Painted Headboard Bench

You may think I built this painted headboard bench, but lucky me, I found it already built.  It was love at first sight for me – those barley twist legs add so much character! 

Somebody had already gone to the trouble of constructing a bed into a bench for me, so all I had to do was beautify it a bit more.  And I had some new Dixie Belle Silk All-in-One Mineral Paint to try out on this project.

Here are the supplies I used.

Resource List:

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• Headboard bench (thrifted)
• White Lightning
• WoodUBend circular applique #2172 and applique (set of 2) #2102
• Silk Hampton Olive
• VanDyke Brown Glaze
• Coffee Bean

If you want tons of information on Dixie Belle paint and products, you can check out this Comprehensive Guide post, and you can download it free here by clicking the picture:

Adding WoodUBend

To me, those large flat areas on the front and backrest of the bench were crying out for a little embellishment. WoodUBend to the rescue!

These appliques are made of wood composite, so you can do everything with them that you can do with wood.  Stain, sand, cut, glaze, paint, etc.

And the best part is you can bend them!  When heated with a hair dryer or heat gun, they become pliable.

Then you spread wood glue (ONLY wood glue) on the back and stick it where you want it.  You heat it again, and it sucks right down to the surface.

When it cools in about a minute, it is good to go.  You don’t have to tape or clamp it on.  You can move on to your next step of painting or whatever.

Painted Headboard Bench – Silk All-in-One Mineral Paint Hampton Olive

This is Dixie Belle’s new paint line, and it was my first time using it.  I was nervous because, as a content creator, I feared I might not be able to fully endorse it.

Well, no worries, this is a beautiful paint.  The texture is so smooth and buttery, and it was super easy to use.  There was literally no learning curve.

The Silk sheen is what I’d call eggshell (between flat and satin). This project took 2 coats.

To bring out the WoodUBends a bit more, I added a little VanDyke Brown glaze to them and wiped it back.  I also dry brushed Coffee Bean over them for more contrast.  Yes, you can use the Silk Paint with the Chalk Paint!

More About Silk All-in-One Paint

A few more things to know about this paint:

• Available in 20 colors; 16 oz. size only; coverage is 72 sq feet per container
• Don’t add water when using (can add 1 oz to 16 oz if thinning to spray it); apply with a dry brush
• Built-in top coat, primer and stain blocker.  Can still use BOSS or Slick Stick if more problem-solving is needed
• Water, mildew and grease resistant

• Dries to touch in 1 hour; can recoat in 2 hours. Cooler temps or higher humidity may prolong drying time.  Fully cures in 30 days.
• Stays looking new longer; excellent durability & washability
• Store between 50-90 degrees F
• Paint takes transfers beautifully; recommend to seal over transfer

I started to add a stencil to the backrest of the painted headboard bench, but decided against it and painted over it.   I still thought the bench needed a little something more, so I ran my orbital sander around the edges to distress some areas down to the wood.

I didn’t have to seal this project, which made it really quick and easy!

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