Craft Desk Before and After

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I found this desk at a garage sale for $15.00. The wood does not match the woods in my bedroom so I painted it. This paint job was impossible to photograph and get a true color or show all the detail. You cannot tell in the photo but the right edge was totally smashed off. We filled it with wood putty and shaped it to make the right edge on front. I then painted it with a medium brown paint that I had. I then brushed on Elmer's glue- the school glue- with a foam brush. Let it sit about 10 minutes then paint on the top coat. I used a taupy yellow color. As it dries it will crackle and show the color underneath. I then sanded areas to reveal more paint. Then I applied a gel glaze letting it fill in all the grooves and wiping across the whole surface. Click on photos to enlarge and show more detail.

Look on Mother in Laws face when I told her I (caugh, caugh) PAINTED the desk... priceless! She thinks I ruined it. She thinks all the antiqued furniture is trash. She likes shiny furniture like the desk was.