Upgrading Our Dining Room Table and Old Dressers

Ok, so if you want to think of someone who is not crafty you can think of ME. I NEVER pictured myself doing something like this! But... I did :) I married a wonderful, frugal man and I figured out rather quickly that if I wanted my furniture to look better or different that I was going to have to get creative in how to do that on a tight budget. 

First came my table. My husband had bought a solid oak table before we even met. It is a nice table. The wear and tear though from all the company and kids was bad. It was just getting flat out ugly. (see pic below)

Sorry for the blurry picture. It's hard for me to get pictures not blurry through my instagram account. But you get the idea, the table was worn out!

First I unscrewed the legs and my sister helped me get the top propped up out in my carport and I borrowed her hand sander and went to town! I used ebony wood stain to stain the table after I was done sanding and did about 3 coats. I wanted it super dark and it was super dark and BEAUTIFUL. After that dried for a day or two I put on 

Polycrylic Water-Based Protective Clear Finish to make it super shiny and EASY TO CLEAN. I used a couple high quality paint brushes for the stain and just plain old foam brushes for the clear finish. I probably did about 4 coats of the clear finish. Like I said, I wanted it shiny :)

The table today! It is holding up wonderfully! Doesn't even look like the same one!

As that was drying I started on the legs. I did NOT want to sand the legs so I used chalk paint. Chalk paint is a lazy person's best friend. I made my own (WAY TOO MUCH MONEY THE OTHER WAY).Homemade chalkpaint recipe: Mix 1/3 cup of plaster of Paris and 1/3 cup of cool water; stir until completely smooth. Mix that with 1 cup of latex paint and stir thoroughly. This will make enough chalk-finish paint for one coat on a six-drawer dresser. Chalk-finish paint should not be stored and reused. I used foam brushes for this too and did probably four coats. After that I waxed them with cheap wax. This stuff stinks people! So make sure you are in a well-ventilated area and don't plan on bringing your masterpieces inside for at least a couple of days :) 


Next, THE DRESSERS!!!

Let's just say in the picture below that the one on top is dresser number 1, the one to the left and below (with black and white table cloth on top) is dresser number 2 and the last one is dresser number 3. 

Dressers are great for multipurpose function! We use ours out in our living room/dining areas to hold our homeschool supplies and paper products and we use the tops as buffets for when we have company!

Dresser number 1: This was my grandmothers dresser and it was pretty ugly :) I got some of my stepmom's old paint, bright turquoise as you can see, and made homemade chalk paint out of it! (recipe above). That's it. Super easy. Did about two coats and then put some of the same protective clear finish on top that I did on my table. It is holding up really well! It got some scratches on it on the move over (my parents live in CA) but I just touched up with some of the same paint (not chalk paint, just straight from the can). I used foam brushes for this. 

Dresser number 2: This was more than likely my GREAT grandmother's dresser! I did the same to it as dresser number one, homemade chalk paint but in a different color. It is also holding up really well! The top was pretty messed up so it almost always has this table cloth on it (one I got for a wedding gift 10 years ago!) So far these two dressers have cost me $0!!! That's the way to do it people! :)

Dresser number 3: This was in the house we are living in when we got here. It had some real wood and some of that fake wood. I knew sanding wasn't an option. At this point I hadn't heard much about chalk painting (this was actually the first dresser I did) and so I was looking into other options to paint it without having it scratch off easily/peal without sanding. I found this: Cover Stain Primer. It worked very well! I put on two coats and then took my sister's left over paint that she used to paint her laundry room with. I used foam brushes again (my favorite obviously). There were some knobs missing so I went to IKEA and got a bag of 10 of them for $5 to match as closely as possible! I also spray painted the other knobs/handles with a glossy black spray paint and put them back together. For the top I used some lovely Java Gel Stain. I love this stuff! Hate sanding?! This is your thing right here! I applied three coats to the top of the dresser with socks! That is the best way to do it. A little bit goes a long way!

Let me tell you all a little secret. There are a million other people out there that know a million times more than me about this stuff :) This lady is the one I learned a lot from! I love her youtube channel!

Now for one last fun LITTLE project that I did spur of the moment. My oldest daughter had a painting up in her room that no one really cared for that was like $10 at a garage sale from years ago. I loved the frame but the picture itself was lame. So I decided to paint it with homemade chalk paint (the same turquoise I had borrowed from my sister for my dining table chairs) and painted the frame with that. Next I painted the painting itself with chalkboard paint! I have made lots of little and big chalkboards since then! Again, one can goes a long way and use foam brushes.

Let me know if you have any questions! It was so much fun doing all of this and spending so little money to transform so many pieces of furniture! 

First picture is all the things I used to refinish my table, chairs and dressers! (minus the paint...lots of different types and colors there and mine were all free!). Each of these containers are 1/2 to 3/4 full still and can be used for any future projects! The second picture is the old picture I painted and put chalkboard paint on from my daughter's room. We decided to hang it up on our fireplace.

