I Hand Painted An Unfinished Cabinet 

About a finishing layer! This is part of what got cut out when my mic stopped recording but basically I’m going to let the paint fully dry for a week or so and then go in with a clear coat to protect everything 👍🏼

As an artist who manically and messily painted on her desk and armoire, I can say that this dresser was really well done and just super charming. To everyone nervous about painting a furniture piece of theirs, remember you're not going to try and sell the thing. You're not even gonna try to show it all that often to other people. It's so you can see your personality on a functional piece. Go have fun, live your Tangled "when will my life begin" moment.

I feel like anne of green gables would have something like this in her room! It's so lovely and whimsical, i love it❤

I think that often what stops people being creative isn’t lack of ability, but lack of courage. I love how you painted this cabinet and the beautiful flower patterns you made.

I loved seeing how when you decided to have fun with it, it immediately started to pop and became so much more beautiful ❤

One suggestion on keeping paints around to use on later projects - you can keep latex house paints usable for easily a decade, 15 years even, as long as you keep the seals tight and mix them again every few years. One really important tip for making this work is keeping the lid shape (and therefore, seal on the tin) as unblemished as possible, and the best way to help do _that_ is always use the special paint opener tool they give away at paint stores to open the tins. It's _much_ better than using a screwdriver if you want to keep the paint around for later use, and I say this from a lot of experience. (It reaches under the lip of the lid, rather than compressing the lip. Doesn't sound like it'd matter but believe me it does.) Since I lose those stupid things constantly I ended up buying a pack of 10 - they cost nothing, seriously - and putting them everywhere I stored paint and/or brushes and in each of my toolboxes. It is totally worth it. It's also good to use a rubber or plastic mallet for closing paint tins if you have one. That's not as important but it's still helpful in terms of keeping the can lid circular and making a good seal. But you can still use a regular hammer, it's fine as long as you're careful. Anyway just wanted to share that from one diy-supply-hoarder to another. xD

Oh, that's so cute! It looks like something you'd see in an artist's furniture gallery. It's folksy and light and makes me smile.

I love your cabinet painting style, everything is coming out quite beautifully, I just wish that you had painted the whole thing first as I think the natural wood grain is competing with your design not assisting it. But what really matters as if you are happy. It's not going in my house it's going in yours, so that's matters more than what I would have done.

ariel posting videos often? YES PLEASE 🩵✨️

I really love that you reached out to work with a brand you already love. I always wondered why more creators didn't do this! It makes me trust that you actually stand by the things you promote. I think that's really cool.

This is super cute! And a lot of your inspiration also reminded me of “rosemaling”, a traditional Norwegian painting style that they used on walls, ceilings, furniture, crockery, basically anything wood 🌸 It is floral and fun, so if you decide to do something like this again, I recommend looking it up for inspo ✨ I loved seeing the final piece of yours, so inspiring! Maybe I need to find a piece of furniture to paint myself now 😍

so many projects I see on youtube are like "I painted my cabinet!" and then they pull out some masterwork abilities but I love this approach! yes it looks handmade but it looks CUTE. there's so much you can do with simple shapes and concepts and still have it look good even if you don't have the hands to do really intricate perfect work. thank you for the video love you xoxo

Oooo this would be a fun hobby to have! Get some free or cheap furniture that can be painted in fun ways!

Im laying in bed with a broken leg and this video brought such a smile to my face!! You can see the delight of the cabinet and I love all the care you put into it. It’s so easy to get caught up in worries when youre working on long projects like this. you share the same joy the man did with the pink cabinet!

Me, letting my mom know: Ariel Bissett just posted a new video 😊🎉

Yay! The linen colors you chose work so well, they look so cozy! So so happy that you like them and it was such a pleasure to collab with you :)

the music and painting montages were so relaxing, i’m drinking coffee and it’s snowy outside while watching this vid… immaculate vibes here

Hey The artist in the photo that inspired you is Peter Hunt ! :) He was known for is folk art. Love from France, you're my safe place

I have the tall dresser version of this and have been putting off doing anything to it for YEARS! This is such a good reminder to just have fun and make it however whimsical you want! Thank you for the inspiration push! ♡

those establishing shots before you started painting of your garden were so so cozy and beautiful, love details like that. this came out so incredibly sweet looking and fit the space so much! we put so much pressure on ourselves to do perfect things and sometimes the fun factor of just letting ourselves do something creative is way more important!

