Happy Monday friends! My sister and I took a last minute flight to Prince Edward Island so as you read this, I’m walking a red sandy beach or more likely, stuffing my face with clam chowder, lobster, and mussels. Whenever I visit the Maritimes, the fresh seafood is always a treat!
That said, I couldn’t miss our weekly dose of inspiration, so I put together another “build your confidence” project.
And since our last post was all about eliminating brush strokes, I picked one of the most challenging ‘little’ pieces to work on – the dreaded spindle chair!
THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS TO PRODUCTS I USE. YOU CAN SEE MY FULL DISCLOSURE HERE.
This chair is restyled in leftover Annie Sloan Old White and I used a pneumatic upholstery gun to adhere new fabric along with extra padding. The finish was slightly distressed on the edges and then sealed with Annie Sloan’s Clear Wax.
Tip ~ For a super smooth finish on spindles, brush the circumference instead of brushing up and down. Apply a few coats of paint and then lightly sand for a brush stroke free finish.
As I was painting this chair I was thinking about ALL the other chairs I have in my inventory – and how nice it would be to use them in a way where I could GIVE BACK and make a difference.
Aside from painting, my passion is animals, so I came up with an idea to restyle chairs for charity with 100% of the proceeds going to worthy animal foundations and non-profit rescues. As a perfect example, my sweet Gidgy girl came from a wonderful rescue in West Virginia and made it all the way up here to Toronto. These types of rescue organizations are always in need of financial aid.
But here’s the thing…and feel free to let me know if you can relate…
Have you ever thought of a great idea and then just as quickly started dissecting what was wrong with it?
I started asking myself…
Who am I to think I can make a difference?
What if it’s such a small drop in the bucket it doesn’t make any difference?
What if my animal passion doesn’t resonate with others?
And on and on and on…
While sharing these thoughts with my sister, she helped remind me that EVERY SMALL amount CAN make a difference!
And as only a sister and best friend would do, she’s encouraging me by becoming the FIRST contributor to the Salvaged Inspirations Chairs for Charity drive. She’s purchasing this chair for $100 (I’m going to match this first donation) and we’re sending the proceeds to the Ladybird Animal Sanctuary.
HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT OF A GREAT IDEA AND THEN JUST AS QUICKLY STARTED QUESTIONING YOURSELF? FEEL FREE TO CHIME IN… I ALWAYS LOVE HEARING FROM YOU.
Happy painting my friends!
Denise x
RELATED POSTS::
Meet Gidget – My BEST Rescue Story
How To Paint Furniture WITHOUT Brush Marks
How To Paint Laminate WITHOUT Sanding
Blending & Layering Furniture Painting Techniques
How To Strip Off Furniture Paint
PIN AND SHARE!
Hello again... I'm so happy you dropped by! Let's keep in touch! Follow me on social media or sign up for a dose of furniture painting inspiration and diy tutorials. :) 
Hello, dear Denise!
I am your subscriber and like to read your blog and to know what you are working on.
And i feel i can ask you some advices regarding my own furniture project i started to work recently – a kitchen cabinets pine doors. I am not sure what exactl i want and need some discussion.
Please tell me what i have to do – to take pictures and send you? To inform what i have already done or something else?
Sorry for my English as it is not my native language.
Hi Lydia! Pine can be tricky because of bleedthrough. And because they are kitchen cabinets (high, high traffic!) I would suggest sanding, then priming with a stain blocking primer like BIN, and then painting. My inbox is always on overflow but if you don’t mind waiting a few days for a response, feel free to email me. 🙂
I recently closed a little booth at a local antique mall that I was doing great at (largely thanks to you!) but I need to focus my energy in another direction. While packing up on my last day to take leftovers to a thrift store, I found out one of the booths in the mall gives 100% of the proceeds to a local animal shelter. All I had to do was scratch out my initials, add hers, and move my extra stuff to her booth. I regret that I didn’t know about it sooner but there is still plenty of stuff here to paint. I am pleased to have such a great outlet to “pay it forward”.
Keep up the great work!
That is amazing and heartwarming Suzanne! I’ll bet the owner of the booth (not to mention all the furry friends that will benefit) was very appreciative. I’m wishing you a ton of success in whatever new direction you’re taking. 🙂
Great tip on painting the spindles Denise! I’ll have to give it a try. And I was going to ask if this chair was still available. I have the perfect nook for it and I love the cause. Great idea. 🙂
Hi Nicki! Ya, give it a try. It works much better for me so I’d be curious to hear how it works for you. And thanks for inquiring about the chair. 🙂
Awesome idea! Your work is beautiful!
Thank you Julie. 🙂
Hi Denise,
I think you have a great idea. Charity is always important. I found out how good it made me feel to donate one of my homemade toboggan key/shelf units to a charity silent auction last year hosted by my curling club. The money went to our local walk-in clinic, which is vital in our very small community.. Love your blog, keep those great ideas coming!
