Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint – Mermaid Tail Dresser Makeover with IOD Transfer

Want to learn how easy it is to create this look? Continue reading and see how I did it.

I scored this dresser recently at a local thrift shop and knew exactly what I was going to do with it.

I’ve been wanting to do a put an IOD Furniture Transfer on one of my dressers and this was just the right size for the job.

I wanted a layered base of blue and greens so I brushed on Mermaid Tail and Mint Chip, blending them together with each stroke.

See the variations and movement in color? This is exactly what I wanted for my base.

To give it a little more depth and dimension, I filled two of my small misting bottles with water and just a tsp of Queen Bee and Bohemian Blue. It’s very important to make this solution very week or the clay in the paint can clog the bottles.

I mist Bohemian Blue and Queen Bee in random areas and loved the affect. So incredibly fast and easy and oh so gratifying.

Can you see the blue speckles in this close up? That’s how the color mist will dry if you don’t brush it out.

I applied some of each color, blended and brushed that out, then once that was dry, I misted a few random spots and let dry so you could see some speckles.

Next I did a dry fit, leaving the protective back on the design. I cut it into pieces and moved miscellaneous pieces around until I liked the layout.

Once the paint had completely dried, I applied one coat of DIY’s Big Top Topcoat to seal the dresser and prepare the surface to accept the IOD Transfer. IOD transfers adhere much better if there you apply a coat of topcoat prior to adhering the transfer. Make sure your top coat is completely dry before applying the transfer.

The following day, I removed the backing and started applying the transfer. I stepped back to look everything over one last time before starting.

This part is so much fun. The transfer goes on so quickly and easily. They’re top quality and the grid lines are awesome for lining everything up.

I forgot to take pictures, but I did lightly distress the transfer so it would look more aged before I waxed the dresser.

After the transfer was applied, I finished the entire piece off with Clear, Dark and White Waxes, high lighting and low lighting.

It’s now for sale at The Honeysuckle Company on the north end of Grand Rapids by the meijer on Plainfield.

To recreate this look, you’ll need:

Mermaid Tail, Mint Chip, Bohemian Blue, Queen Bee, Big Top Top Coat, Clear Wax, Dark Wax and White Wax. Our stores are locked down during the pandemic but all the paint supplies in this makeover can be ordered from my Online Shizzle Shop at www.shizzle-design.com. Need IOD Transfers, Molds or Stamps? Those are also available at The Honeysuckle Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Hope you’re all doing well and are healthy and safe during these times of uncertainty. Take care, thanks for stopping by and Happy Easter!!

a hui hou!

Shelly Andrade

2 Replies to “Debi’s Design Diary DIY Paint – Mermaid Tail Dresser Makeover with IOD Transfer”

  1. Hi Shelly! I love these you describe exactly what you do. I really want to try blending and layering. This is an awesome piece of art. I can’t make the pictures bigger so I can look at the details closer because I can’t tell there is dark wax. Thank you so much for sharing. Do you know how long it would take to ship products to Florida?

    1. Thank’s Cheryl! The dark wax is subtle and only in certain areas where I wanted to create a bit of shadow. I personally hand pack and ship packages immediately and my customers within the U.S. have been receiving them in 1-3 days.

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