This is my second attempt to publish this post. Cyberspace ate the first one. I’m sorry if you are a subscriber and received a half finished post. Lesson learned: always have a backup of your work.

My good friend Danae was nice enough to share a project she found through Pinterest that she has recently done. This one is impressive, take a look…..

From Danae:

“I was planning for a long time to re-do our kitchen when we had the money. We are slowly but surely remodeling our home. So this is just one of the many projects I have started and actually completed in 24hrs. I have been looking online using various web searches like Pinterest, Google and YouTube. I finally, came across one that I thought I could really do and cheap. I always wanted to have granite counter tops but since money is a little tight, I decided paint always makes things look different and new. So, I used the Pinterest countertop do it yourself project and completed it in less than 24hrs. and under $30.00. Who can beat that?”

This pin is linked to a project done by Kristy at CreativeKristi.com.  Kristi used Kilz to prime her counter tops but Danae took a different approach.

“I looked at Lowes and they have a kit that cost $284.00 which I was ok with spending but, I figure why not give this a try and it’s a lot less expensive. So, I started cleaning off the countertops, wiped them down really well then I painted the counter tops with the base coat counter top paint. Then, I went with a champagne acrylic paint and dabbed it all over the counter tops then I went back with a gold metallic color and dabbed that all over the counter tops. Finally, I sealed it with three coats of polyurethane.  I went from boring baby blue to wow I have granite counter tops for less than $30.00!”

On a Friday evening, Danae applied the black satin base coat with a 4″  fabric roller and let it dry over night. On Saturday, she used squished up paper towels to apply the acrylic paint. She started with the lighter metallic champagne then used the darker gold color. If the acrylic wasn’t quite what she wanted as she dabbed it on, that was OK. She was able to take a damp paper towel, wipe it up and try again. ”It was so easy, a kid could do it.”

Here is a before and after picture of Danae’s kitchen. It’s difficult to see the original baby blue color of the laminate counters but, WOW what a difference!

The acrylic paint dried quickly and by Saturday afternoon, she was able to start applying the polyurethane. This is when the magic happened. With each coat the colors became more defined and took on that granite look. She used a foam roller for this part and with the first coat, got a little nervous. There were little bubbles all over the counters. But as it dried, the bubbles disappeared.  Phew! She waited about 4 hours between applying each of the 3 coats and by late that evening, she had “new” counters. Woohoo!

(Danae recommends doing this on a day when you can have the windows and doors open. The polyurethane is some strong stuff and needs good ventilation.)

As with other counter surfaces, there are some maintenance requirements. Use only mild soap and water to clean, no harsh chemicals. Do not put hot objects such as hot pots directly onto the surface. Avoid scratches by using a cutting board.

Danae has had a couple of weeks to live with the counters and loves them. “They make me want to cook more!” The only problem she has had so far, happened when her 3 year-old daughter banged on one with a big spoon. A small piece chipped off. The great part is that Dane was able to easily repair it with a little paint. You can’t say that about many other types of counters.

This is one of the reasons that I love Pinterest. Through it, Danae was able to find a blog that gave her inspiration to try something new. Trying new things requires courage and trying something so bold in a kitchen takes a lot of it!

Danae that’s………

How has Pinterest inspired you to move outside of you comfort level? Have you tried a new recipe, a new hairstyle or craft? Something bigger? Let us know by leaving a comment below.