After lots of testing along with 15+ years experience painting furniture, I'm sharing the best top coats for painted furniture. These top coats are easy to apply, go on crystal clear, and give a durable finish that will last for years. When I first started painting furniture, I used to dread applying the top coat. It seemed like no matter what I did, something almost always went wrong and my perfectly painted furniture ended up looking like a total mess. I very quickly learned that not all ... continue reading...
Search Results for: kids furniture
The Best Outdoor Furniture Paint for a Paint Finish that Lasts
After personally testing the best options on the market, I'm sharing the best outdoor furniture paints for painting wood and metal outdoor furniture. Outdoor furniture paint is a bit of a conundrum. There are plenty of options for outdoor paints and there are dozens of furniture paints. But where are the outdoor furniture paints? Over the last few years, I've gotten a lot of questions about what paint is best for outdoor furniture paint. In the past I have typically used exterior latex ... continue reading...
What is the Best Paint for Furniture?
With all the great furniture paints available these days, it can be really confusing trying to figure out which one is actually the best paint for furniture. Every paint claims it is the best, but which one is the easiest to work with? Which one gives the most durable finish? And which is the most affordable? After painting dozens of pieces of furniture using many different furniture paints, I'm sharing what I've learned so I can help you choose the best furniture paint for your next ... continue reading...
Kids Gift Ideas: 20 Beloved Toys That Stand The Test of Time
If you are looking for kids gift ideas, this list of classic toys truly stand the test of time. They are a hit with all ages, encourage imagination, and kids love them. I love to buy my kids toys at Christmas. Even though they surely have more toys than they could ever need and I actually just cleared out a huge boxful of toys that nobody has played with in months, I still love that joyful moment when they unwrap a fun toy and their little faces light up. It’s the best. I ... continue reading...
10 Tips for Painting Furniture Like a Pro
These 10 tips for painting furniture like a pro will help you get the beautiful paint finish you've been dreaming of. Several years ago, I discovered the beauty of painted furniture. DIYer that I am, I rolled up my sleeves and immediately got to work painting some old cast-off furniture pieces. Looking at those first pieces now, I can see that I had no idea what I was doing. They weren’t terrible and they look great from a distance…but up close, not so good Since ... continue reading...
A Tour of Our New House + Home Goals
I always love the start of a new year. Even though nothing magical actually happens when one year flips over to the next, it always feels like a fresh start. And the start of the new year seems like the perfect time to share a quick tour of our new house along with my DIY plans for the year. You may remember, we sold our 1970s fixer upper at the very end of October and moved into a new house nearby. We loved our last house, but as my kids were getting older, it was beginning to feel a ... continue reading...
How to Make Adorable DIY Snow Globe Ornaments
Learn how to make easy DIY snow globe ornaments with these helpful tips. I've always loved snow globes. They're something magical about their tiny little scenes and swirls of glittery snow. So when I started thinking about what kind of handmade ornaments I wanted to make for my tree this year, I knew I wanted to make some cute diy snow globe ornaments. I had so much fun making these ornaments and today I'm sharing a basic tutorial for creating your own snow globe ornaments along with lots ... continue reading...
Painted Laminate Countertops: How they really look seven years later
I'm sharing all the details of how my painted laminate countertops have held up after seven years of regular use in our kitchen including how they really look now and what I would do differently next time. Out of all the DIY projects I've shared here at Lovely Etc., my painted countertops are one my most popular projects as well as one of my personal favorites. Painting these countertops was a huge risk and to be honest, I was pretty skeptical about how well it was actually going to work. ... continue reading...
10 Top DIY projects 3+ years later: how they’ve really held up
I'm sharing a final update on how ten of my most popular DIY projects have held up over the years, including my painted cabinets, painted floors, and DIY built-ins. There are big changes happening around here! After fifteen years living in our beloved brick ranch, we decided it was time to move on to a new house. Of course this move is very bittersweet. We've loved this house and I have spent many hundreds of hours fixing things up around here. But it feels like the right time and I am ... continue reading...
Cozy Home Office Makeover full of Vintage Finds and Inexpensive DIYs
This home office makeover is full of inexpensive ideas for turning a tiny bedroom into a comfortable, inviting office. I'm excited to have a new room makeover to share! I've been wanting a quiet workspace for awhile and I am thrilled to finally have a home office. My home office space is the tiny third bedroom we used as a nursery for our boys when they were babies. My youngest is now five and all three of my boys chose to share a room together. They love playing together and most ... continue reading...
17 Beautiful and Affordable Screened in Porch Decorating Ideas
I'm sharing 17 gorgeous screened in porches that are filled with smart, budget-friendly screened porch decorating ideas, including ideas for furniture, flooring, lighting, decor and more. I absolutely love a good screened in porch. When we moved into our house years ago, my parents kept talking about how great the screened in porch was. And while I liked it, I didn't really get why they thought it was so amazing. Well, now I get it. Getting to enjoy fresh air and sunshine with a roof ... continue reading...
