diy: chevron makeup table

I finally had the chance to visit my sister at school last week, and her cute little apartment room inspired me to make my own space a bit more charming (For years I've only done minimal decorating because I don't like moving extra stuff from place to place. Also I didn't see the point of spending time to make space lovely until I was married and lived in something more permanent.). 

She crafted this nightstand into her makeup/hair station table, and was sweet enough to give the step-by-step.

Step 1: Choose a regular indoor paint from a hardware store and make it into chalkboard paint (she just Googled the recipe). Using a chalkboard version of the paint is good for furniture because it sticks so well you can avoid sanding or priming the wood first. This way, you can also distress the edges and the natural wood will show through instead of the primer.

Step 2: Paint the table completely and let it dry for a day.

Step 3: Make a stencil for your chevron stripes out of paper (computer paper works fine). Trace the stencil onto the tabletop lightly with a pencil and tape off the outline. Paint the stripes and let them dry for a day. 

Step 4: Use a sander or sandpaper to distress edges for a rustic feel.

Step 5: Paint one more coat with a polyurethane varnish for the glossy, finished look. My next project like this will probably be refinishing the desk I had in my room in high school. I'm ready for a change from the antique pink; maybe I'll redo it in more of a burnt umber. Have you done any refinishing projects? xo Jane