How amazing would it be if you attached the old dresser you had there to the top and continued the painting!? What a statement piece that would be!! 🥰

I don't comment often but i love to see everything you've done with your house! Your cheerful openness, bringing viewers into your world, gives us such joy! Thank you for being honest with your internal struggles and keeping it real! I love your style and am in awe of your ability to tackle so many things on your own. I am slowly renovating my house too and the laborious unending projects can get to you! (I spent four days in my hallway recently doing finish work 😢lol). Anyway - all that to say: great job! You are an inspiration!!!!

couldn't possibly love this more. it's pure joy in cabinet form. 💐

As an artist, all of my really good paintings are carefully planned, with sketches, and measurements. Having the vision to plan your projects is what makes a person an artist.

Hi Ariel, I Googled the picture you found on Pinterest of a man painting a cabinet. I believe it’s Peter Hunt, an American folk artist 🤗

I’m so glad you’re prioritizing your happiness with this project! All the work you do must be wicked stressful at times; you deserve to enjoy a part of the process purely for the sake of enjoyment! Thank you for sharing this with us - it’s a welcome reminder that not everything we do has to be polished to the nth degree or fit someone else’s standard of perfection. And honestly, the botanical theme with the colors from around the house work super well in that space! Bravo, Ariel☺️

I love how your cabinet turned out! It's so pretty!

I think that in an increasingly mechanized and industrialized world, there's nothing more beatiful than seeing human touches in everyday things 💜 furniture has become lifeless and identity-less, so just by being handmade something is so much more beautiful and valuable

The beauty of folk art (probably all art) is in the joy of making it. You absolutely captured that joy!!

I can COMPLETELY understand the mounting pressure that builds from any creative project. That's the wonderful thing about personalized, custom pieces. It's YOURS and as long as you love it and love how it turned out, then it is a beautiful piece! (I also think it's adorable and you did a wonderful job) but the main thing is, as long as you love your piece, that's all that matters.

It turned out SO cute! I love how detailed it is. Hand painted things add so much character 💜

Ariel, I'm OBSESSED with your house renovation series. Just came here to say that. 😄Ok, I'm gonna go watch the rest of the video.

Art is supposed to be fun, or relaxing. Its beautiful and creative. I paint and I think your cabinet is beautiful. What's more important is that you love it♥️

I think Mauds paintings are loved because you feel the joy she had in the creating. So happy you realized this and enjoyed the creative process 🥰

Oh, Ariel, it’s so sweet and pretty ❤ I love that it incorporates so many of the colours you have used throughout your home thus far. It’s like an ode to your creative journey and I love it.

I was about to get bored, and then your video popped up. I love how you painted the dresser drawer, So Fun and magical. Reminds me of the German designs with their furniture.

Every time I open the youtube app I hope there's a video from you. So happy that today there was one here☺️ Love the drawer and really inspiring me!

After watching most of your renovation and other house project videos i find myself feeling very limited by being a renter. You've made me want to work harder so that i can afford to own a home. Love your content and vibes, thanks for being great.

Thank you for picking sustainable companies as your sponsors!

These painted cabinets remind me of the village of Zalipie in Poland. The town is painted with flowers! Def look it up, its beautiful.

When I see your cabinet, it exudes happiness.

I really love the cabinet ....dresser....we would call it in the states...You are so talented..... a real whimsical fun piece of furniture....and now I am thinking you should do some of this kind of painting in your kitchen cabinets when you get to that room...I just love whimsy and that is why I love Maudie...Just go for it...capture that inner child...have fun!!

I love the finished product so much!!!! Once I have my own house, I want to paint around it in a folk style. ❤ I love love love it!

