Toy Chest Makeover With Dixie Belle Chalk Paint

Add rustic charm to any piece of furniture with this DIY, and check out this toy chest makeover with Dixie Belle Chalk Paint!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY DIXIE BELLE PAINT, BUT ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED ARE MY OWN.

I have a New Year’s challenge for you.

I want you to refinish one piece of furniture in 2022.

Whether you are a furniture painting pro or you have never done it before.

Maybe it’s a side table that desperately needs a fresh coat of paint.

Maybe it’s a chair. Or a dresser.

Whatever the piece of furniture, let’s refinish it.

Together.

And if you happen to love greyish blue/greens, then I have the color for you.

This month I refinished an old toy chest we have had in our basement, or should I say storage unit (let’s be real), for the last couple of years.

In full disclosure it turned out much more country rustic than what I was initially going for, but if you like that look then this makeover is definitely for you.

I used two different paint colors for the project, but if you love a grey/blue/green, then you will love the Dixie Belle color “serenity.” It is gorgeous.

You Will Need:

Sand Paper or White Lightening Cleaner
Dixie Belle Mini Angle Brush
Dixie Belle Silk All-In-One Paint in Serenity
Dixie Belle Crackle Effect
Dixie Belle Silk All-In-One Paint In Saltwater
Satin Spray Shellac or Satin clear coat shellac if desired to seal and finish

Toy Chest Makeover With Dixie Belle Chalk Paint

#1. Sand or prep the wood with White Lightening Cleaner.

I roughed up the surface of the wood with 120 grit sandpaper then wiped it down.

#2. Apply one coat of Dixie Belle Silk All-In-One Paint of choice (will show through crackle).

I used Dixie Belle Silk All-In-One Paint in Serenity for the first color.

This paint is so thick I am amazed every time I use it how I really only need one coat. Makes sense as the “all-in-one” includes primer.

I contemplated stopping here and just distressing the edges and focal areas on the flat surfaces.

In hindsight, I probably would have liked that better, but again, if you love the country/rustic look then keep reading!

#3. Apply one coat of Dixie Belle Crackle Effect .

I love this product, but it can be tricky to work with. A couple of tips – use a stiffer bristled brush to apply it more evenly across the piece.

It needs to dry for at least 1 hour prior to painting over it.

When you apply the next coat of paint over the crackle be sure to paint in quick even strokes. You do not want to go back over what you already painted or it will mess up the crackling effect.

#4. Apply one coat of Dixie Belle Paint of choice (primary color).

When using with the crackle effect this will be the primary color that shoes.

For this project I used

#5. Sand for an added distressed finish.

This softens the crackle lines, and if you want to add extra distressing sand more in one particular area to let more of the first paint color show through or even to get down to the wood grain as I did along the edges.

Wipe down.