Cutting Costs While Practicing Hospitality

A reader recently wrote me and asked: Could you blog about any cost cutting tips you have in regards to hospitality?

First let me start by saying that hospitality is not a gift, it is a command if you are a Christian. "Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.…" (1 Peter 4:8-10)

Notice the commands surrounding the part about being hospitable: keep fervent love for one another and serve one another with the gifts you have been given. Those are not things for us to choose to do, we are called to do them as Christian women and that is also the case with being hospitable. Some people may be better at it than you but you are just as called to invite others into your home as those who are "better at it".

For further encouragement on hospitality be sure to check out my husband's sermon!

Keep in mind since hospitality is something God commands then surely He is acquainted with the fact that it costs money, it is not a surprise to Him :) 

Let me  put in a plug (again) for DEBT FREE LIVING! Pursue it with all your might! Debt free living makes GIVING so much easier and more enjoyable. Hospitality really is just another form of giving, not just of your home, but also of your time and finances. Make this form of giving more within your reach by denying other things you want to buy.

If you are a budgeting family (which I recommend) check out Dave Ramsey budgeting stuff here. Once you have a budget then you will definitely want to incorporate hospitality into it. 

Scott and I have always loved to have people over. It really is our only hobby. We don't hike, or camp or go shopping. I don't sew or knit or ride a bike. He doesn't work on cars or build things... although he is getting into writing! 

Before moving to WA we had spent the first 5 years of marriage in CA. At one point we were hosting THREE HOME FELLOWSHIPS A WEEK! One was the youth group, the other was a young adults group and then on Sunday evening we hosted another adult home fellowship. I only had 1-3 kids in those five years and it was much more manageable. On top of that I would host random mommy-kiddo play dates and host family and friends for overnight visits.

Let's look at the possible expenses with hosting: 

• Water (toilet, washing extra dishes, sprinkler for summertime play dates :) 
• Electricity 
• Food
• Drinks
• Paper products
• Little gifts (tea parties, birthday parties, special guests)
• Basket of extra necessities (shampoo, toothpaste, deodorant etc.)
• Extra toilet paper! :) 

That's a short list that comes to my mind quickly when thinking of practicing hospitality.

Here are some cost cutting hospitality ideas: 

1. Potlucks! Talk about cutting your costs! I am not ashamed to host people and have potlucks! ;) If you are providing the space then there is nothing wrong with everyone pitching in for the most time laboring and expensive part: THE FOOD! We have a potluck every week at our house now for our Wednesday night home fellowship and it's a big hit! 

2. Tea Parties. I look for clearance prices on teas when at the grocery store. Don't ever buy tea full price! Second I like to look for economical choices on what to make. Like shortbread! and fruit that is on sale at the time. If your kids are like mine, tea ain't really their thang so we usually do hot cocoa parties. I get a big tub of it since it's much cheaper per ounce than the packets and then I just mix the cocoa together in the tea pot and put the tea pot on the table. We do tea parties randomly and have even used it as a witnessing tool inviting one of our little unsaved neighbor girls over to share Christ with her through books and coloring and talking. Makes me want to do one this week!

3. Birthday Parties. Birthday parties can be VERY pricey if you aren't careful and intentional. First, let me tell you that I don't do "take home bags". I hate when my kids get a bag full of junk for me to throw away and pick up around the house. Second, we often just do cake and ice cream and invite families to come over at 7. Who says you have to do some big meal? I must say though that since our kids have gotten older and since we have no debt, that we are willing to be a bit more extravagant in our birthday parties. 

4. Having people over for dessert (instead of dinner). This has been a major game changer for me. Having five littles and making a big meal is A LOT OF WORK. Forget about the money! It takes a lot of time and patience to make a meal for two families with little people pulling on your legs. So now Scott and I invite people over at 7 for dessert and fellowship. I often just make "cake cookies"! The easiest, cheapest and yet yummy option! I just got a bunch of boxes of Betty Crocker cake mix for $1.50 each! ******Recipe: One box of cake mix (anyone you choose), 2 eggs and 1/4 to 1/3 cup oil. Bake at 350 until they crack on top (around 10 min.). Let sit on pan for at least 5 min. and transfer to cooling rack. Once cooled we like to frost them.******* I also stock up on frosting when they are on sale/clearance. Or get a big bag of powdered sugar to make your own frosting. Lastly, we like to buy sprinkles at the dollar store or again, when they are on clearance. I always have a big stock pile of these items! Plus the kids love decorating them and Rhea can make them by herself since they are so easy! Another great option to have along side these cookies is popcorn. Could it get any cheaper than popcorn?! My husband prefers the airpopper and I prefer stove top. I put enough oil (coconut is yummy or just good ole canola oil) on the bottom of a big pan to cover the bottom. Then I put in kernels (much cheaper than bagged popcorn you put in the microwave). I put in enough kernels to cover the bottom as well (better too little than too much because too much leads to burning). Then you shake the pan vigorously until almost all the kernels are done popping. If you want kettle corn you can stir in sugar together with oil and kernels before popping. When finished salt it and eat up! Always a big, yummy, cheap hit! ( I also do garlic salt sometimes!)

