Painting
Baby Furniture
Painting your own baby furniture is a great way to save money
on furnishing a nursery and add that special touch which is unique
to your child. Planning ahead can make this fun project a little
easier, and this article gives you some tips and things to think
about before you get started.
Safety - Priority Number One!
Four million babies are born each year in the United States and
only one million cribs are sold annually. This means that many
children are using hand-me-down furniture which is easier on parents'
budgets, but safety is a concern.
Used cribs require special attention. The crib is the piece
of furniture your child will use the most and (hopefully) you
will not often be there to supervise its use. So make certain
that your used crib meets ASTM standards. The following are things
to check:
1. Hardware is all in place and in good condition. Replace any
questionable hardware.
2. Slats should be spaced no more than 2 3/8" apart.
3. Open hook mattress supports that are attached to the corner
posts are not acceptable.
4. Openings between the mattress and crib frame should be no more
than 2" on all edges.
5. Corner posts should be no more than 1/16" above headboard
and footboards. Canopy style cribs should have posts 16"
or greater above end panels.
6. Drop sides should be 9" or greater above mattress when
lowered.
7. Crib finish should be free of drips, cracks and/or bubbles
or it may peel. Cribs made before 1976 may contain lead. Use a
waterbased and solvent lead free enamel paint to finish cribs,
and check that the paint manufacturer does not recommend against
using the paint on cribs. (Please note: WallNutz is not able to
recommend any specific brand of paint for crib refinishing or
advise on the safety of any brand.)
Sources for Furniture:
Friends and relatives may have unused cribs, dressers or rock
chairs tucked away in a basement or garage. Ask around to see
if anyone wants to volunteer a piece of furniture rather than
take it to Goodwill.
Garage sales and craigslist are also great sources for used furniture.
Get to garage sales early and browse craigslist several times
daily to find the best deals!
Unfinished pieces are available at specialty furniture stores.
Look in your Yellow Pages under "Furniture" and then
the sub-category "Unfinished Furniture".
You can also buy new, finished furniture at furniture stores or
children's stores and add details. This is a more expensive option,
but it saves time if you are in a hurry.
Prep Work--Removing Old Finishes:
Used furniture will need the surface prepped by removing
or sanding paint or lacquer. You can remove paint yourself using
a paint thinner or remover product available at home improvement
stores. Removing a finish from a stained piece of furniture will
require sanding or using a paint remover such as Citristrip, found
at Rockler.com. You may need several coats of the paint stripper
before it has worked its magic.
Make sure to wear protective goggles and gloves while using these
chemicals, or even goggles while sanding.
Sanding cord is a nifty little tool for hard to reach places that
is like sandpaper on a string. It's great for sanding on spindles
and can be also be found at Rockler.com.
If you're not up to removing the original finish yourself, there
are furniture refinishing places that will "dip" your
piece in a chemical solution. It's quick and easy, and you don't
have to handle the chemicals yourself, but it does cost some money.
Please note: Pregnant women should exercise caution when removing
finishes from furniture. Pieces made before 1976 may contain lead
and exposure can cause damage to a developing fetus. It would
be best to let a partner or friend handle this step of the refinishing
project.
Prime Time:
Now that your children's furniture surface is smooth and dust
free, you are ready to apply a primer. Make sure to do this important
step, especially if you are working with a soft wood like pine.
The primer prevents the grain of the wood from bleeding through
your paint and spoiling a beautiful job.
Kilz is one of my favorite primer products and is available at
most home improvement stores. Just apply one or two coats of the
primer using a paint brush. Allow it to dry thoroughly before
beginning to paint. Hint: Primer can be tinted to match the color
of your paint base coat.
Base Coat:
Use a water based, low VOC enamel paint on children's furniture,
because dirt easily wipes off this type of finish. You can also
use an indoor semi-gloss latex paint as a base if you plan to
do decorative painting on top and seal with a clear sealant.
Apply enough coats of your base paint so that the primer doesn't
show through. Allow enough drying time between coasts so that
the previous layer feels smooth to the touch and not tacky. Sand
with a fine grit sandpaper in between coats to remove any drips
or imperfections in the surface. Let the last coat dry completely,
usually 24 hours is best before moving on to decorative painting.
Decorative Painting:
There are an unlimited number of techniques and patterns
that you can use to customize your furniture piece. My personal
favorite is using WallNutz Mural Kits to add a more detailed design,
and then surrounding the image with fun borders. The mural kits
are easy to use; you simply position the pattern and transfer
paper, trace over the top with a ballpoint pen, remove the paper
and paint in the outline that remains. If you can color in a coloring
book, you can use the WallNutz kits. To order, visit our online
store.
Wallpaper cutouts are another great way to decorate children's
furniture. WALLIES are easy to apply to any smooth surface and
can also be found in our online store.
You can also design your own pattern and free hand paint on the
baby furniture. Fun patterns include polka dots, stripes, stars,
swirls and swiggly lines. These are all easy and look wonderful
even if they aren't perfectly shaped--the imperfections are what
make the baby furniture whimsical and unique. I like to place
these types of patterns as borders around the edges of the furniture,
around drawers or on legs. You can see an example of this on the
table and chairs picture above.
Once your design is applied, you should seal the piece of children's
furniture with a clear finish**. You can find lacquer or my favorite,
Polycrylic by Minwax at home improvement stores. Just apply several
coats with a regular paint brush, allowing each coat to dry completely
before the next application. Now your kids can put that children's
furniture to the roughest, toughest use! (**Please note: we do
not have any recommendations on sealants for cribs. These are
items where a child's mouth may come in contact with the surface,
and we are not experts on safe finishes if ingested. Contact a
crib manufacturer for suggestions on finishes.)
Decorating your child's furniture or nursery furniture is a wonderful
way to make his room his own. With some paint, a couple hours
and a little imagination, you will have a piece that says "I
love you" and your child will treasure it forever.
©2006, WallNutz LLC. Contact customercare@wallnutz.com
for reprint permission.
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