You are in for a sweet treat today! Not only are you going to see the makeover of this adorable girls vanity table set. But, also see how my oldest girl works her DIY style. Are you ready for some fun? I am!
Amazingly enough, I now have two teen drivers in my home. {{gasp!!}} I am not that old(ish), am I? Sigh… Well, in order for said teens to have wheels, they need money. And, in my mama-lovin’ way, I do what I can to help my kids earn the money they need. My daughter, Miss C, has reworked plenty of furniture in her time (SEE HERE). She is hoping for a project piece to sell to raise said funds.
I hopped online and found this cute girls vanity table set. Thankfully, we both agree it is perfect for her endeavor. It’s not in too bad of shape. However, there is broken and missing parts, and wear.
PROS & CONS
There are definite pros: (1) it’s mostly hardwood (2) hardware is present (3) offers oodles of storage (4) is a complete set.
Likewise, there are definite cons: (1) broken mirror harp (2) missing mirror harp & hardware (3) damage to the top (4) stains on the upholstery.
However, in this instance, the pros definitely outweigh the cons. They’re all easily replaceable or fixable. It’s time for her to start her DIY fun.
DIY FUN
First, Miss C needed to remove the surface finish. It is not only worn, but also has mottling. In addition, there is some staining that she will have to deal with too. She uses my sander to take it down to the wood veneer.
Thankfully, the rest of the set is in good enough shape that she only needs lightly sand to give it tooth.
Then, she takes off the bench top to get it ready for…you guessed it…paint. Woot!
PAINTING FUN
Why paint? Well, with the staining on the top, Miss C has to use a stain blocker to seal it in. Plus, as a DIYer’s prerogative, she wanted to give this a fresh new look. Her only point of contention is the drawers and storage are all lined with a hunter green velour that is in great shape. As a result, that led us to choose a neutral white that highlights the hardware and is a complimentary color to the green.
First, Miss C wipes the vanity down with a vinegar/water mixture (1:2 ratio) to remove and residue. Then, she applies the paint.
Additionally, Miss C couldn’t remove the hardware because she didn’t have access to it from behind.
MAKING NEW
Meanwhile, it’s time to make a new mirror harp. If you didn’t notice in the “before” picture, one of the mirror harps is missing. Unfortunately, the existing one is also cracked. That’s not surprising because it wasn’t made out of solid wood.
Stash to the rescue! I pull out hardwood from our stock of wood and JC planed it to the right thickness with my planer.
After that, he cut out two matching pieces using the old harp as a template. Then, all he needs is to drill holes and sand them smooth.
REVEAL TIME
Last, with all Miss C’s hard work and help from a couple of awesome parents (ahem), this girl’s vanity table is now looking brand new.
Isn’t it fun? We had a blast staging this with all those butterflies. Coincidentally, the last vanity table my oldest son worked on was a girl’s set and he also chose lavender with stenciled butterflies. ‘Cause not all girls want pink. tee hee.
In addition to the new look, the best part by far is all the awesome storage. First, on the outside is the necklace holder. Then, the bottom three drawers are faux to hide a large compartment. Next, the top three drawers have sections for hair accessories, jewelry, and even a ring holder.
Last, but not least, the desk portion has a spot for a journal or other fun accessories that a girl may have. This is definitely something I would have loved to have growing up.
Finally, don’t forget the awesome new mirror harp with hardware we purchased. As a loving mother, I am so smitten with Miss C’s work on this. She gave it her all and it shows. Also, you can now find this set available in my shop.
SHARE
Also, pin and share this girls vanity table set. We aim to inspire other teens and parents to work together. With that in mind, there is a valuable lesson in DIY projects. We just need to take the time.
To get these DIY tips & tricks in your inbox, be sure to sign up for my newsletter. Until next time!
Up next, this ginormous rocking horse is going to get a fresh new look too. See the new look HERE.
Lori Sawyer says
She did an awesome job!! My son just bought his first car yesterday . He’s been saving since summer!!
Larissa says
How exciting! It is so wonderful to see them earn and save. My oldest son also bought his own first car. He had an older one, but saved to get a newer, upgraded one. Happy mama moment! 😀
joann Collins says
This was fun to watch, she did a great job so pretty. I would use them on my two antique rockers I’m refinishing
Larissa says
Thank you! I agree. 😉 Watching her go makes it so fun for me.
Lynne says
Miss C did an awesome job! It is adorable!
Larissa says
She says, “Thanks!!” and me too. 🙂
Amy Mercier says
She gets it from her momma
Larissa says
It just makes me so happy to see her enjoying it. All my kids do, we just need more room. haha.
Amy Mercier says
I tried to enter the giveaway options but they each say aww shuck, so it’s not working unless it’s me.