My Home Tour Full of Budget Friendly Before and Afters
I love a good before and after. And while I've shared several home tours over the years, I've never put all the before and after photos of our home together. What's funny about these before and after photos is at one point these befores were my afters. We've lived in this house more than a decade now and when we first moved in, taking before photos was not something that crossed my mind. I just dug in and got to work. Of course now I deeply regret not taking before photos of the ... continue reading...
21 Best Gift Ideas for DIYers and Woodworkers in 2023
Smart gift ideas for the DIY enthusiasts, woodworkers, and fixers in your life. This list is filled with fun, useful gifts that will truly be appreciated. Every time I come across a gift guide for DIYers, I can't help checking it out to see if there's anything I might want to add to my own wish list. And to be honest, I'm not usually very impressed. A lot of gift guides are filled with piles of expensive power tools. And while power tools are fantastic, most woodworkers and serious ... continue reading...
How to fix scratches on wood floors – the quick and easy way
After testing a few popular methods, I'm sharing the best way to fix scratches and gouges in your hardwood floors (including engineered hardwoods). This method is super fast and easy and it gives gorgeous results. We have beautiful dark engineered hardwood floors that I installed around five years ago. I still absolutely love them, but over the years they have gathered quite a few scratches, gouges, and small holes that don't look so great. I have three little boys who are incredibly ... continue reading...
Top 10 DIY Projects from the Past 10 Years
Today I'm celebrating my ten year blog anniversary with a BIG giveaway, a look back at my top DIY projects from the past 10 years, and the inside scoop on how Lovely Etc. came to be in the first place. Ten years ago this week I started Lovely Etc. Ten years! When I started this site, I had absolutely no idea it would still be such a huge part of my life ten years later! (I also had no idea what I was doing.) I started this blog because I wanted to do something fun that was just ... continue reading...
How to Clean Stencils The Fast and Easy Way
I'm sharing the fastest, easiest way to clean stencils. I put five popular stencil cleaners to the test to find the best cleaners for removing both paint and spray adhesive from stencils. Over the years I've shared a lot of stencil DIYs and I've gotten a lot of questions about the best way to clean stencils. And honestly until now, I feel like I haven't had the best answer to give people because I really hate cleaning stencils. I think cleaning the stencil is arguably the worst part of ... continue reading...
How to Make Cheap and Easy DIY Drawer Dividers
These DIY drawer dividers are the perfect way to organize your junk drawer, silverware drawer or any other drawers that need a bit of help. They are cheap and easy to make in any custom size you need to perfectly fit your own drawers. Some of my kitchen drawers have been in major need of some decluttering and organizing for awhile now. In particular, my junk drawer and my silverware drawer need some major help. I've tried to organize my junk drawer before. This drawer is filled with ... continue reading...
Favorite Things Gift Guide
Get gift ideas for everyone on your list (including yourself!) from this list of some of my favorite things for DIYing, decorating, and otherwise enjoying life! It's that time again! The time of year when I start trying to figure out the perfect gift for everyone on my list. And also trying to figure out what to tell everyone who's asking me what I want for Christmas this year. (I don't remember it being so difficult to come up with my Christmas list when I was a kid!) And since I know ... continue reading...
How to paint wooden chairs the easy way
I'm sharing how to paint wooden chairs the quick and easy way while still getting a gorgeous finish that will last. I have a confession. Last year when my mom asked if I could paint a set of 4 wooden chairs black for her kitchen, I was less than excited. In fact, I was dreading painting those chairs so much, that I put off doing it for weeks. I've painted enough chairs before to know that painting wooden chairs with all their spindles and turned legs can be incredibly ... continue reading...
Inexpensive Screened-In Porch Makeover Reveal
Our screened-in porch got a total makeover on a tiny budget with DIY outdoor furniture, second hand finds, and lots of paint. I’ve been busy giving our screened-in porch a makeover on a tiny budget and I’m so excited to share it with you guys! This is my favorite room in our house and I think it’s a really great example of how to create a space you really love for cheap. I may not be the best stylist or designer out there, but I am really good at making the most of what I’ve got, ... continue reading...
How to Paint a dresser that will last
Learn how to paint any dresser with my tried-and-true method for painting furniture with a beautiful paint finish that will stand the test of time. I've been looking for a piece of furniture for a blank wall in our family room for several months. We used to have our kids' DIY play kitchen there but I'd moved it to my boys' bedroom, leaving a big open space. I stalked Facebook marketplace and Craigslist for several weeks before realizing I already had a piece of furniture stashed ... continue reading...