Top

Confessions of a Serial Do-it-Yourselfer

Simple DIY tutorials and thrifty furniture and decor makeovers

Child’s Oak Desk Makeover

Welcome to Trash-to-Treasure Tuesday, beautiful friends! Today, I have a child’s oak desk makeover to share with you! My friends have makeovers of their own to share also, so be on the lookout for four more trashy makeovers at the bottom!

I found this oak desk at the thrift store for $5 about seven years ago. At the time, Jack needed something to house his gaming console and TV, and this fit the bill. Over the summer, we reorganized his room and were able to finally get this desk out of there. Then, a couple of weekends ago, I stopped by a yard sale in our neighborhood and found this chair that worked perfectly with it for $5 as well:

 

Not a bad set for $10, eh? But could we make it cute??

Let’s see!

I’ve included a few affiliate links so you can find the products I love.

Clean

Like most makeovers, I started this one with a thorough cleaning. Anything that lives in our garage for any length of time ends up disgusting and this desk was no exception:

Clean with White Lightning

To clean, I mix one TBSP of White Lightning cleaner into a tub filled with a half gallon of warm water. Once I’ve cleaned all over, I swap the water out for clean water and wipe down once more to rinse away any remaining dirt and residue. Gloves are recommended.

Boss

Usually when using chalk mineral paint, there is no need to sand prior or prime. However, with older pieces, the rules change a little. With older red woods like cherry and mahogany as well as old oak, you will save a lot of time and trouble if you prime first with BOSS stain blocker. Those older woods love to bleed through!

I gave just the desk a coat of white BOSS (also available in Clear and Gray) and let it sit overnight.

Paint

The next day I mixed up Tea Rose and Fluff 50/50:

Tea Rose and Fluff

I love Tea Rose, but I wanted to use the Hello Baby transfer and was going for the color in the floral at the top of that page of transfers, so I decided to lighten it up a bit.

The desk and the chair were painted in the Tea Rose/Fluff mix. As you can see, the chair did not need to be primed with BOSS first:

Adding a stripe

I do love adding some whimsy with stripes since it is so easy to do! I especially like the look for children’s pieces.

To add stripes, I used my favorite painting tape, FrogTape for delicate surfaces. (NOT the green one!! You want the yellow!)

Be sure to pull the tape off immediately after applying the final coat of paint, while it is still wet…

Frogtape for delicate surfaces

Perfect stripes every time!

See how I easily measure them out HERE!

Here’s a peek at the before of the top:

The soft stripes are so much better!

Once I had the stripes done, I lightly sanded all over with a sanding sponge:

These sanding sponges are super fine grit and perfect for smoothing out your chalk painted surface without distressing. If you prefer a more distressed look, opt for traditional 220 grit sandpaper instead.

I wanted a nice, clean look for this set.

Plan the Transfer layout

I was then ready to plan my transfer layout. I chose the Hello Baby transfer for this set. It is so cute and comes with several pieces you can play with!

I already used the bunny on this piece HERE and I used the lion on this sweet piece HERE.

For this piece, I wanted to use the sweet little bear. It took me a bit to decide on the layout, but then I laid the pieces out how I wanted…

I really wanted to make a matching set, so for that I needed another bear and ended up opening another Hello Baby transfer to get one. But then I got more flowers to play with too! I’ll eventually use the rest of the pieces on something.

I burnished all the pieces in place using the enclosed tool:

Seal

Once I had everything transferred, I sealed with Satin Clear Coat using the blue sponge applicator to apply it. I will likely go back over at least the top of the desk with Gator Hide for extra protection as I expect this to take some abuse. **NOTE: Do not use Gator Hide directly over transfers as the water repellent properties in Gator Hide can cause transfers to lift. If you need the tough protection that Gator Hide offers, apply a coat of Clear Coat first over your transfer.

The after

Let’s see it now!

I did turn out cute, no?

Child's Oak Desk Makeover

One thing I wasn’t too in love with were the rollers on the legs. However, when I removed them, the desk was too low for the chair, so they had to stay.

I added a little gold gilding wax to fancy them up a bit:

Gold gilding wax on wheels

That did help!

Gold gilding wax on wheels

 

Child's Oak Desk Makeover with Hello Baby Transfer

I used the bears on the top of the desk and the chair…

Child's Oak Desk Makeover with Hello Baby Transfer

 

Child's Oak Desk Makeover with Hello Baby Transfer

The butterflies I used came from the Papillon Collection transfer.

For the back of the chair, I used these sweet friends and another butterfly…

The butterflies came from the Papillon Collection transfer.

But the bear is my favorite!

The butterflies came from the Papillon Collection transfer.

The interior of the desk was painted to match, but I added another floral from this transfer in there…

Child's Oak Desk Makeover in Tea Rose with Hello Baby Transfer

I am really pleased with how well this Tea Rose/Fluff mix worked with this transfer!

