Boho Furniture Makeover: How to Bleach Wood & Stencils On Furniture

Written By Christina Muscari

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Have I got some gems for you today! I recently made over a tall dresser with a one-step paint and it wasn’t selling as quickly as I’d hoped. So I decided to refinish it...again. I got some wood bleach on Amazon and wanted to try it out. So in this blog, I’m going to show you how to remove paint from furniture, how to bleach the wood, and how to use stencils on furniture to accomplish this boho furniture makeover.

Check out the before images of this piece though...it’s already gone through quite a transformation...and you won’t believe the finished product.

 
 
 

How to Strip Paint

I recently learned how to use a heat gun to strip paint, and it has since been my go-to ever since. 

To strip the paint, you simply need a heat gun and paint scraper tool. Hold the heat gun over the paint until it starts to bubble up and use the scrapper to chip it off. There are some types of paint that heat guns don’t work on, so I didn’t think it was going to work with this one-step paint. But it bubbled and chip off nicely. 

After stripping the paint I used 120 grit sandpaper to remove the rest of the paint and smooth out the piece.

Side Note: There was so much sanding with this piece. I finally broke down and bought a Dremmel rotary tool. I got the 3000 that plugs into the wall (they do have cordless ones too) at Home Depot. I’m so glad I got it because it really made this part of the project a lot easier and quicker.

How to Replace Drawer Bottoms

So originally one of the reasons this piece didn’t sell was because it was more decorative than functional. The bottoms of the drawers needed some repairing.

I went to the hardware store and got a plywood board that was 5 millimeters and cut those down to size. We have a table saw so I was able to cut those at our house. But if you don’t have that, just take your measurements to Home Depot and they’ll be able to cut them for you.

The bottoms usually come off pretty easily with a pry bar. And using nails to hammer your new plywood should get the job done.

How to Bleach Wood

instead of paint or stain today, I'm just going to be bleaching my wood and try to get a natural look going.

I bought this Zinzer wood bleach on Amazon a while ago because it goes in and out of stock all the time. And I've just been waiting for the perfect project to try it out on. My friend, Ashley Lauren, who is a fellow YouTuber recently did a piece with wood bleach, and it was so gorgeous that I have been dying to try it out for myself.

To start out, I put on the ACE solution first, applying it with a clean sponge. I put on nitrile gloves and goggles to avoid getting bleach. I also changed into some really scrubby clothes that I didn't mind getting bleached either. 

The Zinzer Wood Bleach comes with two solutions (A and B). You want to saturate the entire piece with solution A and let it set for five minutes if it’s softwood and for 10 minutes if it's hardwood. 

After 5-10 minutes, take a clean sponge and apply solution B.

You want to put enough of solution A on the piece so that it’s still a little wet when you move onto solution B. Mine was pretty dry when I put on solution B, so I think I probably need to use more bleach on round A. 

And after you put on solution B, let it set overnight so that it will dry completely. If you want to get it even lighter after you take a look at it, the next day, you can do a second round of bleaching. But if you decide to do that, make sure to neutralize it with vinegar before the next round. 

I was pretty happy with my results after the first round of bleach, so I was ready to sand my piece.. I used 220 grit sandpaper to get rid of the gunk that the bleach kicked up. 


How to Use Stencils on Furniture

Here’s my #1 suggestion if you are going to use stencils on furniture… use the Prima Stick n Style Stencil Roll! I was so impressed at how the lines were absolutely perfect with no leakage at all.  I got the Irregular Triangle design, and this roll is three yards of continuous stencil. So you can cut it up in any way that you want. Even though it’s sticky on the back, it’s totally reuseable. I actually used the same strip on all of the drawers with no problems.

After applying the adhesive stencil to my drawers, I grabbed soem Waverley chalk in white and used a little stencil brush to apply the paint. I used the stippling motion to apply the paint so that it would be raised and have a little texture.

It stays in position and it actually is really easy to reposition and get it in the exact spot that you want it. But honestly, the most impressive thing to me about this stencil is that there was no leakage. There was no seeping. My lines were crisp and looked absolutely beautiful. And the great thing is I can reuse this piece over and over again.

Finishing Touches

Seal with Top Coat

Now it’s time to seal in the piece with a topcoat, but before I start with that, I took a few sections to dust it off.

I used a general high-performance flat finish that’s water-based, and I applied it with my Zebra Fan Brush. I love applying water-based topcoats with this brush because it feathers it out flawlessly.

This topcoat is very similar to other water-based topcoats that I’ve used. It’s not going to be yellow or milky white… it dries on crystal clear and nice and flat. It gives the wood a nice, natural, and raw look.

Sand Lightly & Second Coat

After this dried for two hours, I did a light sand with my 320. I did lightly sand even the stenciled area being careful not to have a heavy hand.

After this, wipe back any dust and apply the second coat. I waited again for the second coat to dry and then started piecing everything back together.

The hardware on this dresser was pretty ornate, and I wanted a cleaner look, so I picked up some industrial styled handles from Home Depot.

The Boho Dresser Makeover Reveal

This piece had quite the journey with now two makeovers. haha. I love how this turned out. It definitely has a boho vibe, but because it’s so neutral and natural-looking, I’m sure it could be styled up in many different ways.

Typically, I wouldn’t be so quick to take a piece off of the market, but I had a vision for this dresser, and I’m so glad I went with it. But that being said, if you have a refinished piece that isn’t selling right away…be patient. You'll find the right buyer for it at the right time.

 
 
Christina Muscari
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