Larissa says
Hmmm…is it on mobile or another device? I’m happy to help. Feel free to email me and I can add you.
Deirdre Breau says
What a great job Miss C did! I love to see kids take pride in their accomplishments and also agree that they should play an active role in earning money for the non-essentials.
P.S. The Zibra link is not working. It will not register my visit to their FB page.
Larissa says
Thanks! Yes, they need to learn survival skills early on and this is a huge one. 🙂 I’ve answered about the links in my other comment. Hopefully it’s up and running soon.
Deirdre Breau says
Actually none of the links are working in the contest block.
Larissa says
Just checked with Rafflecopter and they are experiencing technical issues. Feel free to pop back over and check as you have until Friday to enter. My apologies for the fuss.
Cassie says
Wow! She did an amazing job!!!!
Larissa says
Thank you from the two of us, Cassie! 😀
Pam Bolton says
Your daughter made a silk purse out of a how’s ear. You taught her well.
Larissa says
What sweet words for her to hear, Pam. Thank you!
Colette Bailes says
Can’t wait to try these brushes on Christmas projects!
Larissa says
Hooray! I hope you like my daughter’s work too. 😉
Cheryl Atkinson says
Way to go Ms. C!! This is the cutest vanity/jewelry holder/desk that i have ever seen. I have never seen one like this and white is the perfect color. I just know you will sell it fast and put it towards your car fund. I wish i had DIY parents growing up. I just love a DIY family.
Larissa says
Thank you, Miss Cheryl. I had fun working on it and so appreciate my parent’s help.
Cheryl Atkinson says
Larissa, for some reason i am not receiving the points when i click on the box.
Larissa says
Rafflecopter is having technical issues, but you do have until Friday to enter. I’ll update as I can.
Meg Foster says
I love the storage in this vanity! I want to get into furniture paining/upcycling and have been reading your blog to give me enough knowledge base (and confidence) to just go for it! Are there any specific pieces of furniture and paint you would suggest for someone who wants to try their first piece?
As for the brush set giveaway, the first thing I would paint would be the first piece furniture I buy needing love. I imagine it would be something small, like an end table or the likes of that.
Larissa says
Right?! What I wouldn’t have done to have something like this growing up. So much easier than boxes all over the place. For beginners, I would just pick something small like a side table to start, and then work up from there. Just make sure it’s solid wood. Feel free to use my SEARCH or project gallery for tips and ideas.
Susie Wilcox says
She did a great job! That vanity will sell quickly. How fun for some girl to find under the Christmas tree! Proud mama moment for sure.
As I redo furniture myself, I would love to try out the Zibra brushes.
Larissa says
Yay! So fun for her (and me) to hear. I have a blast watching them grow and go for goals. Thank you, Susie.
Jane Clelland says
So cute. Love all the storage.
Larissa says
The storage rocks! 😀 haha. I love all the spots to put things and it doesn’t take up much space. Thanks for the love on her work, Jane.
Toni says
I have a couple of projects but most likely, I’d use the brushes on a large base with lots of curves. The vanity rocks!
Larissa says
Woot! Sounds like a plan! 😀
Laura says
Such a cute redo! Perfect for a young girl’s jewelry and personal items. And the Brushes make an easy job with the paint. It should sell quickly!
Larissa says
Hooray! She is excited to get feedback from folks. Thank you! I love the storage as a used-to-be little girl and now a mother.
Shelly says
It runs in the family!
Larissa says
tee hee! You made me giggle!! Thank you from the two of us (or 8 of us). 😀
Amanda Pennington says
What a lovely skill you’re passing on to your children! To look beyond the first glance and see potential is a wonderful thing, in furniture and in people! And to see possibilities and them make them happen, awesome! To say nothing of working for what we want. So many great life lessons in that pretty vanity!
Larissa says
You are so sweet, Amanda. And, I think you get why I get so excited to see my kids working hard and seeing their visions come to life. Thank you!
Ginny says
Your daughter did an awesome job on the vanity! And all that great storage!!!
Just like you have passed on these skills onto your children I would give these brushes (if won) onto my children so they would learn the same skills you children have learned from making an old piece of furniture and making it new again!
Larissa says
How wonderful! Great mamas think alike. Right, Ginny? 😀 Thank you.
Cathy Klose says
Beautiful job – takes after her MOM!
Larissa says
Thank you bunches, Cathy!
Cathy Klose says
And I left a blog post and visited the Zibra site on FB but I can’t for the life of me figure out how to get any more entries for the give-a-way than that.
Larissa says
So you have a comment (1), visit Zibra (2), correct? If you visit my FB, pin the pin image to Pinterest, Follow me on YouTube, and Tweet on Twitter – those are all other ways you can get additional entries. Hope that helps!
