Hello, beautiful friends, and welcome back! Today, I’m sharing a $5 yard sale stool makeover that I picked up on the best and only yard sale shopping day of the season.
It started out like this:
It looks as though it was a very hard worker and definitely has its share of bumps and bruises!
I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.
Clean
It got a good cleaning with White Lightning to start using an applicator pad:
White Lightning is what I use to clean my projects before painting. It is a degreaser and a deglosser and it comes in a powder form.
I just mix one TBSP into a half gallon of warm water. Gloves are recommended and another wipe-down with clean water will remove any residue.
Prep
These pieces from the 80’s that were stained and never sealed have a tendency to bleed. It’s the sealer that prevents that. Because I was seeing some color in my water, I opted to prep with a coat of BOSS in White first. BOSS also comes in a clear formula and a gray formula, but I wanted white to show through when I sanded later.
I left that to dry overnight and it was ready for paint!
Paint
For this piece, I decided to use another brand new color from the Cottage Collection!
This time, I chose this beautiful green, Weeping Willow:
I’m really enjoying trying out these colors!
I used Cottage Door HERE, and I tested out Secret Path on my last makeover HERE!
I only used one coat and still had half of this tiny 4oz jar left.
Adding a grain sack stripe
I didn’t want to add transfers to something that would be stepped on over and over, so instead, I opted for a simple grain sack stripe down the middle.
I used my favorite FrogTape for that starting with a single stripe down the center:
I removed the tape as soon as the second coat of Cotton went on.
Once that was dry, I taped off the stripes on either side and painted those in too:
Sand
This stool had a lot of knicks in it, so I knew I wanted to distress it quite a bit to camouflage those. I did that using 220 grit sandpaper wrapped around a very old sanding sponge.
Here you can see the difference:
Seal
All that was left to do was seal and to seal this hard-working piece, I opted for Dixie Belle’s toughest topcoat, Gator Hide:
And that was it! Quick and easy!
The After
Here’s what it looks like now!
Functional and cute!
Of course it can be both!
What a pretty green this is!
And the distressing will help to hide future abuse it might take as well!
The Inside
The top opens up to reveal a pretty small compartment, but it does hold two rolls of TP nicely!
Perfect for a bathroom!
How many of you remember when Brennan had feet this small??
That was over ten years ago and those piggies were barely three years old.
A couple of years later, he was my model for this stool makeover:
So why not hire him for this gig too, right??
Here are 13 year-old Brennan piggies ha ha!
Of course, Jack wanted in on the action too, so he hopped on, but Brennan couldn’t let him have his moment!
Those silly boys! Brennan is almost taller than Jack!
This would be great in any bathroom, kitchen, or wherever you need to reach something!
I hope you enjoyed seeing this pretty new color!
I enjoyed being able check another makeover off the list!
See anything you missed so far below:
$6 Mini Wall Cabinet Makeover
$4 Jewelry Box Makeover
Vintage Sewing Storage Table
Wooden Horse Redo TAKE TWO!
White Painted Drop Leaf Table
Unfinished Wooden Horse Makeover
Updated Candlesticks
Voodoo Stain and Stencil Bench Makeover
Drawer Organizer Makeover
I’ll be playing with these Singer drawers next:
UPDATE! These drawers got a classic update…see what I ended up doing with them HERE!
Have a fabulous summer weekend!
XOXO,
Don’t Miss a Thing!
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Mary Kaiser says
Oh I love how pretty that turned out! Oh my lord I can’t beleive how big those little piggies have gotten!! Those funny boys crack me up! So much fun!! Love the new colors so much!
Christy says
Thank you, Mary! Brennan has almost caught up to Jack! They are so fun together! XOXO
Robin says
Darling transformation…..but, answer me this. Why do kids have to grow up? Ugh……. XOXO
Christy says
Thank you, Robin! Right?? Brennan is almost full grown…I miss the little piggies! XOXO
Christine says
Haha, love the pictures of your sons! Cute little stool! Only 1 garage sale this season???
Christy says
Thank you, Christine ha ha! I found so many things on that one day of garage saling that I didn’t need to go back out. I try to work though what I have in each haul before shopping again, but the temptation is real lol! XOXO
Nana Diana says
I love the color and the stripes on it. Those boys make me smile!!! Have a great day-xo Diana
Christy says
Thank you, Diana! Are they so silly? They love to make it into my photos lol! XOXO
Niki says
So fun! Jack and Brennan are too cute modeling this step stool for you. It’s so simple but I really like how it turned out with the weeping willow. So far all the new colors have been great. There is a sort of richness to them
Christy says
Thanks, Niki! The boys had fun being my models lol. And I agree about the new colors…I’m really enjoying them! XOXO
Godby Charlene Soucy says
When you want to buy a house, you look at location, location, location. When you want to redo furniture, you look at Christy, Christy, Christy! Best inspiration ever!
