A Pair of French Grainsack End Tables

I picked up two french style end tables at a yardsale for $5 each.  This one looked like it had slight water damage on top.  The finish was rough and it had a couple cracks were the wood had split. I filled the cracks with wood putty then sanded the top smooth.  I also removed the shell cutout on the front of each table.  Other than that they are solid construction and the draweres have dovetail joints.  They are built very well.

It was too cold to spray them outside and I didn't want to have to sand them.  I decided to try the chalk paint recipe I've seen around blogland.  I mixed 1 cup of flat latex paint and 1 tbsp white nonsanded grout and started painting.  They turned out great and love how easy the chalkpaint is to work with.  It adhered very well to the unsanded finish. Then I stenciled the tops to look like a vintage grainsack and sprayed the handles oil rubbed bronze. Love how they turned out.

Not bad for $5 each.

I'm linking to Furniture Feature Friday, February's Before and  After Party,  Transformation Thursday and Frugal Friday.

A Hidden Treasure

I've added several more vintage suitcases to my collection this summer.  I bought all of them at yard sales.  I paid from $1 to $8 each.  Bargains. I tried them in several rooms in different arrangements and decided I liked them best grouped together in the living room.

They were empty and merely decorative until recently.  When I was taking my fall decorations down I decided to store them in these suitcases instead of three totes in the garage. I always hate digging in the garage to get to my seasonal decor. My husband especially liked that they are actually functional as well as decorative.

As I was packing stuff away I looked in one of the pockets and found a yellowed card with a quote on it.  I began to wonder who this suitcase belonged to?  Was it a man or woman?  What was their life like?  Where did they live?  I can envision someone sitting at an old typewriter typing this.

It really made my day and got me thinking.  It makes me value my old suitcases a little more.

I'm linking to Frugal Friday, and Weekend Wonders