How to create a chippy turquoise bohemian cabinet makeover with Dixie Belle Paint
Do you want to create a bohemian chippy look on your pieces? If so, you’re in the right place! This turquoise piece was created using several techniques using products from Dixie Belle Paint which are described below!
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Product list:
Colourful Tiles decoupage paper
The first thing I do with ANY piece is to give it a good old scrub. This particular piece was in excellent condition but as it’s a second hand piece there is likely to be a build up of cleaning products, grease and grime which isn’t always visible to the naked eye. I clean all my pieces with White Lightning and a microfibre cloth making sure to rinse off thoroughly afterwards. Once dry, I gave the piece a scuff sand.
I used the new decoupage paper in the design ‘Colourful Tiles’ as inspiration for the colour scheme so I chose Sand Bar as my base coat colour. I also wanted to create a little texture for the base coat so I mixed in some Sea Spray to achieve this and stippled on with a Premium Chip Brush.
Top Tip! Use a chip brush when using Sea Spray so you don’t ruin your good quality brushes!
I left the base colour to dry overnight as Sea Spray can make the drying time slightly longer. The next step was to add Barn Red. I only added this to the areas I knew I wanted to distress with a clean, dry synthetic brush.
Once dry, the next colour I used was Dusty Blue. I used this all over – covering the Sand Bar and Barn Red. BEFORE this dried, I used a baby wipe (a damp rag will have the same effect) to wipe back areas of the Dusty Blue and reveal the Barn Red underneath. This technique is known as wet distressing. It gives a different effect to dry distressing and creates no dust!
Top tip! Work in smaller areas to prevent your paint from drying. The dryer the paint, the harder it will be to wipe back.
I allowed the Dusty Blue to dry and then used The Gulf for full coverage over the entire piece. I repeated the wet distressing technique as described above. By now, the layers are starting to build up and give real depth to your project.
As well as the wet distressing technique, I also decided to grab the R.A.D pad sanding sponges for some dry distressing. These are fab packs as they come in a variety of grits.
Top Tip! The finer the sanding sponge, the more subtle the distressing is.
The next colour I used is Terracotta. I only wanted hints of this to tie in with the colour of the decoupage paper so I used a small palette knife with a very small amount of paint to add this in some areas like around the edges of the doors and corners.
I used the same technique to add some Barn Red over the top. I used a larger scraper tool to add more red. Don't judge me on the painted glass!!
Top Tip! Try using the palette knife at various angles for different effects.
OK, so everything is looking a bit crazy at this point! A colour wash is a really good way of pulling your project together. It also helps to tone down brighter colours and adds depth to the finish. The colour I chose for the wash was Antebellum Blue. A wash of paint just means that water is added to the paint which creates a runny, watered down version of the paint. I used Best Dang Brush for this as its huge and covers very quickly. Before the wash dried I wiped back with shop cloth/paper towel and left more of the wash in the corners and recessed areas which creates tonal differences.
Next step is the decoupage! I painted the drawer sides with a layer of Sand Bar. This is a personal preference as to whether you put a base layer of paint under your decoupage. If you want the colours to appear more defined then you could add white or a neutral colour under. You can go directly over wood but remember decoupage papers are usually thin and transparent and the colour underneath can alter the colour of the design on the paper.
I applied the decoupage paper with Clear Coat Satin – I used one thin layer making sure the edges and corners are covered. I placed the paper over and smoothed out any wrinkles. Using Clear Coat as a sticking medium is so handy with decoupage as it doesn’t dry too quickly and allows you to smooth the paper out and even reposition. I sealed the paper with the Clear Coat Satin too to give it some protection.
Whilst the decoupage is drying, I added Best Dang Wax in Clear all over. I used the La Petite brush for this job. It covers quickly and evenly and has a tapered end to get into corners and crevices.
Once this was done, I used a Premium Chip Brush with Best Dang Wax in Black to create depth and age. I also used the wax technique over the decoupage once it had fully dried.
Top Tip! Don’t worry if you apply too much black wax or aren't keen on the effect. Best Dang Wax is water based so can easily be wiped back with a damp rag or baby wipe!
Finally I used Big Mamas Butta on the interior which I chose to leave natural wood to contrast with the turquoise exterior. Orange Grove is my absolute favourite scent. It nourishes the wood with its all natural ingredients and leaves a long lasting gorgeous smell as well as neutralizes odours and protects against mildew.
Here is the finished piece!
Hopefully you have the information to create your own boho chippy paint effect! If you'd like to see a video of the wet distress technique please find this here!
3 comments
Great instruction. I am very inspired. Thank you so much🙏
This is gorgeous and you did an amazing job with the tutorial! I love your style and techniques.
This is the kind of tutorial i need. One that tell you exactly how to get this look. I love this style and look but i tend to paint one color and thats it. Boring. I am easily intimidated i think and hesitant because people dont tend to buy very colorful pieces in my area. I am losing my mojo because i am bored. Thank you for all of your inspiration.