“I did a thing!”
My DIY painted and stencilled IKEA shoe lockers
We’ve had a busy few weeks and I have not stayed on top of this blog!
It’s been busy in the best of ways. I finished painting the shoe lockers in our entrance hall, and they look great! I applied to a few different online English schools and platforms and so far, I’ve been approved on Cambly! We had our first visitors and it was so lovely. I can’t wait to host again! We did up our patio and I am so pleased with the outcome. I just want to fill up all the empty space with flowers now, and it’s taking a lot to restrain myself! And a few more bits. It’s been busy, but it’s been productive and enjoyable.
More about the shoe lockers:
I used water-based acrylic paint for the base colour and chalk paint for the stencilling. It was HARD WORK, and if you try to stencil on furniture, please give yourself a break and don’t expect perfection! You’ll be at it for days if you try to correct all the bleeds and smudges.
The shoe lockers were IKEA’s finest, finished in white laminate. This material is NOT easy to paint. If you try to apply the paint directly onto the laminate finish without any tricks, it will scratch off at the slightest touch.
After watching many DIY Youtube videos, I settled on the following recipe:
Clean the surface to remove any oils left behind from handling the furniture.
Scratch the laminate with sandpaper (nothing too coarse, we don’t want to reveal the plywood).
Wipe away the dust and apply two layers of primer.
After the recommended drying time, apply your base colour.
I had to apply four layers of my acrylic base colour to get an even finish.
I also sanded in between some layers to smooth out the texture from the sponge roller.
Secure the stencil in place using painter’s tape, and with very little chalk paint on a domed brush, apply the first coat using a swivelling motion. Consecutive coats can be applied using a stippling motion.
Less is more when it comes to stencilling on paint!! Use very little paint and apply as many coats as needed to achieve the desired look. I’m repeating this because it’s very important. It will reduce the amount of bleeding under the stencil.
Clean the stencil before moving it along the furniture to help prevent bleeding and smudging.
Using a damp brush seemed to make the chalk paint easier to apply. - I assume because it keeps the paint wet a little longer.
I thought painting outside in the sun would be a great idea (and it was for the acrylic base colour), but it was terrible for the chalk paint. It dried even faster and crumbled, leaving paint dust all over my work.
Finish with a layer of varnish. (I chose a satin finish.)
You need to move quickly when applying varnish because it dries fast and is noticeable when uneven. The advice in the videos was to work in sections.
I have not figured out how to apply varnish properly; unfortunately, it is evident in my work. But whatever! I still think the shoe lockers turned out lovely and I can’t believe I painted them myself. “I did a thing!”
This week, I’m getting ready to start teaching English on Cambly! I’ll let you know how that goes.
Wish me luck!
