A little over a year ago, while browsing through an antique store with a friend, we came across a really fun decorative piece. It was a very old door, hand painted in a whimsical floral motif and heavily distressed for an aged look. We talked about where it could be used at home. Turned on it’s side, it would make a beautiful headboard . . . it would also be a great way to change out a plain old pantry door . . . or, in the right space, (like the narrow wall in my dining room) it would look great just hung on the wall. But the price . . . not in my budget! I returned to the store again later when I saw a 30% OFF SALE sign outside but this particular piece was not discounted. I went back once again, this time taking my husband along (have I told you he likes to shop? What a lucky girl I am!) I wanted him along for moral support as I tried to make a deal with the shop owner (something I really do not like to do). I also secretly hoped that if she said, “No”, hubby would say something like, “Oh dear, sweet wife of mine, I know how much you have your heart set on that door. Let me buy it as a gift for you”. Alas, it didn’t play out that way.

That very night my brain starting churning out a plan to have a door just like the one I’d grown to love. I don’t know about you, but my best ideas come to me in bed. Early in the morning I was on the computer, searching for old doors. When my husband arose, we were off to a salvage store in Seattle to pick up the door I found online (the one shown above). But . . . how was I going to make my door look like the one in the antique store? I paint furniture, I paint walls, but I don’t paint “things” like flowers, or kitties, or people! The other part of my bedtime musings had given me the answer. DECOUPAGE of course!

I had fabric on hand (a runner from World Market would now be repurposed!) so the only other stop we had to make was at the craft store to buy some Mod Podge.

After painting my door with several layers of different colored paint, I used my sanding sponge to distress it just like the one in the antique store. I was then ready to apply my flowers. This part is so simple that I feel silly writing about it but, for anyone who doesn’t know how to use Mod Podge, this is what I did: I carefully cut out the flowers I wanted to use and laid them out on the door in the pattern I liked. Then I removed them, painted a coat of Mod Podge where each flower would go (just like glue) and laid the flowers back down. I then proceeded to paint several coats of Mod Podge over the top of the fabric, allowing it to dry about an hour between each coat. Afterwards, I applied a dark wax (Annie Sloan) over the top of the entire door and buffed it when it was dry.

And this is the end result. You can see the different colors of paint showing through where it has been distressed and the bright colors have been toned down by the dark wax. Personally, I like it just as much as the door in the antique store which, by the way, is still there. I stopped in two days ago, drawn in by a 30-50% OFF SALE sign on the roadway. The door in the antique store is still beyond my budget and still not discounted!

Don’t you love the old door hardware with the fleur de lis?

The salvaged door cost $20, the old hardware another $20, the paint and fabric, I had on hand, and the Mod Podge Satin, less than $5.00.

I’m pretty happy with my door art and I now have a few more ideas for doors running through my head. So many ideas . . . so little time!

Blessings,