The local walk-in-clinc initiative sounds wonderful Dianne… and a homemade toboggan sounds SO interesting! And I agree, giving back is important and I feel it’s better to give than to receive… it gives a warm feeling and makes you feel ‘part’ of something worthwhile. 🙂
It’s not a crazy idea at all, it’s a wonderful idea. I have twice done pieces that I’ve donated for silent auctions for rescue organizations near me. I was worried they wouldn’t sell for much or worse, nobody would bid on them at all! But they did go and every little bit does help. It is a great feeling to help out, especially when it’s when you can combine it with what we already love doing. So good for you! Hope you had a good trip!
That’s fabulous and very encouraging, Allison! And thanks, I’m still here in PEI but fly home in the morning. 🙂
Denise,
You are my favorite Instructor for my furniture make-overs! You speak to us all like your standing right in frint of us and your a friend! You are always my first ‘go-to’ when I need guidance. Gidget is darling.
Thank you, for all these great ideas, your instructions are so clear.. Before closing, I want to say I quote
you when working on new projects “it gets ugly before it looks good” . . . .
Carli, you just made my night! Thank YOU! I’m so glad you find the tutorials helpful… along with the quote!:) 😉 🙂
We had a Chairs for Charity event in British Columbia for about 4 years starting in 2011. I am proud to say I was apart of the event and donated a refurbished chair each year with proceeds going to the local Christmas bureau.
Hi Kristy, that chair you restyled for the auction is AMAZING!!! I had NO idea this was a thing out in BC but how wonderful. If it ran for 4 years running, it must have made a real impact!
Hi, I think the Chairs for Charity is a great idea, It could really catch on and you could do it online so there would not be costs for venue or food. Also you could involve all the people who paint for fun, You should go for it.. Are you in San Diego? I just found Debi’s DIY store in Solana Beach last week. I walked up and the first thing I saw was a piece labeled painted by Jamie Rae Vintage, who I follow on You Tube also. Unfortunately Debi was not there but I plan on doing a project at the store and taking some of her classes.
Thanks Karen, those are all great ideas! And how exciting! My friend Josi was a retailer for DIY Paints and she always had so much fun at the boot camp/classes etc. I’m not surprised though. Debi seems like a lot of fun.
What a wonderful idea! And such a beautiful chair!
I’ve been painting spindles that way and never knew it was the best 🤣🤣 Going to check out Ladybird Animal Sanctuary!
Great minds Susan… ;)… I’ve tried painting them up and down numerous times and it never works out quite as nice for me. And thanks for the kindness. x
Love this. Please come and join my FB group “Paint it Forward” We inspire other artists to give back one drop at a time!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/paintitforwardbc/
I would love you to share this blog there Denise.
Julie xo
Will do Julie! I’ll check it out when I get back. Thanks so much!!! 🙂
What a great idea, Denise and any animal lover would be totally onboard with this! Have a great time in PEI 🙂 I’m so jealous, visiting the Maritimes is on my bucket list. Embarrassed to say that this Canadian girl has never been.
Thanks Marie! I know there are so many animals lovers out there so I hope it will create some interest. 🙂 Just today, Andrea and I spend time at Island Hill Farm on the island and had the chance to play with baby goats. Oh-My-Goshhhh stink’n CUTE! And as for visiting the Maritimes, Andrea and I have been down east many times and we keep coming back. It’s so picturesque and the people here are so warm, generous and friendly. If you ever get the chance, I highly recommend visiting.
What a great idea Denise! What if you invited other furniture painters to jump on board and also paint chairs for charity? Maybe host a chairs for charity blog hop? Your small drop in the bucket could become a much bigger drop!
This is a BRILLIANT idea Linda… LOVE it!!!!
Hi Denise. What a sweet little chair. SO CUTE. I never knew that I should paint spindles side to side rather than up and down. BRILLIANT! And I LOVE the idea of helping a charity. I must admit that animals are my passion as well. I myself have 2 rescued cats, a rescued dog, and a very large cockatoo whose original owner passed away. I’ve never heard of Ladybird Animal Sanctuary and am looking forward to learning more about this charity. Wonderful idea Denise!
We’re kindred spirits Monique! 🙂 So wonderful that your fur babies are rescues… and your cockatoo too!!! I would love to rescue more animals. I’ve also been thinking of fostering dogs but I’m not exactly sure how that works. I’ll have to look into it. Have a beautiful day my friend. 🙂
You just contact the rescue of your choice/area about how you can become a foster. But there are some shady rescues out there, so please be aware! I as well sold painted furniture and sent the proceeds to a rescue in the south. I always painted spindles horizontally but I dread chairs…and I currently have a dining set waiting in the garage, lol!
I love that Marion 🙂 and ya, I think chairs are not a favorite of many furniture painters. I have a good few dining sets waiting too! And regarding fostering, I’m a little hesitant to foster because I’m afraid I’ll get too attached and end up with a houseful of pets..lol.. and I’m only half joking!