DIY-not?

A little nerd humor in my title today, forgive me!

Last week I attempted a DIY project that didn't cause me to completely melt down. After spending the last two years looking at my little bistro table and two chairs and promising almost daily that at some point I would bite the bullet and attempt to refinish them, 
I DID IT.

I can make a meal, garden like a 1st grader and do some pretty basic crafting, but DIY furniture anything makes me want to crawl into a hole. Until I met this new friend....

Meet my new bestie, Krylon outdoor spray paint. I've used her on two little projects and have not had to a) throw anything away, b) kill anyone or c) cry and drink wine excessively. I consider that a win.

The first project I did was to make garden markers for my herbs. I bought little stakes at Lowe's (I think it was about $3 for a 12 pack?). I sprayed them down with blue outdoor Krylon paint a few times then wrote the herb names in paint pen. They're holding up beautifully and were a cheap and easy way to spruce up my garden. It was such an easy project that I would not be surprised if I were you to find my entire yard filled with little labeled stakes by the end of the summer, ha!

I started by sanding the chairs and table to remove rust and flaking paint. First I used sandpaper. Fail. Then I bought this handy little guy for $3 (medium grit).

Then, after making sure all of the debris was gone from the surface, I sprayed all of the surfaces. I did the top, let it dry, then I did the underside of each piece. 

I did a second coat and allowed it to dry all afternoon.

Good as new!

I went with black to match the original color, but Krylon and Rustoleum both make some really fun, bright colors that would be great for little projects like this one (think flower pots, patio furniture, picture frames...). The possibilities are endless! 

Have you done any DIY projects lately?