5. Look for frugal and creative ways to furnish a home that is guest friendly/ideal for hospitality. Craigslist and yardsales people! So I am sitting in our living room and dining room (which are really one big room) right now looking around at our house. We have 3 sofas, one sectional, two recliners, three dressers (that I use for storing homeschooling stuff and paper products and use as buffets when we have company) and two dining room tables (we also have some card tables folded up and metal chairs for extra seating that we got for free). One of the tables was my husband's when we got married (I completely changed it! It was a plain oak table and I sanded it down, stained the top black and chalk painted the legs. I will have to do a tutorial on that too!) and the other table was purchased off of craigslist for $250 with all six chairs ( a huge table by the way). The table my husband had when got married came with six chairs. We now have four left (hey! 12 years and lots of kids=lots of abuse). I chalk painted them and use them as extra chairs. The other chairs we now use at the table were given to us for free. I spray painted them as well and covered the cloth on the chairs with this (not this pattern) kid friendly oil cloth (which is cheaper through Michael's by the way). Lastly, for the dining room table, I have a bench that seats three children that I got for $20 with a store credit at a local consignment shop. Two of our sofas were also my husband's when we got married. One of the recliners was given to us and one was 50% off a few years ago at Fred Meyers (promise me you will NEVER buy something full price :) The last piece in the living room, the sectional, was a splurge. I had researched craigslist and yard sales for weeks and was finding that $800-$1000 was normal for USED sectionals! I couldn't believe it. We ended up getting one off of amazon brand new for $500 with free shipping. Given that it feels like IKEA furniture but we are still happy with it. Lastly, the dressers! I Love my dressers! I got them all for free! Two were in my dad's storage shed (looking tore up!) and the other was in the house when we moved in. I will be doing a post on how I got these babies fixed up soon!

6. Paper products and toilet paper. I'll admit it. We do plastic cups... maybe that will change some day, but for now we put a sharpie out by the cups and call it good. Our home fellowship can have around 40 people on a Wednesday night and I just don't want to wash that many cups! I buy ours at Costco. Also, like I mentioned earlier, this is a splurge we feel comfortable making since we have no debt. For all other paper products (napkins, paper plates, plastic forks and toilet paper) I do "subscribe and save" through amazon.

I think that's it for now! Let me know if you have any ideas to contribute or any other questions!

Happy Hosting!

Pictures below of our house. Sorry they are so blurry! Follow me on Instagram to see better pics :) 

Part of our living room with our sectional. 

One of our tables for Christmas dinner.

Two of our dining room tables and the round table is one we borrowed from our church. The round table has the chalk painted chairs around it! 

My dressers! I use two to put food on when company is over and one of them for the drinks.

Why We Don't Live Within Our Means

We don't live within our means. Let me explain. We could be spending a lot more money than we do. Our means, the amount in our savings, says: "go ahead and live a little" but in my husband's wisdom he admonishes us as a family to save more rather than spend more. Future generations will reap what we sow.  

We have plenty of money in savings because we:

1. Don't go out to eat more than once a month and we pretty much never go out to coffee.
2. Plan very few trips. In fact, we hardly leave our house. I had been looking for a particular sippy cup for weeks. I went out to the van and saw it was there! Guess it had been a while since we had gone anywhere :) Going places usually means spending money even if it's only on gas. I must admit that we have more freedom in this because we live downtown, next to our church and next to family. 
3. Rarely buy new clothing.
4.Only get one nice gift for the kids on their birthday. (What a waste so many toys can be!)
5.Paid off our mortgage! Talk about making it easier to save money! 
6.We really try not to waste food.... or anything for that matter.

Here is a link with more of our tips on saving!

You see, just because you have the money to go on more trips, buy more toys, go out to dinner often, purchase new clothes etc. doesn't mean you have to. Don't spend money just because you have it. Buy what you NEED not what you WANT and then later in life you can buy what you want not just what you need without the guilt!

Too many are living outside of their means in the other direction. They spend money they don't have and wonder why they are constantly struggling financially. I have also seen people get out of debt and then think that gives them the liberty to spend their money anyway they please only to find themselves in debt again or living paycheck to paycheck.

My husband recently is fulfilling one of his dreams to publish a book! We are all very excited and it has been such a joy to be able to invest in this dream of his without having to worry about the money we are putting into it because we have plenty saved up. Another huge benefit of living like this is we are better able to give! We can give liberally without worrying.

Please don't think we have plenty in savings because we make lots of money :) We have been single income our whole marriage and my husband went from being a public school teacher to a pastor... neither career is known for it's high income :) 

Not sure how to live within a budget?! Dave Ramsey can help! Click here. 

Lastly, every human should watch this. It cracks me up and it's so true! :) 

So save up your money and then save more!