Bench Makeover

I found this bench on Craigslist.  It has had many lives.  Originally it looks to have been stained a very orange color. Then it was painted bright blue.  Then someone must have debated between painting it brown and antiquing/ distressing it.  By the time I got my hands on it there was definitely an identity crisis going on.

I have a very small front porch that needed furniture and color.  I wanted a bench so basically my bags and shopping would have somewhere to land while I unlocked the door.  I also wanted a fun color out front especially since we are going into the spring/summer season.

First I started by priming the whole thing.  Sometimes I skip this step but with all the finishes this piece has had I thought this step was crucial.

this is the first coat of blue after priming

After I primed it I lightly sanded the whole piece.  This is really important to get a smooth finish.  I found my paint color in the oops section at Home Depot.  It is an exterior paint so hopefully it will hold up being outside (my porch is covered though).  It was $1.00 for the quart, my favorite price!

 It took two coats to get the dark even finish I was going for.  I sanded between the coats to make sure my finished product was smooth.

After it was painted I wanted to add a fun detail to the front and top of the seat.  I used my cricut to cut two different birds out of vinyl.  I used the outline as a stencil.  They were really simple, stick on, paint over, peel off.    Fast and easy.  I did the same for the leaves and freehanded the branch.

I like how it turned out, bright and a little whimsical.  Just what I needed to get me ready for warmer days.  Plus I love that the seat lifts up and has a good amount of storage.  Perfect for Pyper's outside toys.

Up next I think I need a fun door wreath to match!

Linking to these parties!