IKEA filing drawers hack
Im always on the hunt for bargains in charity shops - I clocked these in my local shop and grabbed them straight away!
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Product list:
Salt Water (Silk All In One Mineral Paint)
Here's a before shot of the IKEA filing drawers. When I got them home I realised they're the perfect size to stash my Silkscreen Stencil collection in. Brucie bonus!!
First job was to remove the original silver handles - I had some brass ones in my collection which look a lot nicer than these cheap silver ones - not a fan of cheap handles!!
Next step is to clean them with White Lightning. Although these are plywood drawers and will require minimal prep, I wasn't sure on the previous life these drawers have had so wanted to eliminate any build up of dirt which would prevent the paint from adhering. I also gave them a very quick sand with a 220 grit sanding pad.
After the hardware holes were filled with White Dixie Mud (silly me forgot to take a photo of that stage!) I applied a white base for the Tropical Leaves transfer in Salt Water from the Silk line. This line of paint has a built in stain blocking primer so it will eliminate the need to prime to prevent any bleed through. I set the drawers aside to dry. If you plan on using a transfer on your project make sure you leave sufficient time before applying the transfer over the painted surface. The recommended time is 24 hours.
Tree Frog Green (this colour really packs a punch) was my chosen colour for the first set of drawers. I applied 2 coats with the Scarlet Brush for a smooth finish.
On the next set I decided to use Florida Orange. It is one of those colours which requires more coats than other colours due to its vibrancy so I popped a base coat of Terracotta on first.
2 coats of Florida Orange went over the Terracotta with an Oval Medium synthetic brush. You can see my water mister in the shot. I always lightly mist with Chalk Mineral Paint if I am aiming for a smooth surface. It helps the paint glide and get a brush stroke free finish.
Next I cut the transfer out to fit the drawer fronts I had previously painted with Salt Water making sure to the pattern lined up over the two drawers.
I trimmed the overhanging edges of the transfer with a craft knife then used a fine sanding pad to give a clean edge around each drawer.
Transfers require sealing so I used Gloss Clear Coat and applied with a Blue Applicator Sponge for a smooth application. Transfers can be sealed with most top coats including wax from the Dixie Belle range. The only product they don't play so well with is Gator Hide. If you want to use Gator Hide on your project then apply a Clear Coat first then apply the Gator Hide over the top.
I also applied Gloss Clear Coat to the Tree Frog Green and Florida Orange.
I measured up for the new handles
I added the tiny card holder handles (lots of patience required for these fiddly bad boys!)
I added small pieces of white card into the handles to finish the look off.
Here's a close up of the finished project and more pictures below!
Hope this has been useful and inspired you to use some colour,
Con x
1 comment
I love these. They are so bright and fun and just awesome.