Upcycling With Dixie Bell Paint

Upcycling with Dixie Bell Paint

I thrifted a 2000 era cabinet and turned it into a charming vintage home decor piece using Dixie Bell paint. This project was a pleasure as it combined my two favorite things, thrifting and creating.

I have used mineral and chalk paints for most of my DIY’s, but I’m new to the Dixie Bell product line. In this post, I will provide my honest review, and include a step by step guide of how I upcycled this cabinet.

Read more about how I added vintage charm to my thrifted cabinet with Dixie Bell.

Why Dixie Bell?

I bought the cabinet at the thrift store and held onto it for a while. One day, as I was browsing through the antique store, a display of Dixie Bell paint and products caught my eye. Dixie Bell had the perfect shade of green to complement the red tones (I was planning to leave the inside of the cabinet drawers unpainted).

I picked Collard Greens. I keep calling it Collard Green, so if you watch my YouTube video (linked below), my apologies for the mistake.

The best reason for using Dixie Bell paint products is that they are zero VOC, which makes it non-toxic, eco friendly, and safe.

Dixie Bell Mineral Paint – Collard Greens

Dixie Bell Best Dang Wax – Clear

How to paint with Dixie Bell:

Clean out and wipe down the surface and hardware. I used a vinegar/dawn dish soap mixture to clean the furniture and just plain dawn soap and water for the hardware.
If you suspect your hardware has a plastic film on it. You will need to remove it before attempting to add a faux patina. I used 100% acetone. The hardware on this piece ended up not having any film cover, and since the color of the brass was a perfect fit for the paint, I decided to leave it alone.
Make any repairs needed. You can use spackle or wood filler to fill in any scratches or chips in the wood.
Start painting.

Watch the video:

Best tips for painting:

Start with a clean, damp brush. I used a brush similar to this: Oval Brush with Synthetic Bristles for Smooth Furniture Paint Application
Do not insert the brush all the way into the paint can (only about a half inch is needed)
Use full singular strokes. I call them “drag and pull”
Rinse the paint brush in lukewarm water as soon as you are done painting

To finish your upcycle project:

I used a Dixie Bell Finishing Pad to smooth the surface. Here is a link to a similar pad: Non-Woven Pads for Cleaning/Polishing
Add a layer of Best Dang Wax (linked above)
To apply the wax, I used a Jack Richeson Pointed Sash Brush
Give your furniture time to cure. I let my cabinet sit for about 10 days.

Adding vintage touches (optional steps):

I used vintage rubber letter stamps to add a special touch to the labels. I also used coffee to dye index cards to add an aged and vintage appearance.