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" Most of us wouldn&amp;#039;t even give this 50\u00A2 wooden bench a second look. But Lena Schlabach of Lena&amp;#039;s Amish Granola proves bargains can be made to look like you spent a lot more than you did. The DIYing domestic doyenne used materials she had on hand\u2014things you likely have too\u2014to turn this castoff into something that looks like it came from a high-end boutique.          Made this ugly little .50 cent #bench into a #frenchchic beauty. I printed the words on wax paper then laid it on the bench as soon as was printed and rubbed it on with a credit card. #easy #diyproject #beforeandafter A photo posted by Lena Schlabach (@lenasamishgranola) on Mar 2, 2014 at 7:55pm PST      &amp;amp;gt;  Here, the secrets behind Lena&amp;#039;s super inexpensive before and after:  Supplies   A furnishing to make over   Primer and paint   Paint brush   Sandpaper   Wax paper  An inkjet printer A credit card  Her step-by-step instructions   1. Paint first. Start with one coat of primer. Let it dry completely, then follow with two coats of latex or enamel paint in the color of your choice, allowing the paint to dry completely between coats. Once dry, sand edges slightly to give the piece an antique feel.   2. Cut the wax paper to the size of your printing paper. Find your graphic or image online. Lena Googled &amp;quot;French chic printable&amp;quot; to find the graphic she used.   3. You&amp;#039;ll need to reverse the image. Some images already have the reverse available online. If yours does not, use the free online photo editing service Pixlr. Save the graphic or image to your computer. Open it in Pixlr. Choose &amp;quot;image&amp;quot; from the top menu bar, and click on &amp;quot;flip the canvas horizontal&amp;quot; or &amp;quot;vertical.&amp;quot; Print, making sure your piece of wax paper doesn&amp;#039;t have any wrinkles, which can jam in the printer.   4. Work quickly to place your printed graphic or image on top of your furnishing or object. Once you set down the wax paper, you cannot move it. It might be wise to mark its placement before printing.    5. Holding the wax paper firmly in place, use the edge of a credit card to gently scrape the surface. Pull the wax paper up. Don&amp;#039;t drag since the ink is likely still wet.   Tell us: What easy makeover have you given a thrift store find?  ----- Plus:See more of our pretty handy project ideas \u00BB Inside a bargain-filled bungalow \u00BB16 brilliant ideas for bookshelves \u00BBEasy weeknight meals \u00BB37 ways to make something new out of something old \u00BB "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.countryliving.com/remodeling-renovation/home-makeovers/a5108/thrift-store-bench-makeover/>