During a gals' weekend getaway to a fabuloso antique extravaganza, I stumbled across this little beauty.
Stunning, isn't it?
Oh so much potential! I knew I wanted to spray paint my cart some shade of green, and I went to the store thinking I would get a pistachio color, but then I found this:
Who knew that "Gloss Key Lime" could be so wonderful?! At first, I thought it would be too tweeny, but after a test spray, I knew it would be perfectly chartreuse, just like accent colors in our painting in the living room:
Before we dive in, here let's review what you're going to need if you want to do a similar up-do on a metal cart. You will want a wire brush to smooth out large imperfections in any present rust, steel wool to create a nice, even finish, and then the spray paint of your choice (I always use Rustoleum).
Since the cart was completely covered in rust, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to get all of the rust off, but I did want to get the big, bumpy areas smoothed down. I started by scraping the entire cart with the wire brush, paying close attention to severely rusted areas.
I then used the steel wool to go over the entire cart again, really working to smooth out any imperfections. Once the cart was relatively smoothed down, I wiped down the entire cart with a damp cloth to pick up any "rust dust" (technical term).
Now, it was time to spray! I started off with a very thin, even first coat:
After allowing the paint to dry, I applied three more thin, even coats to create a wonderfully smooth, shiny finish!
After allowing the cart to cure for a good 24 hours, it was time to load that baby up!
Lucky for me, obsessions with bar carts aren't a crime.
Eryn, I'm seriously in awe of your incredibly creative ideas in your new home & classroom...speaking of, did you make your dining room curtains? I've been eyeing striped curtains lately & LOVE these. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Bethany! I did make the curtains and it was so easy!! You definitely should try it! I wrote about them here: http://elementaryorganization.blogspot.com/2012/07/making-stripey-striped-curtains.html
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your note!