One of my blog followers, Janice from Fred and Bessie’s, was kind enough to pass my info on to Homestead House Paint Co and they offered to send me some of their new Fusion paint to try! It was like Christmas when a box filled with paint and other goodies arrived on my doorstep! However, my sister and niece were here visiting, so I didn’t feel like I could say “hey, go entertain yourselves, I’m going to paint something.” So, instead I suggested that we all head to a local thrift store and each of us pick something out to paint. Their mission, should they choose to accept it, was to pick something ugly and turn it into something fabulous with Fusion paint.
Debbie is holding two cutting boards (that were mine), a little wooden handled container and a counter top paper towel holder. She and I also purchased some glass jars. Kris picked out some hideous framed ‘art’ and a large silver glass platter. Pretty much looks like a pile of tacky stuff from the thrift store, right?
Debbie wins the contest for spending the least amount of money at $3.75. I came in second, spending $4.75 and Kris spent a whopping $9.20!
After we hauled our items home, we pulled out the Fusion paint and got to work. Debbie was really drawn to the saturated hues of the Renfrew Blue and Ceramic.
I really wasn’t sure about the bold teal blue of the Renfrew when it first went on. But look how cute this turned out! Debbie is going to use it on the counter in her bathroom. She painted it with 2 coats of Renfrew Blue, then she used sandpaper to distress.
She used the Ceramic on her glass jar and got some interesting results when she sanded it. The sanding brought out a little more yellow in the color. We both really liked that effect.
Kris decided to simply remove the tacky prints from her two picture frames, paint them and then stencil the glass. She used Champness on one frame, and Seaside on the other. She used acrylic craft paint for the stenciling. Stenciling on glass is a bit tricky. The paint tends to slide around a bit more and not give a crisp result, and she wasn’t happy with that. I think this one will look great hanging over the sink in her apartment though.
Kris also embraced her inner Jackson Pollock when it came to the glass plate she painted. She painted two coats of Sterling, a very pale, silvery grey, first. Then she used the colors that both my sister and I used on our pieces to splatter on top. She’s going to use this plate on her coffee table. The Fusion paint left a finish that was smooth as silk on the glass, by the way.
As for me, I painted both of my cutting boards using Fusion’s Bedford, which is a very nice greige. I used two coats of paint, and then added my stencils using acrylic craft paint. Once mostly dry (after about an hour or so), I sanded vigorously. I felt like both of these benefited from some serious distressing.
As for my jar, I painted it with my favorite color, a beautiful turquoise shade called Laurentien.
Since I had the paint out and ready to go, I decided to see how it worked with metal as well. I grabbed a plain metal tin that I had on hand and slapped on two coats of paint. Once dry, I added a couple of rub-ons.
So, in the end our pile of thrift store goodies went from this:
to this:
We accomplished all of it in an evening. My sister and niece don’t have any special painting skills. They are both ‘crafty’ people, but neither of them has any experience with using milk paint or chalk paint. They didn’t require any special instructions from me to use this product. So, if you are looking for a paint that is easy to use straight from the can, Fusion is for you. If you are also looking for a paint to use on surfaces other than wood such as glass or metal, Fusion is a good choice. I plan some more in-depth testing with Fusion over the coming weeks, so stay tuned to learn more.
If you are local to the Twin Cities, you can find Fusion at Farmhouse Inspired in Hudson or the Porch and Atelier in Buffalo. Check it out!
q is for quandie 
I think you might be a bit magical. I love how you took the pile of thrift store… stuff.. and turned it into something so fun and cute! I like to think that I am pretty good at looking at the potential of things, but you’ve given glass jars, metal boxes, and old pictures frames a new lease on life. I need to hit the Goodwill stat!
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…and your Fusion retailer.
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Well dang, I completely missed the boat on the fact that people can order the paint from you online! Do you ship to anywhere in the U.S.?
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No i dont ship to the US but there are retailers that have online sales. There are some pretty strict commerce rules.
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I think it’s the paint that’s magical. It just goes to show that almost anything can be transformed with paint!
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Just goes to show that a little creativity can go a long way, and then you have completely unique pieces. Love! So nice to meet your family 🙂
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Thanks Meggan!
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Great post…hey we don’t even have Seaside yet! Its March break so I invited Moms with Teens or Tweens to come paint . Refunk Your Junk.
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You know, I was wondering about the Seaside. It’s a fab blue, you’ll see more of it on a painted suitcase next week! I love the idea of inviting people to refunk their junk! Nearly anything can be refunked with this Fusion paint!
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It was fun painting with the new paint. I loved all the colors. Can’t wait to try more repurposing after we get to Minn. Can’t buy anything now and then have to pack it for the move.
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What fun simple projects. Can you share where to find those great stencils you used ?
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I get most of my stencils from Maison de Stencils. Both of the stencils on the cutting boards are from her. I tend to use just portions of stencils sometimes, and both of those are from larger stencils, this one and this one. The French Market stencil is also from them. There are tons of great stencils to choose from, watch for her sales!
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More Fusion love! All of the products are super fun, and I especially love the painted glass jars. I am a US Fusion Merchant, and sell the paint online (although my official storefront isn’t up and running yet, just doing PayPal orders for the moment). I would be thrilled to be your US Fusion Supplier 🙂
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Good to know that those in the U.S. can order online directly from you. Here is a link for those reading this who may want to order online!
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The turquoise and red combo is delicious! LOVE it!
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Thanks Mary! Somehow your comment ended up on the wrong post (and I don’t know how to move it) though. Oops.
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Approximately 4-5 months ago, I had the opportunity to purchase Fusion paint. I had always used Annie Sloan Paint. I paint pieces of furniture to sell, and found myself enjoying the Fusion paint! If you follow the complete drying time of 12 hours between coats and curing time, the finish is great! No waxing necessary! It is also self leveling, so if you have an area that is not exactly level, the paint will self adjust. I will still use ASCP for some pieces but I have found a new paint that I really do like! Fusion is a mineral based paint but also has acrylic in it as well. Just some info I thought you would be interested in receiving.
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