Hey, there pink painters! Dixie Belle here, as we know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. So, let’s add a colorful oomph to the battle against breast cancer. We like to acknowledge October as not only the start to slightly bearable weather here in Florida but as a month to express support, compassion, and unity to those affected by breast cancer. What better way could Dixie Belle possibly do that than celebrating all pink-painted pieces? Oh, by donating to the cause! You’re right. Dixie Belle Paint will be donating 50 cents for every can of pink paint purchased to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation as well as matching any donations made by our retailers. Dixie Belle Paint has committed all the way up to $10,000. So, let’s grab our pink paints and express our support alongside Denise from Salvaged Inspirations as she walks us through how she upcycled a dirt-cheap thrift find into a gem of a piece.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED
Dixie Belle Paint White Lightning Cleaner
Dixie Belle Paint Mud Filler White
Peony Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint
Fluff Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint
Honky Tonk Red Dixie Belle Chalk Mineral Paint
Dixie Belle Paint 2″ Mini Paint Brush
Dixie Belle Paint Gator Hide Topcoat
CLEAN, PREP & REPAIR
I started by removing the hardware and giving this desk a good cleaning with some White Lightning. I made sure to rinse my sponge and wipe the desk with clean water to remove any residue before priming. The drawer was all wonky because one of the drawer rails had fallen off its grooved track. Luckily it was sitting in the drawer so all it needed was to be glued back into place with some wood glue. Once it was all cleaned and repaired, I went ahead and gave the entire piece a scuff sanding. I gave the top of this desk some extra sanding to smooth out the large scratches.
PRIMING
Before I filled any deeper scratches or flaws that the sander could not remove, I gave the entire desk two coats of shellac-based primer. If I see any bleed-through peeking through, I know another coat of primer is needed. Once primer covers it up, I’m 100% sure the bleedthrough won’t rear its ugly head after I paint or topcoat! For the larger scratches that the sander could not remove, I used this Dixie Belle Paint Mud Wood Filler in White. It’s easy to use and sands very easily by hand. Once I filled and sanded, I spot primed over the area. Oh and as you can see there’s a sneak peek of the custom pink paint color I used. After I mixed it I couldn’t wait to see what it was going to look like on this desk so while my filler was drying, I started painting!
CUSTOM PINK PAINT COLOR
If you’re trying to create a custom color for your project, rather than pull out all your paints and start mixing them all to experiment, I suggest using an online color mixer. I clicked on Dixie Belle’s Color Mixer and started playing around to find the perfect pink. I came up with the recipe below. Two parts Honky Tonk Red, four parts Peony, and four parts Fluff. This gave me a vibrant bubble gum pink!
USING DIXIE BELLE’S COLOR MIXER STEP BY STEP
- Go to https://dixiebellepaint.com/color-mixer/
- Pick which paint line you’d like to mix – Chalk – Silk – Terra
- Click on the + in the “Choose Color” box and select a color from the color palette
- Pick up to two more colors
- Click the plus (+) or minus (-) to increase or decrease the amount of paint
- Play around until you’ve created your PERFECT custom paint color
- Download the recipe or take a screenshot
PAINTING
Now for the FUN part! I painted two coats of my custom bubble gum pink using my Dixie Belle Paint 2″ Chip Paint Brush. Here’s what it looked like after the first coat.
PAINTING DETAILS
After the first coat, I decided the desk needed more pink. I used this Peony to paint the side cubbies and the cutout details in darker pink.
TOPCOAT
The next morning after everything was dry, I spray-top-coated this desk with Dixie Belle Paint’s Gator Hide. Here’s the finished look. This desk is SO DARN FUN! I would have LOVED it as a kid!!!
To read this blog in its full glory, as well as other festive and unique DIY ideas, please check out Salvaged Inspirations.
WOW – just like that, as if by the wave of a magical wand, you possess the incredible ability to transform a rather mundane, lackluster desk into an absolutely dazzling, vibrant pink centerpiece. Not only would this item of furniture be one that would be lovingly cherished throughout the entire month of October. Moreover, the act of introducing this loud pink furnishing into your personal sanctuary extends beyond mere aesthetic enhancement; it serves as a bold and vivid reminder. A beacon of awareness, encouraging you to conscientiously perform your self-examinations, steadfastly uphold your annual mammogram appointments, and perpetually honor and support those valiant individuals who have waged battles against breast cancer in the past.
It makes me so happy that Dixie Belle is doing this. BCRF is a great charity and doing a lot of good. Thank you Dixie Belle!