Natalie from A Ray of Sunlight used a Painting Sponge to apply Liquorice and a coat of Hemp Oil to this fabulous farmhouse cabinet!

When I found this small cabinet it had a broken marble top on it. I loved the marble, but wasn't going to be able to fix it. Instead I had a different idea for a new top!



I ran to the local hardware store and grabbed some 2"x 3" boards, then cut them 2" longer than the width of the cabinet. After I sanded all the boards smooth I used a Kreg Jig to screw each board together and then stained them with wood conditioner and dark walnut wood stain.



While the stain was drying I prepped the cabinet for a new finish by very lightly sanding with 220 grit sandpaper and wiping it all down with de-greaser cleaner.

For this piece I used a favorite of mine, Liquorice Paint. I also tried out Country Chic Paint's Painting Sponge to brush on the paint. I prefer to not have brush marks on my furniture so I usually spray it on. But with the cold outdoor temperatures here in Minnesota, I haven't been able to get the sprayer out.



To use the sponge I poured a little bit of paint onto a paper plate so I could get paint on the sponge with ease. I also wore a glove to keep paint off my hands while working with the sponge.

I made sure to apply the paint in long straight strokes going with the wood grain, and leaving some wood showing here and there for a distressed look. It went on in thin layers, which worked perfect for the look I was going for! And I didn't even have to distress at all! It took about 3 coats to get to the coverage I wanted.

I love that there were no brush marks left in the end, even without sanding the finish down! I'm definitely going to be using the sponge a lot more now to achieve the brush free finish I'm after.



To seal the finish I used another sponge to wipe on Hemp Oil by Country Chic Paint. After letting it soak in for 12 hours, I wiped off the excess with a lint free rag and let it finish drying.

I finished up the top with a few coats of oil based poly, then screwed it to the base with the existing screw holes inside the cabinet.

The chunky wood top stands out from the crowd and is that perfect finishing touch! And I still cannot believe how smooth the finish is with the Painting Sponge!

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