Old Lockers

In December, Meg Duerksen wrote a post on her blog Whatever about painting old lockers red and using them in her craft room.  It was love at first sight for me.  I kept thinking of all the sewing and craft supplies I own, and how fun it would be to stash all that stuff behind cute red locker doors.  I really wanted to find lockers.  On a whim, I checked Craig's List and got lucky--an antique store in my area had some lockers!  My devoted husband agreed to drive me over the very snowy roads so that these beauties could be mine:

You might be thinking that they aren't all that beautiful... but in my eyes, they were a treasure (and they were cheap).  I saw so much potential.  I knew they were meant to be mine, and I couldn't wait to give them a good home. They were neglected and needed some love, and my gallon of barn red paint was waiting to be used.  Byron and the shop owner loaded them up.  They fit in our van (barely) after Byron removed one of the seats.

I saved the painting for after Christmas.  After completing this project, I have two recommendations:

1.  ANY graffiti/permanent marker on the fronts of lockers should be covered with KILZ stainblocker/sealer.  It should be covered with KILZ first, not after trying several coats of paint first.  Marker will bleed through paint.

2.  After using the KILZ (which is white), follow it with a coat of gray primer--not more red paint.  Do not try to cover white paint with red paint.  Red paint won't cover white paint...not even 3 coats of red paint.

I finally finished painting them and I love how they turned out.  They are already full of my craft goodies and they look so much happier.

                  I'm sure you can see the happiness too...