DIY-ing to be cool!

So we're definitely not the first to try some upcycling, and we certainly won't be the last. We've got a few blog posts coming up on this subject, because we spent the summer getting ready to move house - so we made lots of cute new things to go in our new abode.

Firstly, we're going to show you how we showed some love to an old rocking chair.

Here it is in it's original state. It was the chair my mum used to rock me as a baby, and although there are no mini fairypants on the horizon just yet, I wanted to keep it in the family.

I'd heard a lot of buzz about Annie Sloan chalk based paints, but when I saw how much they were, I wasn't to keen any more! So I researched some alternatives, and came up with Rustoleum.  I bought mine on Ebay, if you search for Rustoleum chalk paint, you'll find a variety of colours.

I went for a duck egg blue. It wasn't the easiest to apply, but that's probably my fault for choosing an awkward piece for my first try. If I was painting a table or a cupboard, I'd probably have found it easier. For a piece like this I'd probably forego the coveted chalk finish, and just get a spray paint.

So here it is finished- it took two coats of the paint to get the finish I wanted, but by the time I'd finished one coat, it was ready for the second. I did the whole thing in an afternoon.

I decided to finish it with a coat of Rustoleum's furniture wax, just to help it last. This was the hardest part! I'd never waxed furniture in my life, so wasn't prepared for the achy wrists. It was worth it though, all in all, this project probably took a day out of my life, and £25 out of my bank account. Well worth it, I'd say.

It's now part of our spare bedroom, and I think it looks lovely! Parrot cushion and bed throw can be found at Asda home, the cushions on the bed are from Primark home, and the bed itself is from Ikea.

If you've had a go at something similar, share your photos!

xox