Painting Furniture With Dixie Belle Paint

Easy no-mess distress technique on a twin headboard bench painted with Dixie Belle paint, color Peacock!

This tutorial is short and sweet and today is Furniture Fixer Upper Day! You guys know what that means.

The headboard bench is a thrifty find from a local flea market/furniture store and the price was $28. I don’t know who put the bench together but they did a great job.

A friend of mine gave me a jar of Dixie Belle paint to try. I have to admit although photos of beautiful projects featuring Dixie Belle have been all over the internet for years…..this is my first Dixie Belle project. I will let you know my views on the paint after I finish the project.

Since the bench was small I was able to sit it on my worktable. The first thing I did was lay the bench on its back so I could paint the interior sides and back below the seat.

Then I turned the bench right side up and painted all those detailed spindles. That is a job.

The paint covered well and the photo above shows how the bench looked with one coat of paint. Drying time was really quick and I applied a second coat of paint and that was it.

I let the paint dry completely but not overnight. The wet distress method using Clorox Disinfecting Wipes works best if the paint hasn’t been cured for a long time.

I like to wet distress using the Clorox wipes or baby wipes because there is no sanding mess! The Clorox wipes are a little too wet so I have to wring them out before rubbing the wipes over the paint.

Now, it depends on the type of paint and of course how long the paint has cured as to how much rubbing it takes to remove the paint. Even though the bench was freshly painted it took a bit of elbow grease to distress the paint.

I found the best way to use the wipes was to go over a few areas with the wipe and let it set then wipe over the damp area to remove the paint. I lightly distressed a few areas on the bench. I didn’t go all out and remove a lot of paint.

This jar of Dixie Belle paint was the 8-ounce size and you can see in the photo above I only used about half a jar. The paint is thicker than some of the latex paints I use. That’s fine. It covers really well and seems to adhere well. So, I’m impressed! I like the paint and I’m sure I will be using more of it.

The twin headboard bench couldn’t have turned out better. The light distressing on the carved spindles looks great. Believe it or not I finished the bench project in an afternoon.

Painting furniture is not as time-consuming as most people think. The part of a makeover that takes the most time is the prep work. A furniture piece that is clean and in good condition can be painted in a day or less.

I staged the bench for photos using a few of my favorite quilts I’ve collected over the years. In case you guys are new here I’m a pushover for any orange and turquoise color combination.

The bench is the perfect size for a child’s room. Or you could just use the bench as a plant shelf or to display quilts!

I plan to sell the little bench in my booth. Much as I would like, I can’t keep everything I paint.

 

Another look at the bench with a small Christmas wreath hanging on the rail. It’s getting close to the season.

 

Now it’s time to take the Furniture Fixer Upper Tour. Just click the links below the “before” makeovers photo collage…….

Furniture Fixer Upper Tour
Serpentine Desk With French Transfer  – Confessions of a Serial DIY’er
How to Whitewash Wood With Paint – Salvaged Inspirations
Painted China Cabinet And Wallpaper – Girl In The Garage
Dixie Belle Painted Headboard Bench – Petticoat Junktion (you are here)

As always thanks for being here, Kathy