Christy says
Oh ha ha…I love that, Charlene! You are the best! Thank you! XOXO
Sue says
I love how this sweet stool turned out, I love anything green! And I love
how you included your boys how quick they grow! Love it!
Christy says
Thank you, Sue! This is such a pretty green! And glad you enjoyed seeing the boys…Brennan is almost as tall as Jack! XOXO
Darlene says
Lovely makeover, Christy! But it was the “feet” pictures I enjoyed the best!!! Ha Ha Ha!!! The little feet were the cutest, and I loved the photo bombing too! 🙂 Still love your blog!!!!
Christy says
Thank you, Darlene! Aren’t they so fun?? Those little piggies were so cute…not so much anymore ha ha! XOXO
Patricia says
Such a cute makeover. Full grown or not they will always be our babies. They are great models.
Christy says
Thank you, Patricia! So true!! They were great and cheap lol! XOXO
Abbe says
Thank you Christy for sharing your beautiful family and I love what you did with that stool! Next time I’m visiting in the Tidewater area, I would love to see your booth.
😊🖖🏻🌺
Christy says
Thank you so much, Abbe! I hope you get the chance to visit! XOXO
Cory says
Beautifully done! It’s so smartly pretty, and I love the idea as toilet paper holder. Such a lovely colour! Oh, and your boys are getting so big. Reminds me of those years with my two sons’ teen antics & fun. 🩵🩵
Another job well done!
Christy says
Thank you, Cory! It is both hard and rewarding to see them grow up…they are eight years apart but still have fun being silly together! XOXO
Marcie Lovett says
Those boys! Oh yeah, the stool is cute, too 😂 But seriously, the color is divine and I love that it’s more than just a stool. Extra storage is always a bonus.
Christy says
Thank you, Marcie! This color is wonderful for sure and the storage is definitely a bonus! XOXO
Cyndi says
So cute!…the stool and the boys! Brennan has your eyes, doesn’t he, Christy? 🙂 And I’m glad you included photos of the striping process. Looks like good tips on getting all the stripes measured out. Love the tp storage idea! 😉
Christy says
Thank you, Cyndi! The boys enjoyed getting in on this one! And yes, the tape makes it easier to “measure” out those stripes for sure! XOXO
Cecilia says
Aw, cute little piggies. They grow up so fast, don’t they?
Such a pretty color. That little stool has a new look and lease on life just waiting for someone’s little person to use it.
😊Cecilia
Christy says
They do!! It is both sad and rewarding at the same time lol. Thanks, Cecilia! XOXO
Michele M. says
LOVE that color of green!!!!! Jury is out on the stripe for me – but it sure makes it more interesting. And your cute boys? Seriously that was so cute the way you shared their growth – and their fun teen selves- now. Oh my gosh children grow so fast. My grand turns 7 on Monday and I swear I remember holding her as a baby and it seems like last year. ♥
Loving these new cottage colors, Christy. Bet they sell well.
Christy says
Thank you, Michele! My boys are growing way too fast too! It is bittersweet for sure! Have a beautiful weekend! XOXO
Robyn Wright says
Brennan looks just like you! Love the stool makeover!
Christy says
He looks just like his dad too…funny! Thank you, Robyn! Hope you have a great week! XOXO
p says
Such a nice redo ! I love seeing the smalls redone. so much character and history in those old pieces.
I’m loving the Weeping Willow color- such a fresh green.
It’s always an amazement how quickly our kids… And grandkids grow up.
Its so cute your boys can join in the fun. 🙂
Thanks for sharing your projects – and your family.
p
Christy says
Thank you, P! I really enjoy the smaller pieces especially because I feel more freedom to play with color, and I love this color too! I couldn’t agree more regarding how fast the kids grow…it’s crazy. Hope you have a great week! XOXO
Becky says
Cute stool, but the boys modeling it? SO FUN!!! 😆😁
Christy says
Ha ha..they were all about it!! XOXO
Debby says
Your post is so timely! I just painted a little stool I bought at a garage sale (also $5!) except mine is now black. It looks a little plain so I’ve been wondering what else I should do to it. Your idea of putting a stripe down the middle is perfect~can’t wait to do the same to mine! Thanks, as always, for the inspiration!
Christy says
Oh yay!! That is good timing…glad to help ha ha! Thanks, Debby! XOXO
Janice Holt says
First of all, what cute boys you have. I know you are proud of them. I love the little stool and also the cabinet you posted Tues. Getting ready for a yard sale Sat so haven’t gotten around to emailing you until now. Have a great week-end.
Christy says
Aww thank you, Janice! I am so very proud for sure! I hope your yard sale was a huge success! XOXO
Peggy says
What a find! Love the green! The stripe was SO unexpected! The added bonus was storage!!! Nice save, Christy! 💚🤍💚
Christy says
Thanks so much, Peggy! I don’t come across little stools too often, so it was a fun find for sure! XOXO
Petra says
Gorgeous green and love the foot models haha 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Christy says
Ha ha thank you, Petra! They work for cheap lol! Hope you have a great week! XOXO