I couldn’t imagine a happier ending for this pair!

Child's school desk makeover

Don’t forget to check out what my friends are making over today!

1. Salvaged Inspirations

2. Girl in the Garage

3. Artsy Chicks Rule

4. Prodigal Pieces

I love doing sets for littles! This one might be my favorite:

See what I did with it HERE!

I’ve been shopping and I think I’ve finally got enough for my next haul.

Now if only the rain holds out in the next couple of days so I can photograph it! I’m hoping to share what I found on Thursday!!

XOXO,

 

 

Don’t Miss a Thing!

If you like what you see, there are several ways to follow along!

EMAIL * INSTAGRAM * FACEBOOK * PINTEREST

DIY Project Gallery

Get FREE SHIPPING on all orders over $50. No code needed at checkout! Orders under $50 always enjoy $8 flat rate shipping! Most orders ship same or next business day!

 

 

Related Posts:

Pin194
Share
Tweet
194 Shares

Imagine

All the Possibilities

Let's make something beautiful today!

Comments

  3. Oh my, that set turned out amazing! I love the bear and matched with the butterflies and flowers it is so sweet! I love tea rose mixed with the white, great idea! It is such a soft beautiful color and not so bright mixed! I love how the set turned out! Some one with be so lucky to get this set for their child.

    Reply

  5. That child’s desk is one of the cutest things I’ve ever seen! I love your work with transfers. The child’s table with the whale stencil was nearly as wonderful, but that desk… Thanks for sharing your work – I really enjoy your emails!

    Reply

  7. This desk and chair could not have turned out any prettier. The child that gets it will be so lucky. Another great job as usual.

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Diana! I’m glad the casters don’t detract from the finished look. Larissa’s link is fixed…thanks for the head’s up! XOXO

      Reply

  12. This set is absolutely adorable now! I know my 5 year old daughter would love it. I’m sure it will sell super quick. Thanks for what you share with us!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much, Amanda! I have boys, but if I had girls, I think I would be in so much trouble lol! Thanks for following along with me! XOXO

      Reply

  17. Oh my gosh, this little desk and chair were too cute for words. If I lived near you and had a small daughter I would rush to your store and purchase this set.

    Reply

  20. Adorable set for a lucky little kid, Christy! I love the tell-tale signs of vintage: the pencil slot and, yes, the casters. They’re pretty fancy now, so we’re both happy 😁

    Reply

  21. Hi Christy,

    This child’s desk and chair is such a cute makeover! I was wondering if one would want to add a coat of Gator Hide to the chair seat so the transfer wouldn’t eventually get rubbed off , or do you think the Clear Coat adds enough protection for that? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Thank you, Kathy! I gave it two coats, so that should be enough, but it probably wouldn’t hurt to add a coat of Gator Hide since I plan to add it to the top too! XOXO

      Reply

  24. It turned out adorably – I love the bear against the striped background.
    I use the slide on table / chair leg tips when I need to add a little extra height, and they are easy to paint to blend in with the furniture piece. They come in different sizes and shapes so I can usually find a set that works.

    Reply

    • Thank you, Mary! What are these slide on leg tips you speak of? I must know more lol! I’m going to look them up…thank you!! XOXO

      Reply

  27. OMG! Soooo sweet! Very reminiscent of 1960s cribs and furniture, but with a definite elegance for a little girl! Well done! 🐻🐰🦊

    Reply

  29. Oh Christy, this is sooo precious and just gosh darn cute! Thank you for sharing your great ideas with us! I always look forward to seeing what you have created next.

    Reply

    • Thank you, Marietta! Me tooooo! Jack just turned 21, so I guess I shouldn’t wish that on him just yet ha ha, but I can’t wait! XOXO

      Reply

  33. So charming!! That little bear just makes it hard to not smile. I like the soft pink color -the whole thing is very whimsical.

    Reply

  36. I love the paint color you created by mixing the two and the placement of transfers is adorable! Good work, love the final product. It will sell fast.

    Reply

  38. I have found a mid century one piece child size desk and chair. It needs a little work. Probably paint. The little girl I got it for has her bedroom all done in Winnie the Pooh. I’m no artist, but I want to try to paint Pooh on the desk top and some of his pals on the chair. The desk top and chair are the mid century blond although the desktop has damage to the finish. What color would you use as a base? I haven’t seen any Pooh transfers like the ones you use, only stickers. Are they the same thing?
    I’d really appreciate your input, since you always have the best ideas.

    Reply

Trackbacks

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Subscribe

Get two new makeovers delivered each week!

Get 30 

Thrifty Makeovers

in 30 Days!

Each day for 30 days, I'll pop into your inbox with a thrifty before and after!

You're sure to be inspired!

194 Shares
Pin194
Share
Tweet