Making Chippy Safe

I cannot tell you how many times I have brought the cutest chippiest painted antique health hazard home from a yard sale or flea market. Shabby Chic made chippy desireable, but it's rarely mentioned how dangerous it can be for a home with little ones. So, what's a girl to do when she has 2 toddlers who are going to want to eat the chippy paint on her latest find? For a couple of years, all of those pieces in my home have been painted over, sold or banished to the basement.

One of the pieces I couldn't part with or paint is my antique iron crib with chippy white paint. Now, because of some furniture rearranging, I have room for my crib. It is one of my most favorite finds, so I was thrilled at the idea that I could use it again. The chippy paint put a damper on that excitement. Something had to be done to make it safe for my boys.

I pulled it out of the recesses of the basement and brought it into my painting booth. I rubbed the entire crib with fine steal wool to remove any chipping paint. (Make sure you wear a respirator throughout this process, chippy lead paint can be a hazard to you as well!)

I then wiped it down with a damp cloth.

A couple of coats of Krylon spray poly in satin, 30 minutes, and one sore finger later...and it was safe to bring up from the basement. Well, I had to let it dry, which really tested my patience!

I love this antique crib set up as a day bed. It's actually very comfortable to curl up on.