HOLY COW...I am sooo loving this project! It was exactly what I needed for these long winter days and cold, boring winter nights.
Stage TWO for the Vintage Buffet was to apply zebra fabric to the top.
I had such great success doing the zebra-fabric-drawer -- I figured doing the top would be a piece of cake.
It was not.
It started off fine.
I decided it was unnecessary to paint the top with primer...instead, I sanded it down, then applied the Gator Hyde (Dixie Belle special top coat) directly on the sanded top and let it dry overnight. My friend Kathy Keefer used Gator Hyde to refinish her formica countertops -- and it's held up for years...so, armed with a YouTube tutorial -- I decided to use Gator Hyde instead of Mod Podge as my decoupage medium...
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| The next morning, I laid the zebra fabric on top of the dried Gator Hyde... |
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| Then, using parchment paper, I applied a hot dry iron to reactivate the Gator Hyde.. |
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| Everything was going fine at this point |
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| Then, to trim off the excess fabric, I went around the top with sandpaper...it made a crisp, sharp edge. |
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| The trouble started when I went to apply the TOP COAT of Gator Hyde. Because I didn't use a white paint primer -- the oak wood grain showed through the zebra fabric...ugh... |
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| Then, I ran out of Gator Hyde...the zebra fabric SOAKED IT UP...and I was only able to coat half the buffet top. |
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| I finished it off with Mod Podge...but I worried that it would look different. |
But -- hey -- imperfection just adds to the artistry, right?
The real problem surfaced after the top-coat dried. Apparently, it reactivated the base layer of Gator Hyde -- causing bubbles. Ugh. Lots of bubbles....which were now hardened...
It was so bad, I considered ripping the zebra fabric off and starting over again.
THEN IT HIT ME...USE THE IRON, RITA...USE THE IRON...
First, I felt for bubbles with my hand...and I generously pricked them with a sewing pin to release the trapped air. THEN, I laid down the parchment paper, and ironed the area AGAIN.
IT WORKED LIKE A DREAM...the bubbles all magically disappeared.
Now, the zebra top is smooth as can be...
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| Then, I painted the uprights black... |
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| As well as the sides... |
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| I AM LOVING IT...but the big question now -- for the final design element. The last stage of this renovation...what should I do with the doors on either side? |
Let me know what you think. Send me your email vote: farrorita@gmail.com
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