DIY Monday: Painted counter tops for under $50 dollars!

Hello everyone, today I wanted to share with you a DIY project that I took on in our house. All for under $50!! When I first told my mom that I wanted to paint my counter tops in my bathroom to look similar to granite, she looked at me like I had 3 heads. I know that it sounds crazy, but I think the counter tops turned out beautifully! Here is a picture of the finished project: 

I think it turned out really well! After completing the project I ended up going on a counter top painting DIY spree! I did the counter tops in our master bathroom (which look exactly the same as the pictures shown above) and I also did the kitchen counter tops. You'll notice that they look a little different, and that would be because I actually used 2 different application techniques to find out which one I liked best. The bathroom (pictured above) was painted with a scrunched up grocery bag. The kitchen counter tops were painted with a sea sponge that I managed to find at Michael's Craft Store. Here is a look at the painted kitchen counter tops:

I have to say I think I like the plastic grocery bag application method much better! The sponge almost absorbed the paint too much, and didn't give it a 'granite-y' look like I was going for.

Here's just a quick description of how I managed to paint these counter tops. However unfortunately I lost all of my pictures from this project!! Hopefully my description will be enough.. :

Supplies:

1 can of Oil based primer (base counter top colour) = $20.00 @ Home Depot

Small paint roller (like the one you would use for painting trim) = $ 7.00 @ Home Depot

1 bag of foam paint brushes = $1.00 @ the dollar store

Plastic grocery bag = free!

OR

Sea Sponge = $5.00 @ Michael's Craft Store

Assorted Acrylic paints ( I used 3 different colours) = $1.00 @ the dollar store

1 Can of Clear Satin Polyacrylic = $17.00

Steps:

Step 1: Clear everything off of the counter top that you've chosen to paint. If you have caulking around your sink area, peel it off. I used a razor that I had around the house to peel the caulking off nicely. Plus it was so old that you could just pull most of it off with your fingers. Wash the counter with a TSP mixture just as if it were a wall that you were going to paint. Rinse the TSP mixture off with warm water and a clean cloth. Wipe dry. Apply painters tape around the walls and cabinets if you think it is necessary. 

Step 2: Begin applying the oil based primer that you have chosen to be your base colour. Make sure that it is OIL BASED!!! That's very important. If you go with a water based primer it won't adhere to the counter top as nicely and it won't put up with wear and tear as nicely either. Use your trim roller to apply the primer. Use the foam paint brushes to get right into the corners of the counter. You will most likely have to use 2 coats.

Step 3: Let your 2 coats of primer dry. After the primer has dried you can begin applying the acrylic paints that you have chosen. Start by just doing one colour at a time with whatever application method you have chosen (plastic grocery bag or sea sponge). Try to just apply the colour randomly. At first it will look a little funny, and if you're anything like me, you might start to panic at this point and think that you're mom was right and now you've ruined your counter tops... Just push through these thoughts... It will turn out ok! Let the colour dry before applying the next one.

Step 4: Repeat step 3 as needed. It will depend on how many colours that you have chosen to paint. Be sure to use a new grocery bag for each colour or, rinse and dry the sponge with each colour. Again, try your best to just apply the acrylic colours randomly. After you finish applying all of your colours let it dry overnight. 

Step 5: Once your counters have completely dried you'll now begin to apply your polyacrylic top coat.  I always chose polyacrylic over polyurethane because it won't yellow as it ages like polyurethane does.  I also find that polyacrylic can handle more wear and tear than polyurethane, which is something that you definitely want to keep in mind if you have kids. Make sure you have chosen a clear satin polyacrylic or else it might leave funny streaks. Use your foam brushes for this. I find that the foam brushes just applied the polyacrylic evenly so there weren't any areas that had more polyacrylic than others. I also try to always make my first coat of polyacrylic quite thick. Keep in mind that the polyacrylic WILL dry clear, so don't be alarmed if it looks a little milky when you first apply it. Once you have applied your first coat, let it dry completely before applying your second. If you can, leave it to dry overnight. I applied 4 or 5 coats of polyacrylic and I still haven't found a single chip in any of my painted counter tops!

Step 6: After you've applied your last coat of polyacrylic you can now apply some new caulking around the edges of your counter top and sink area. I had Fraser do this for me because I hate caulking things with a passion!! After you've applied your caulking, that's it! You've finished painting your counter tops!

Let me know what you think about these counter tops or if you have done the same thing in your house. Enjoy and Happy DIY-ing!