Your cabinet turned out Beautiful! I tell myself when doing something creative 'their are no mistakes, just happy accidents' quote from my favorite painter Bob Ross. Just bring out your inner child and don' t think, just have fun!! Key to creativity. Again, just Beautiful!!

"Lâcher prise" is not so easy; you managed to have fun and to make this boring cabinet so charming, bravo!

Yes! The important thing is not the mastery of the craft, because that does not come easily; it is in the doing. Every single artist started somewhere, and as long as you allow yourself to be creative and feel inspired, the result will naturally feel creative and inspired. If anything, a lack of experience tends to result in some of the most creative art, as you are unbound from the confines of your own expertise. There's a genre of art called "outsider art", which is art created by those who are completely amateur to their craft, many who experience some sort of setback in their life or atypical assemblage, whether physically or mentally, and the entire charm of it is their freedom of expression, outside of what is conventional. Never be afraid to express yourself, because it is that fear that holds the world back from being a lovely place. I truly think everyone has the capacity to create interesting art. Also, no matter what you do, it will never end up as badly as the person who painted over a hand-painted antique chinese dresser with a wide brush, so there is a floor that you will always be far above when it comes to painting furniture; you are starting halfway up the ladder, not at the base of it.

I think whenever you will look at this dresser it will hive you joy!

Beautiful Maude Lewis would be so proud of you. I love it. It looks happy!

Absolutely STUNNING! I get so excited when I see you post 🩷

I absolutely love how it turned out! It reminds me of a dresser I painted with my best friend when we were teenagers. I want to do this again!

I'm glad you had fun in the end, you can feel the happiness in the end result. Also, using all of your leftover paint ensures that the furniture piece matches your house and vibe, which is such a bonus! Loved this project.

I'm glad you love it, the dresser truly looks beautiful and unique! And I love that you can see the beautiful wood grain as well as all the gorgeous organic folkart painting style you created. Wonderful designs!

thank you for keeping in the ways that you struggled to enjoy and like what you were doing, and also what gave you the joy to push past it!! i'm positive there isn't a creative out there who can't deeply relate to that, so it felt even more impactful to see how wonderful the piece came out on the other end once you felt happy in what you were doing! 😊😊😊

Thank you for making this video - seriously! You are an inspiration. I am going to be brave and make over this dear old chest of drawers I rescued off the side of the road! Thanks for sharing your awesome project.

That image of the old man reminded me of Swedish kurbits. Painted furniture is iconic to the Dalarna region, I think you’d be really interested in those designs as well!

knitting and watching this. perfect combination ❤

This would be so adorable for a nursery!!

This was such a fun project! You know how sewing is unexpectedly like 70% ironing and pinning? I think designing and creating this sort of work is 90% deciding when to add more and when to stop. You did a lovely job navigating that as well as the ups-downs of getting tired and feeling like it's hot garbage. Every craftsperson hits that point in every project. You did great!

You did a great job! I have an old dresser at my cabin that the previous owner must have painted. It’s not a beautiful piece of furniture or I should say it wouldn’t have been before the artist transformed it. The drawers stick and it’s not all real wood from what I can tell but they painted it all blue and added colourful fish and bubbles all over the drawers. It’s perfect for a cabin at the lake! They left a second dresser that one day I would like to paint myself. I don’t have the paint collection you have on hand so I will have to think on it over the winter to prepare for a spring project! I painted the walls of the upstairs blue and yellow to get a sun and water theme going on in 2018 and ended up not really liking it but it’s too awkward a space to repaint as it’s an A frame cabin. The walls themselves could potentially become a mural since hanging artwork on a slanted wall is next to impossible! Your channel gives me lots of ideas! I love the way you tackle projects and enjoy the finished results!! Looking forward to your next video!

Folksy whimsy, lovely and chill expression of you! ❤

It is lovely! 💗 And you looked like you were having fun. Doubting ourselves robs us of our joy.

Everything you do comes from a place of love and that shows!

Such a cute cottagecore style designs on the cabinet

So beautiful! I painted flowers on my bed frame last year, more Dr Seuss in style, and I'm so glad I did because when I see them, I think, "Oh, aren't those lovely."

