've done a few laminate pieces in chalk paint then varnished them. Look a bit rustic but I like that. The kitchen cabinet paint goes on a treat too - I got some once in 99p stores, discontinued colours probably, it's expensive usually.

Tonight I finished a bookcase I started a week ago. Bought it in a charity shop, it was fairly modern dark brown wood. Slapped on two coats of ASCP, and the next morning saw a major bleed though :eek: I think it's teak.
Painted it with stain block primer.
Then painted it with more ASCP.
Then varnished it.
Then changed the two knobs of the little drawer at the bottom.

Fingers crossed it behaves itself because I have heaps of hubby's books ready to go in it when the varnish is cured.

steve_2012

quite often when i rub the flaky varnish off of ie a chest of drawers 50s and 60s i tend too get some patchy beige come through but let it dry and do a 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th coat it doesnt come through, i think it just gets pulled up by the POP or chalk, once it pulls up what it can it cant pull any more as it is then dried again and it only come up because you wet it with the paint.
thats this week theory though and from a much lesser experienced restorer, so just my theory.

Kevie192

Thank you very much for your compliments on my coasters. I've typed up my method below, it's based on a Kirsty Allsopp TV programme where she made similar coasters

Handmade Coasters
by Kevie192

These coasters look so lovely and they are made from tiles and napkins! Here's how I made them...

Materials
White 4x4" tiles
Pretty napkins (I used Cath Kidston)
PVA glue
Strong craft glue
Sheets of felt or cork, for backing

Tools
Paintbrush
Surface to dry coasters on (I used another big tile)

Method
1. Open up your napkin and cut into 4 along the creases
2. Paint a layer of PVA onto the front and the side of the tile
3. Decide which part of your napkin you want to use as the 'image' on your tile, but remember to leave enough overhang to go over the edge of the tile and glue to the reverse. Apply this confidently to the tile, smoothing all over to minimise big wrinkles
4. Lay the tile on its front, then apply PVA to the back of the tile
5. Fold each side over, keeping the napkin taught but being very careful - wet napkins are fragile!!! One you've done one side, start to snip off some of the excess in the corners as you approach each of the other sides, to minimise bulk on the back of the tile. Be sure to apply more glue in the corners to make them stick.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 until you've done all of your coasters.
7. Apply a thin layer of PVA to the whole of the back of the tile. This is just to tidy up the back and adhere it to the tile completely. Leave to dry completely.
8. Apply 3 layers of PVA to the face and sides of the coasters, making sure you leave the coasters to dry completely between coats (overnight is ideal, but all day will be sufficient).
9. Using a strong craft glue, stick a square of felt or cork to the back then leave overnight to dry.
10. Enjoy your finished coasters!

NOTE: The napkins WILL get wrinkles in them. I don't mind that and I actually think it adds a lovely texture to the finished coasters. Learn to embrace those wrinkles

bubblegumcola

Thanks Kevin, I've got some plain tiles I got off freecycle a few years ago which have been sat in my garage, will check the size of them. I can think of at least three people in my family who would love these as a gift. Will give it a go. Thanks for the inspiration!

Catriona_P

chalkysoil wrote: »

If you haven't tried a heat gun, try pouring boiling water over it with towels to catch the run off. Are you using an electric sander?

Try everything in the house - nail varnish remover can be evil. Mr Muscle, limescale remover, washing soda...

I have bought a few 2nd hand fire surrounds - ebay/ boots/ junk shops and one rtc from B&Q prices from 99p to £30
Just in case you lose the plot and kick it to death

The fight against the fireplace is still ongoing! But I'm at last making progress using some expensive and very pungent stuff called Paint Panther (as recommended by my wood guy).

Turns out the fireplace is actually mostly plaster with a wood mantel. Who knew!

No electric sander available so it's just the old elbow grease! Luckily the surface (once the paint is off) is actually very smooth anyway so isn't requiring much sanding (which I'm doing as I go along). Hoping to be repainting it (white) by the weekend.

I love Kevie's coasters! I have some oil cloth scraps and spare tiles that were excess from the bathroom refit, am going to give this a go for xmas presents! I hope oil cloth would work as well as fabric?

Kevie192

Catriona, the napkins I used are paper napkins, not cloth ones! Probably should have mentioned that... Oil cloth might work though, give it a go!

hmo

Kevie192 wrote: »

Thank you very much for your compliments on my coasters. I've typed up my method below, it's based on a Kirsty Allsopp TV programme where she made similar coasters

Handmade Coasters
by Kevie192

These coasters look so lovely and they are made from tiles and napkins! Here's how I made them...

Materials
White 4x4" tiles
Pretty napkins (I used Cath Kidston)
PVA glue
Strong craft glue
Sheets of felt or cork, for backing

Tools
Paintbrush
Surface to dry coasters on (I used another big tile)

Method
1. Open up your napkin and cut into 4 along the creases
2. Paint a layer of PVA onto the front and the side of the tile
3. Decide which part of your napkin you want to use as the 'image' on your tile, but remember to leave enough overhang to go over the edge of the tile and glue to the reverse. Apply this confidently to the tile, smoothing all over to minimise big wrinkles
4. Lay the tile on its front, then apply PVA to the back of the tile
5. Fold each side over, keeping the napkin taught but being very careful - wet napkins are fragile!!! One you've done one side, start to snip off some of the excess in the corners as you approach each of the other sides, to minimise bulk on the back of the tile. Be sure to apply more glue in the corners to make them stick.
6. Repeat steps 1-5 until you've done all of your coasters.
7. Apply a thin layer of PVA to the whole of the back of the tile. This is just to tidy up the back and adhere it to the tile completely. Leave to dry completely.
8. Apply 3 layers of PVA to the face and sides of the coasters, making sure you leave the coasters to dry completely between coats (overnight is ideal, but all day will be sufficient).
9. Using a strong craft glue, stick a square of felt or cork to the back then leave overnight to dry.
10. Enjoy your finished coasters!

NOTE: The napkins WILL get wrinkles in them. I don't mind that and I actually think it adds a lovely texture to the finished coasters. Learn to embrace those wrinkles

do you not separate the layers of the napkins? i do when i use them for decoupage/decoupatch

Kevie192

No, I keep it all together. I tried separating but one layer just isnt strong enou and you get too many wrinkles.

hmo

i only ask because i always separate the layers but over the weekend i did a project and didnt and I had to scrap it.

i did this chair yesterday and used the single layer as i normally do and it was fine.

wrinkle but i would expect that from napkins. Ive done decoupage/decoupatch with the proper paper and not had wrinkles.