Thrifty Ways to Decorate Your Kitchen

When I moved into my new home, I didn't have enough 'stuff' to fill it with. The house was old and needed a lot of work, mainly updating. Being a single mom, and not having a lot of extra cash, I have turned my new home into somewhere I just love, and I did it without spending a lot of money.

I started with the kitchen ... it was horrible! The counter tops were stained, the cabinets worn, and the sink was a mess. Of course, new counter tops, cabinets, and sinks, area lot of money, so here's what I did. We will start with the counter tops. They were old Formica counter tops. I lightly sanded them first, and then wiped them down with a cheese cloth. After that I cleaned them with TSP, (which you can find at your local hardware store). Next, I painted on a coat of white melamine paint. You can use whatever colors you like ... they can tint the melamine, but they will warn you that it might not turn out right.

Every time I have had it tinted, it turned out fine though. After that dried, I used a ragging/sponging technique, and I used cream colored craft paint, yellow wall paint that was left over from the kitchen walls, and blue melamine paint. I took old t shirts and tore them into smaller pieces to do this technique. I did one color at a time, and let them dry in between. I used these particular colors, because my kitchen is painted with those. I let that dry for twenty four hours. Then I got an acrylic water based polyacratic top coat. Make sure you buy one that dries clear. This is the last step, and needs to be done properly, to ensure a nice finish that won't chip. I put on four coats of this, being sure to let each coat completely dry to the manufacturer's directions. I did this over a year ago, and they still look great! You have to be a little more careful then with a regular countertop ... if you spill, wipe it up right away, don't ever cut anything on it with out a cutting board, and things like that, (things that you should be doing anyway!)

I tackled the cabinets next. I just sanded them lightly again, and wiped them down to get all the dirt and dust off. Then I just used regular wall paint, (in blue), and painted all the cabinets. I used the same polyacrylic that I used on the counter tops to put on the cabinets as a top coat. I did two coats of that. Then I went and bought a package of hardware to replace the old hardware that were on the cabinets. If you can find a style you like in the bigger packages, you will save more money.

The sinks were my next project. Now, you can by that stuff that they sell that puts a nice new white topcoat on your sink, or you can do what I did. I decided to make it just as bright and cheery as the rest of my kitchen! I lightly sanded and washed the inside of the sinks. Then I took grout, and just spread it all over the bottom and sides, making sure to be even. I placed glass marbles, (the ones with the flat backs), in the color blue, in the grout. I let this dry to the manufactures recommendation on the grout box. I then took that stuff that they call 'bar top' and poured it evenly over the grout and marbles...I thought this would be the best thing to use, being it's a sink, and will get wet a lot. This sink project was the hardest, but it was so worth it. I get so many comments on the sink!

I absolutely love my new kitchen. I saved so much money by doing it the way I did. New counter tops were not an option, nor were cabinets or sinks. You can do this too, just follow my directions, as well as the directions on the products you buy, and use your imagination!