You could try some acrylic paint markers too? I'd do it on a sample board first though to make sure it didn't drag the bottom layer. I think if it was over dry paint it would be fine. You could use them for outlining or small details. Furniture paint stencils are cool. And you can buy stencils that you stick on, then jutst spray varnish over the top. So many possibilities! I ❤️ your chest of drawers. It looks just the way you wanted. Folksy, romantic and delicate.

when i was a teenager, i accidentally made a weird spot on my desk with nail polish remover. i proceeded to paint the whole desk grey to cover up the patch. but the grey color kept chipping off, revealing the wood underneath. so one day i was bored and i started to draw on it with my pen. i didn't think about it, i just drew random lines and squares and zentangle stuff on it, and whenever i sat there in the evening bored, i would continue my silly canvas and in the end, my weird patchy terrible desk was so unique because i had covered the whole thing with something fun. :)

Joy Joy Joy....lovely ....filled with smile and confidence...love it.

So excited to see a video from you

I love the little pop of wavy flowers on the side, so fun, I know it’ll only be visible when you sit in the chair but it’s like a hidden gem . Turned out so cute and you’re cute for how excited you were, love people enjoying the little things for themselves.

By not painting the whole chest of Draws with a base colour then putting a design on top. .Yours look so cool the way you have done it brilliant 🤗👍 💐☕🍰 Love Sue ❤❤❤🇬🇧❤❤❤

I am so happy you got your confidence in check and painted this. there is something beautiful about "amateur" painting. you did a great job. it is so bright, soft and playful. i am an artist and i work in many mediums. painting free hand is so much fun!! the music you played really was inspiring!! I am so happy you talked about Maude Lewis! her word is so vibrant and like your work, full of love. have you seen the movie Maude? i highly recommend it.

As someone who has done tole painting for years. I always picked a pattern and used tracing paper and graphite to transfer the image Always base coat first.

What a lovely piece. You did good Ariel! 🩷

It turned out beautifully. I really enjoyed watching you paint, you are right about painting freely and joyfully for fun :) I should have a go at painting again, thank you for the little prompt in that direction 😊♥️🌻

A cool stain colour and then a protective clear coat would look great.

I love your folk art design but wish you had done a paint wash over the whole dresser to tone down the wood. Your style is what I aspire to be. Keep up the great work and thanks for sharing your masterpiece.

You painting on your carpet and seat gave me so much anxiety lol. The result is absolutely lovely and I'm sure this cabinet will bring your joy every time you look at it! :)

This dresser just screams you. Its so fun and whimsical. When in doubt, always keep going and just add more.

I have a plain old hutch that is crying out for some whimsy. I do believe you've inspired me over the hump.

I feel the joy you added the second day! ❤️

You checked every box - it's so sweet and happy! ✨

Bravo! Bravo! And thanks for the comment about your plan to protect it! Masterpieces- especially self created ones- deserve to be preserved!

What a lovely and delightful project

I was skeptical at first, about you paining on the natural wood, but I really like the way that it turned out! :)

It looks really pretty. And it looks perfect in that spot.

I love it. It is so fun and whimsical!

I love everything about this video!!!! Lovely finished product!!!!

The wood texture is busy and cheap looking unfinished, so the busy design is probably blending in to that and not standing out like the reference photos

Absolutely adore it.

This looks like so much fun!

I'm so glad you did this and posted it! It shows so much of your creative side. It's amazing!

How beautiful! So much better when you relaxed and enjoyed it. You did an awesome job!

You did such a beautiful job!! Loved seeing your attitude about letting it stay fun!!

It's very sweet & cute! With projects such as these, I find the busier the better. It's just lovely.

That's beautiful! I love it and what you said about your struggles with it. Very relatable. Thank you for sharing ❤

So fun! Good job Ariel!

these turned out so beautiful!

Loved that you had a vision and executed it despite the worry and how you leaned into the fun!

Dresser is amazing!! You are very talented!!

I really love what you did on the side, flowers reaching to heaven. Also love how you keep advocating, 'have fun'! Blessings, B.