Works-For-Me-Wednesday: Universal Decorating Tool

I know, you’re gasping, “There’s a universal decorating tool? Where has it been all my life?” Here it is, my friends. And now you’re thinking, “A can of glaze? Really? Whatever.” (Ok, so maybe I got a little overzealous when hammering the lid back in one time.)

But hold on. Let me show you what I’ve done with this little can of glaze, my very best decorating friend. (And a few foam paint brushes and some cheesecloth.)

The first project I did with it was the entertainment center for our living room. It was one we’d bought at an unfinished furniture place years before and just put some clear poly on it. I was ready for the white pine look of the late 90’s/early 2000’s to go away, but I was too lazy to strip it down and totally re-do it. Enter Mohawk Heavy Bodied Glaze. So here is the entertainment center after the glaze (with no sanding, no stripping, etc.). The cost for this project: I purchased the glaze for around $20, some plastic gloves, foam brushes, and cheesecloth. Total: About $30.

The next thing I did with the glaze was my fireplace. It was a high-gloss white, and I felt it needed to be warmed up a bit. Again, no sanding, no prep other than wiping the dust off with a damp cloth before applying. The cost of this project: FREE. I already had all the supplies I needed leftover from my previous project.

And the next thing? It’s probably the one I love the most. I found these in the Crate & Barrel catalog and fell in love. And then promptly had a heart attack when I saw the price tag. Because I wanted three of them. Three!  So I made a plan to make my own wall art. With the help of an artist friend (because I can’t draw to save my life), three canvases, some paint, drywall compound, and my wonderful glaze later, here’s what I came up with. Yes, I have three of these. And the grand total? About $60 for all three, including the three canvases and a giant bucket of drywall compound. I already had the paint, foam brushes, gloves, and cheesecloth. (I still have a lot of drywall compound…I need to come up with something to do with it!) Not quite the same as the Crate & Barrel wall art, but a much better price tag!

But my latest project is pretty awesome too. I actually just finished it last night.

We have a coffee table that was Husband’s before we were married. It is nothing spectacular. But it’s a great size, and very sturdy, i.e. it can definitely handle a toddler climbing all over it and not complain once. However, it was also a white pine veneer, which doesn’t exactly say, “I have great 21st century decorating taste.” Here’s the top, before I got started. See? I can’t believe I waited this long to do something to it! So I took some red paint and the glaze to it. And here, my friends, is the finished product!The cost of this project: $10 for the red paint. It should’ve been free, but the red paint I was going to use was leftover from the kitchen and the paint can had sort of sealed itself shut. Already had the foam brushes, cheesecloth, and gloves.

Even after all those projects, I still have about 2/3 of the quart of glaze left! It will be my decorating buddy for a long time. I’m actually thinking of glazing the oak cabinets in my kitchen with it.

We’ll see. The coffee table took me nearly 11 years to tackle. Goodness only knows how long it’ll take me to get to the kitchen cabinets!

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