Micah says
Looks great! I like the white with contrasting color inside! Thanks for the giveaway!
Larissa says
Thanks! That green is such a dark shade that we both felt lighter would be better to not make it so heavy. She had fun!
Cate says
Miss C did a great job! I just love it and the wall collage! WAY TO GO MISS C and PARENTS!!
Larissa says
Wahoo!! We’re doing a happy dance over here! 😀 Thank you for the smiles, Cate. 😀
Alison S says
I have a dresser I would paint!
Larissa says
Sounds good.
Lynn Beeman says
She did an amazing job. I love that your children share your love for giving older things a new life.
Larissa says
Thanks! It’s all I can do to keep them busy and have enough space. They are eager beavers! 😀
Michele says
Love to see you bringing your babies up to recycle, reuse, and repurpose! They are truly lucky to have such talented parents. And the vanity is beautiful! Great job!
Larissa says
I can’t say enough what joy it is to see them working hard, not only towards a goal, but also to see a vision to completion. Thank you, Michele, from the two of us.
Julia Harting says
Beautiful job, following in her mama’s footsteps!
Larissa says
Yay! Talk about fun to watch her go. Thank you!
Kelly Malone says
What would I paint with new brushes ??? Well, I’m pretty sure i’d have to do some work on a dresser that I’ve had for ages. It’s in great shape but the wood is stained dark and I’d love to lighten it up with a nice coat of paint.
Thanks for the giveaway.
Larissa says
You are most welcome. 😉
Trisha G says
Super cute! I have a couple of MCM pieces in my garage that would love to be painted by Zibra! ?
Larissa says
Thanks! Sounds good.
Kate K says
It turned out really cute! I have some accent tables and shelving at the top of my list to refinish.
Larissa says
Thanks! Sounds like fun.
Shelley S says
What a lovely job Ms C has done with this set! Perfect choice of color, and just an excellent profesional quality job.
It seems I’m always commenting that I’m dismayed when wooden projects are painted, but this is one I totally agree is better off.
We haven’t had a TV attached to the outside world for over 8 years. The one we had was only used for watching DVDs we borrowed from our library. Now that we have the ability to record shows I’ve gotten my husband hooked on “Flea Market Flip” and he’s actually cleaning out an area to work on projects in our basement. The Zibra brushes would be a great asset in them!
Larissa says
Thanks! Yes, if it had been all solid wood she may have done something slightly different with it. Sounds like you are all set and fired up to go. Have fun! 😀
Mary Kaiser says
It turned out so beautiful, Great job!! I am so happy to see parents teach their children that value of hard work and the rewards of it, Great job to her parents, you deserve a pat on the back!!!
Larissa says
How sweet of you to say, Mary. We feel blessed to have children that are eager to learn and try, and work towards a goal. Thank you.
Becky says
Beautiful job, Miss C.! Your mom has every right to be very proud of you! I’ve watched 3 of my kids so far buy their first cars… fun times! I’m wishing you a quick sale and many more! These are fun days!
Larissa says
Yahoo! And you’re still around to tell about it. haha! 😀 I cherish these days as they pass far too quickly. Thank you!
Staci Richard says
Beautiful work! How awesome that your children enjoy your craft & are good at it too!
Larissa says
It’s crazy to think they’ve been painting for more than 5 years and I can see it all on my blog. Wow – time flies! 😀 Thank you, Staci.
jeremy mclaughlin says
Would use for christmas crafts.
Marie says
Miss C did a beautiful job! What a lovely vanity with all that hidden storage. I hope she gets top dollar for it!
Larissa says
Thanks from the two of us, Marie. I want one with storage like that. haha! 😀
Denise says
Miss C did an amazing job!! This piece is SO sweet! ?
Larissa says
So fun to see her go. Thank you, Denise.
Cheryl says
She did a fabulous job!! Please let her know. I also wanted to tell you I received the paint sprayer and shelter and want to thank you so much. I will be posting it this weekend and have also thanked Homeright!!
Larissa says
Yay on all accounts! I’m so excited for you, Cheryl. Have a blast!
Cindy Downing says
Proud Mom moments!!
I need to paint my cabinets
Larissa says
Yes! 😀
Lorrie says
I would love to paint my new hutch?
Anne says
Would love to win and do a project with my two grandchildren. I have some wood santa faces needing to be painted as well as a couple of foot stools. Would be perfect.
Sherry Riggs says
I would love to build another fake fireplace. I would use my new brushes to paint.
Tracy P. says
great job! I have a small dresser that needs work.
Larissa says
Thank you, Tracy.
Kaycee says
My hat is off to you Miss C, you did an beautiful job reviving this girls vanity set! Congratulations on getting your license and working hard to pay for what you need. I am so proud of you and I know you parents are too!