I bought this old cradle at a thrift store when I was pregnant and “nesting”. By the way, why the heck does it have to be called nesting? I call it…. I had my first coffee since getting pregnant, was in my 2nd trimester and feeling much better and decided to spend all of my awesome caffeine energy shopping for baby stuff at thrift stores. End result = a HUGE cradle that did not fit in any room in our house.
I wish I would’ve taken pictures of the before, right after I bought it with the cushion cover on. The cradle was dark brown wood with hand painted pink and white flowers in random places. The cushion was covered in a tacky floral print that was stained dark yellow, ewwww. But I saw the potential in it.
This thing has been in our garage for almost 2 years and I finally took the time to upcycle it! Some black primer, white paint, decorative touches {cushion cover and pillows}… voila, brand new cradle! I hope some family can enjoy it, I am posting on San Diego Craigslist this weekend, I don’t know how much to sell it for?! Any ideas? Comment below please… I was thinking 80$ since I bought it for $40.
Here is what I did….
1) Sprayed on black primer. Since I want to distress this I used the black primer instead of white. Here is some Black Primer from Amazon, or you can get it at home depot. Black Automobile primer works well too, you can get that at home depot.
2) Paint on first layer of white paint. I used Behr Antique White from home depot but after posting this I was told by a fellow blogger that Heirloom white spray paint is an awesome color and I think spray paint would’ve worked better for this since there were SO MANY crevices. Live and learn. Here is the Heirloom White spray paint from amazon
** I can’t look away for one second! Scarlett was playing with the paint and knew she was in trouble. She ran when I said her name lol! 15 months old and getting smarter by the day.
3) Put on second layer of paint making sure all areas are covered. Let dry.
4) The cradle looked gorgeous clean and white but you know me, I just HAD to distress it. I couldn’t help myself! So I pulled out the nail file and started scrubbing down all edges and corners to allow that dark under color to come through. Sand paper would be ideal but hey, use what you have.
5) Lastly I sprayed on a clear coat finishing spray and considered this cradle all done, except for just one thing…. the CUSHION. I made the cushion after Scarlett went to bed so the pictures are a little dark. I will post on “how to make an easy cushion cover” soon. It didn’t take long but as with any sewing project there were steps involved, more then I care to include in this post 🙂
The picture above shows how HUGE this cradle is. What was I thinking? with my naive first baby brain I pictured myself rocking Scarlett in this cradle next to the couch while sipping coffee and shopping online. OH WOW how maternity leave was NOTHING like I pictured it. Ummmm a) coffee was out since I was breastfeeding b) I had to walk scarlett in stroller around the block every day for naps, this cradle would have never done the trick c) maternity $$ showed up when I was almost heading back to work in month 2 so internet shopping did not happen.
Do you like the pillows? Check out my post on How to make easy Stencil Burlap Rosette Pilows to find out more!
I hope you enjoyed this post, wish me luck. I hope I sell it!!
Link Parties by Date (Sun-Sat): Bewitch Me TitiCrafty | Nifty Thrifty Sunday | Sunday Showcase By Stephanie Lynn |Think Pink Sunday |Link It Or Lump It |The Block Party | Mega Inspiration Monday | Monday Funday | The DIYERS | Making Monday | Craftastic Monday| Much Ado About Monday |Twirl And Take A Bow | The Makers|Tip Me Tuesday | Hit Me With Your Best Shot | Work it Wednesdays | LinkNBlogs | Wednesday Whatsits | Wow Me Wednesday | The Inspiration Exchange | Wildly Original Link Party| Thursday S.T.Y.L.E |Weekly Kids Co-op | The Party Bunch | Craft Frenzy Friday | Link Party Palooza |Sunday Best Showcase | Pin Me Party |Live. Love. Create. | Spotlight Saturday |Serenity Saturday| Six Sisters Strut Your Stuff For a complete link party list by date visit my link party page
What a fantastic project. You are insanely creative! I love how this turned out 🙂 I guarantee this will be sold within seconds!
Angela (Life in Velvet) recently posted…Frosted Dot Glass
Cute cute!! Never would’ve thought to prime in black for distressing purposes, but I love it! The cushion and pillows are also adorable - you need to list it for more than $80 if you’re selling with the cushion and pillows!!! Love! 🙂
Bre recently posted…Five Options for All of Those Kids Clothes You’ve Been Keeping
Thanks Bre!! Yes I love black primer especially under light colors. Im going to list it for 100$ wish me luck
Ha! My first maternity leave was exactly the same!! We walked everyday for hours (which, I guess was good for me). Good thing he was born in the beginning of the summer here. By the end of leave, I was so sick of not having any money, I was almost ready to go back (almost). I admit to drinking coffee like a champ AND breastfeeding. Probably why he didn’t sleep much, huh? Love this project. I say, start at $100 at least. That was a lot of work!!!
Katie recently posted…DIY Distressed Photo Block {Valentine’s Day Gift for the Hubby}
Haha Katie, trust me I tried. Scarlett got colic and I had to cut out citrus, cheese, chocolate and coffee. Oh man, when she went to bed at night I enjoyed my glass of wine SOOOOO much. So hard to cut out everything…. Ok Im going to try for 100$
You did a great job with the refinishing, Sonnet. I think with the right buyer you could definitely get at least 100 bucks. Good luck!
Alexis @ Persia Lou recently posted…Glow Stick Valentines: Free Silhouette Print and Cut File
Thanks Alexis! Fingers crossed
I love how it turned out, what a great project to work on. I remember seeing pictures of myself in one of these that my Grandpa made for me when I was a baby. Your makeover is fabulous, I love the chevron covered mattress inside. You’ll have to let us know if it sells.
Courtney @ Crafts by Courtney recently posted…DIY Dollar Tree Makeover: Turn Clipboards Into Decorative Frames
Awww Courtney that is so cool, my grandpa made us little cribs for our dolls as well. I took pictures of Scarlett in it when she was newborn. Will let you know if it sells! Im posting it today
Haha! So funny what we think life with a kid will be like right? It looks fabulous. Good luck with selling it!
Thanks Corey! Fingers crossed
This is so gorgeous!!! Could not have turned out better.
Farm Fresh Mama recently posted…Valentine’s Day Sensory Bins and Crafts for Preschool
Thanks so much!!
So glad I found you through the Mom Lovin Hop! You are so crafty, and you have just my style. I would distress something perfectly white too 🙂 I also LOVE the pillows!
New follower on Blog Lovin and Facebook 🙂
XO/Kelly @ Our Cone Zone
Kelly recently posted…What I Wore Wednesday– Comfort Clothes
What a neat find and I agree that you should ask at least $100 for it. It’s super unique and you spent time on it too. I can’t relate to the whole prego thing {yet} but can relate to being hyped up on caffeine and buying thrifty finds that don’t actually fit in our space, haha. I’ve gotten much better though 🙂 Pinned!
Katie @ Upcycled Treasures recently posted…The Makers Link Party