Yard Sale Furniture
Buy Yard Sale Furniture To Paint
Yard sale furniture is usually inexpensive and a lot of times it’s in good condition. Yard sales are my number one place for finding furniture. Sad to say I haven’t been going to yard sales like I did a few years ago.
When we lived in Florida I would go to the sales every week, usually Friday and Saturday both.
Since being back home in Tennessee I’ve gotten lazy. The thing about yard sales is you can hit 12 in one day and not come home with anything or you can go to 12 another day and hit the mother lode.
Driving home from Nashville last week I spotted a yard sale sign and said “what the heck”, so I followed the arrow and drove three miles out of my way.
A lot of times that’s a mistake. People leave the signs up long after the yard sale is over. This time I was lucky. I found two wood nightstands at $5.00 each so it was worth it!
Yard Sale Furniture
How pretty is this pair of freshly painted nightstands? You can’t go wrong with black paint.
yard sale furniture
The two nightstands were in really good shape and had the original hardware. All I had to do was give them a quick cleaning.
The paint I choose for the makeovers is Beyond Paint. You already know that latex paint, FolkArt Chalk Paint, and Beyond Paint are my top two go-to’s when it comes to furniture painting.
Beyond Paint can be used on cabinets, furniture, counter tops and accessories and almost any surface. It is an all-in-one bonder/primer/finisher that cures to a durable, washable surface in just one or two coats. No Stripping, No Sanding, No Priming required!
Beyond Paint details…
- Specifically engineered to work indoor or outdoors
- Slightly textured to eliminate brush marks, provide a finish that conceals imperfections
- Has more pigment for better coverage
- Contains very fine colorant to avoid fading and allow UV stability (i.e it won’t fade in the sun!)
- Eco Friendly- Low VOC, water based and little noticeable odor making it safe for people and pets.
The paint distresses easily if you do the distressing right after the paint is dry. Otherwise it’s hard as heck to get off. I used 80 grit sandpaper (very course) and a power sander to distress the paint on the nightstands.
It took no time at all to paint the two nightstands. I applied two coats of paint and didn’t prime before painting or seal the paint afterwards. All done.
This yard sale furniture looks pretty darn good now, doesn’t it. The pieces have lovely details like the dentil molding at the top front. Makes for nice distressing.
Did you know the term for the molding around the front top edge if the nightstands is called “dentil“? I guess because the small square blocks look like teeth?? Maybe not.
You can find more black furniture pieces here…..Hepplewhite Style Buffet Painted Black……21 Times Black Was The Perfect Color Choice
Wow, that’s it. The sheen of the Beyond Paint is what I like best. It’s between a flat and a satin or eggshell finish which means it’s not overly shiny. Coverage is great and one quart goes a long way.
Usually I can paint two to three chest of drawers with a quart depending on the size of the pieces and the original finish.
You can find 15 more of my Beyond Paint Projects by clicking here.
I have a video showing how to sand painted furniture using a sander. Get a look at how to distress furniture below….
How To Distress Furniture
Anyone go to yard sales regularly? What is your experience? Do you think prices are getting higher? Leave me a note and I’ll see you next time As always, thanks for being here, Kathy
Click here for the Petticoat Junktion Amazon Page
Author: Kathy Owen
Kathy Owen is the founder of the home decor blog Petticoat Junktion where she shares tutorials on painting furniture and upcycling thrifty finds into unique home décor. Her DIY projects have been featured on the Home Depot Blog, Plaid Crafts, Behr Designer Series, and in numerous magazines. Kathy’s newest website is HappyHomeDIY.com
I have to start checking those sites!
The paint cost a bit more than latex paint but it goes a long way. I used about half a quart of paint for the two nightstands. I think black paint is sophisticated!
Hey Stormee, Great questions. No matter the paint if a piece is heavily varnished or lacquered I always use a primer. I would rather be safe than sorry. The Beyond Paint is very durable and I normally don’t sand the piece before I paint it. I also don’t seal the paint unless it is for a dining table top. I seal any paint I use on a table top. To me they call for extra protection. I do like chalk paint too and it is very durable but again I would apply a clear acrylic or something like General Finishes Polyurethane or Topcoat. Hope this helps!
Although the Beyond Paint container says it bonds, primes and seals – the comment section on the Amazon site says it needs a sealer for durability. How durable have you found the Beyond Paint to be, Kathy. I would have more faith in your judgement than a comment from someone that you don’t know if they really used the paint or applied it correctly. I’m looking to paint an oak table and chairs that have a varnish/lacquer finish on them. If I used the Beyond Paint would I need to do any sanding or would it cover the existing finish and be durable?
I have thought about a chalk finish paint because I’ve read you don’t need to sand before painting with that also. Do you have a preference? Thanks for your help and insight.
Kathy, these nightstands look SO sophisticated! That black paint really takes them from blah to wow! The All-in-One paint is pretty pricey though, despite the fact that you don’t need a primer or sealer. I looked it up on your Amazon page. How much did you use to paint two coats on each of the night stands? Just curious.
yikes! Sorry, there should have been a comma between latex paint and FolkArt Chalk Paint.
Yard sales are great, but i am amazed at the furniture people list on Facebook Marketplace or Nextdoor. Many times it is free or for peanuts! I always think of you when i run into something cool like that.
I’m a fan of both yard (in MN we call them garage sales) and estate sales. Your nightstands turned out great.
I didn’t know FolkArt Chalk paint is latex. They should remove the word chalk!
Yard Sales are great. Like you said, sometimes it’s a bust, but other times they can be wonderful. If it’s not on the curb for free, yard sales are next on my list and church rummage sales. Those night tables look wonderful! You did a great job on them!
Those are cool nightstands. I love the fact that while they are similar, yet they are different with the drawer placement. Nice work and thank you for the inspiration.
P.S. The price you paid is fantastic, too!
Yard sales are my main source of inventory! I love the fact that you never know what you’ll find. Plus although the prices have been going up at yard sales, they’re still generally cheaper than thrift stores or junk shops, which have overhead costs to cover. And if I’m really lucky, I’ll find an old fashioned sale where most items are a dime , a quarter, or 50 cents! LOVE THOSE!
Soooo glad I found this! I was just doing research because I’m about to paint and distress my first black painted piece. I have the same exact night table on the left with it’s matching dresser. And now I get to see what they’ll look like before I paint! Yay!! Thanks for posting! ~V