My new library has several perfectly serviceable book trucks - 4 small ones and one larger one (like the one above). While they are functional, they aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing. They are that boring, industrial greige/putty color. Again, serviceable, but not very fun. After looking into the cost of replacing them, I quickly decided that it would be more cost effective to paint them to match the colors I wanted. Here's how it went! STEP 1: Transport said ugly book carts home. I am well aware they didn't really need to come home with me, but it was definitely easier to work on them at my house instead of at school - I have all the painting tools here, and the commute is a little over an hour round-trip if I forget something. STEP 2: Rough them up a little bit. I used a palm sander with fine grit sandpaper to rough them up, then hand-sanded the parts that I couldn't reach with the sander. My neighbors probably think I've lost it - I was out there sanding at 7:30 am because I was trying to get it done before the July heat set in for the day! STEP 3: Prep. After sanding, I wiped the carts down with a damp cloth to get the dust off. I also taped grocery bags around the wheels to protect them from overspray. Step 4: Prime I used Rust-oleum Professional Primer in a matte gray color. It worked beautifully. It took me two cans for good coverage on each smaller cart. I let the carts dry and "cure" for 24 hours before I did the next round of paint! One down, one to go! All primed, ready for paint! STEP 5: Paint! Finally - the moment I was waiting for ... time to transform these ugly greige carts into gorgeous, bright, beautiful lime green carts! YAY!!! Goodbye greige, hello COLOR! Key Lime, to be exact, in Rust-Oleum "Painter's Touch" Gloss. Well, here goes nothing! First coat down, and already it looks AMAZING!! And the finished product! 3 cans of spray paint later and they are this GORGEOUS shade of lime green.
Total project cost: Primer - $14 (2 cans) Spray Paint - $12 (3 cans) I already owned a palm sander, had the painter's tape and grocery bags to protect the wheels, and had the fine grit sand paper on hand. For about $26 and a two hours of my time, these formerly grey carts are now transformed. I am taking them back to school to finish curing before I use them for books. I will update with how they hold up over time! Now... about those OTHER ugly carts I have.... ha ha!
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About the AuthorHi! Welcome to my blog! My name is Christine Hurley. This is my 17th year of teaching - I've taught Kindergarten, 4th grade, elementary media, and now I am in my 6th year of teaching middle school media! Archives
September 2020
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