If you can remember back to August, I found a yucky, paint splattered wreck of a vintage step stool at the 127 Yard Sale aka World's Longest Yard Sale.
I purposely bought it because it was in bad shape, was ugly and was cheap.
Normally I like my junk rusty, chippy and well loved, but this was on a whole different level.
Someone had obviously used it as their painting ladder and never before heard of using paper towels to wipe up paint spills, so I decided to pretty her up a bit.
I took my hand sander to some of the paint splatters. I just knocked off the high spots so they wouldn't still show after I painted it.
That was the easy part.
The toughest part of this makeover was the ugly-butt wallpaper someone had stuck on it.
Now I love me some ladybugs, but just not on my furniture.
I ended up trying picking it off with my fingernails. Fail.
. . . sanding it off. Fail.
. . . using Goo Gone. Somewhat fail.
. . . using Goo Gone with my sander and fingernails. Almost a win.
. . . cussing at it and deciding that good enough was good enough. Win!!!
I used Krylon's Covermaxx spray paint in White (gloss) and Jade (satin). I originally chose this paint brand because of the COLORS to choose from, Krylon has a lot of pretty vintage-ish style colors this year, and I thought their Jade looked similar to Jadeite and I love me some Fire King Jadeite.
I would have used the Jade in gloss, but it didn't come in that finish/sheen.
I used one can of white on the legs and roughly ½ can of Jade on the steps.
The coverage of this paint was AMAZING! Three light coats of the white covered up a multitude of paint splatter sins. There's just something about the mistiness (if I can be so technical) that I liked. It seemed like a finer spray mist than other paints I've use?
Anyhow, not to seem like an ad for Krylon or anything, but I was digging this stuff.
I was going to get all fancy and hand draw some arrows or something on the steps, but decided I was going for simple and straight-forward for this piece.
I mean, it's a step stool after all.
Edited to add: I've has some questions about how I painted the two colors without making a huge mess.
I painted the white not really caring if it got on the steps (because I knew I would paint them anyhow). When that dried I taped off the white closest to the steps and then wrapped some Saran Wrap a little farther up the legs in case I had any over spray (which I did).
Oh, and I used Frog Tape For Delicate Surfaces (yellow container), so it wouldn't pull up any of the paint. Pretty similar to what I did on my Painting A Vintage Motel Chair post last year.
To compare and contrast:
And in a Pinterest friendly version for you:
OK, off to the thrift stores to see what trouble I can get into!
Judy Clark
Love the transformation! Great job!
Judy
Pam
Thanks, Judy!
Linda @ Itsy Bits And Pieces
OH that turned out so great! What a transformation! It really is beautiful now!
Susan
Wow! Did you tape the steps off to paint the frame and then tape the frame off to paint the steps? It looks new. Love the colors you chose.
Pam
Sort of. I willy nilly painted the legs white not caring if I got any white on the steps since they would get painted eventually. Then when I painted the steps I taped off the legs and wrapped a little Sarah Wrap around them also just in case I had over spray (which of course I did). I used Frog Tape For Delicate Surfaces so it wouldn't pull up any of the new white paint.
Bessie
Thank you for the answer to our question and I love the idea of the seran wrap I will be using that idea in the near future .I have the same ladder and it will thenk you for its new dress ( paint job.)
Bessie
Yes I love this but am really wondering HOW you sprayed this 2 colors and no over spray on eather piece.
did you take it apart ?
Beth
Pam I have an old step stool very similar to this except isn't as bad shape and with the ladybug wallpaper. Mine also has this old vinyl padding on the top step that's kind of wonky and have thought about taking it off. Love how awesome the paint looks.
Pam
You know, I've seen them with the padding before. Wonder if it was meant to be a seat also???
Pam
I probably should have taken it apart, but it has so many screws holding the folding part together, so I just painted it as one piece. I painted the legs white not caring if I got any white on the steps since they would get painted eventually. Then when I painted the steps I taped off the legs and wrapped a little Sarah Wrap around them also just in case I had over spray. And I used Frog Tape For Delicate Surfaces so it wouldn't pull up any of the new white paint.
Tina-Marie Hamilton
Love it! Love it! Also, have you tried Awesome from the Dollar Tree. It will usually go there when GooGone will not. Now, I use it instead of GooGone. But, be careful, strong stuff, so use outside.
Pam
No, but I'll pick some up. I assume it's $1 🙂 Goo Gone normally works for me, but I think it wasn't working because the glue or paste or whatever it was was so old. I'll try the Awesome though, because I have something else with really really old glue stuck on it.
Tina-Marie Hamilton
Try a little patch first. A couple times it has helped me repaint a piece, lol. Yep, a dollar!
chris aka monkey
great job you one armed wonder the colors are awesome xx
Pam
I had to wait until this week to paint it. Two weeks ago I tried to spray paint something with my left arm and I couldn't figure out how to hold down the nozzle AND move my arm left to right at the same time. Sort of like when you pat your head and rub your tummy 🙂 This week I can actually use my right hand pretty well and it worked out so much better. I'm doing therapy on the arm/hand and I'm amazed at how well I'm bouncing back.
[email protected]
Gosh! It's hard to believe that it's the same step stool. You really did yourself proud! Great job!!!
Kathy
The stool looks gorgeous! You do beautiful work, and you make me laugh, too -- "ugly butt." LOL
dee
Very nice . . . love the color choice 🙂
Annette K
This 100% awesome! I love a comeback kid experience.
Ida P. Krause
Wow what a dramatic change. - I love the "new" version so much. Great color choice.
Shelley
very nicely done
melinda
Very cool makeover!
We had a stool just like this when i was a little girl. it was my stool for
sitting at the table til i got big enough for a regular chair.
One does not see these b=very often.
M : )
Mary Ferguson
Great job, it looks terrific.
Mary
Nancy
Oh.... I'm lovin' it!!
Barbara
That looks like a brand new stool. You did a fantastic job and I love the colors. I'm glad you used white on the rails. It makes the jade steps just pop. Well done, my brave girl.
Pam
Well thank you Barbara! I need to find something else to paint with that Jade color, it's a good one!
Erica
Eeeeeeeek! I love this! Now I'm going to be all "buy all the step stools!".
Gotta head out and get some of that awesome paint too.
~Erica
Musings from Kim K.
Fabulous transformation and I love the idea of just taping off the other areas to allow for more than one paint color. Brilliant job, Pam.
Kim L
By the way, you could probably have used a wire brush on it to get off the wall paper. That's what I had to do with the old coal chute cover on the outside of my former house. Worked like a gem to get the old paint smoothed over and to rub out the rust. Just thought it would mention it for future projects!
Michele @The Vintage Vixen
Great redo!!! Happy Fall!!!