Chalk Paint and Chair Makeover

My girlfriend Cindy called me yesterday morning and said that she was in the driveway and had something for me. I ran out thinking that she was bringing me a homemade Banana bread or warm cookies...(joke)

 She opened the trunk of her car and whipped out 2 chairs she found in the trash.

They were dirty and beaten up but pretty sturdy. I could see why someone didn't want them anymore.

She asked if I could use them or do something to them...We made a deal, we would both get one each but it was my job to refinish them babies...

I used Anne Sloan Chalk Paint and Wax that I had bought previously

I started sanding them down and cleaning, there was a lot of cobwebs stuck in there

I decided to paint the first one in Paris Grey, I think I might have found my favorite paint so far...it goes on thick and dries quickly...so nice...

I roughed it up and sanded after 2 coats- it was incredibly easy to weather it since the paint is so chalky

 I felt doing something different to the seat so I went online to The Graphics Fairy and she has the best free downloads. Choose from vintage signs or beautiful drawings, so beautiful!
I read a couple of blogs to see how to transfer the image to wood. She has a good tutorial on her website and links. At first I printed the image on a card stock...Fail!

So I started all over again. Sand down, repaint and sand again

Here are both of the chairs before the transfer. I choose Ann Sloan chalk paint in white for the 2nd chair

Same thing...printed out an image from the http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/

on regular printer paper....and reverse picture

I choose this image for the grey chair. Vintage Paris Style.  

I love it!

I choose this one for the white chair.

There were missing tabs that cover the ugly sight of screws on the white chair so I painted these little wood roses grey and glued them over the gap. 

I waxed the chairs and sanded them again to get a smooth finish

Now the fight starts over who gets which chair :-)

Here is the link for the transfer method I used: 

http://www.graphicsfairy-diy.com/2012/01/12-easy-image-transfer-methods-for-diy.html

And here is a blog from a lady in Australia that I found really helpful

http://irestorestuff.blogspot.com/2012/02/french-shabby-chic-serving-tray.html?showComment=1344132313323#c26055070241183809

 All the best!