How to Spray Paint a Brown Crib White
I’m finally getting around to sharing one of the last projects from Chickadee’s nursery. I had been doing some crib research when I started talking to my room mom from last year. She told me she had her son’s crib up in the attic and I was welcome to have it if I wanted it. I was hesitant at first because it was brown and I was really hoping to have a white crib in baby girl’s nursery. However, my husband and I are not ones to pass up FREE, so we picked it up later that week!
After doing a little research I found out that spray painting the crib was a viable option, and since I was 25+ weeks pregnant, III got to work! Yall, it was so hard to sit back and let someone else do the DIYing! I had so many opinions and thoughts of how I would be doing it….after voicing a few of them I realized all would go much more smoothly if I just trusted my fabulous husband and family who was there to help.
So here is the skinny (which I was not after gaining 40lbs with Chickadee….):
01. Make sure the crib is taken apart. Then sand the entire thing with some handheld fine grit sandpaper. Then wipe down the pieces. Set up outside on a big piece of plastic or a tarp would work too.
Now I chose to spray paint over brush paint for two reasons: a) I didn’t want brush strokes b) the though of painting all of those rails inside and out….I couldn’t do that to III
02. Next, Prime. I decided to use Rustoleum’s 2x Ultra Cover Primer. If you are thinking about skipping the priming stage…don’t. It took III about 4 cans of primer….allowing for two coats front and back. Spray the fronts of all pieces and allow 30 minutes to dry. Then do the backs…repeat. You want to put this on lightly so avoid drips. If there is any dripping sand the spot in between coats and you will be good to go! Since you will be doing all of your spraying outside, make sure it’s a pretty day with 0% chance of rain. This is an all day project folks.
03. Next up is the top coat. I again turned to Rustoleum and used their Ultra Cover 2x Painter’s Touch spray paint. You will want to spray these layers lightly as well. III did three coats and it took 6 cans of spray paint. I suggest using a spray can grip/sprayer (you can see it on the can III us using below) so your finger doesn’t lock up on you. This is a lot of spraying. Again if there are drips sand in between and they will hardly be noticeable.
04. The last step before reassembling is sealing the crib. I used this sealer because it is a water based, non-toxic sealer and after using spray paint I wanted to make sure the top coat is baby safe. Some sealers are not safe to use when pregnant so please make sure and read ALL the information on the back!
05. Finally, have your husband assemble the crib while you sit on the computer with your feet up and admire HIS handiwork!
It couldn’t have turned out better!! We did have to make one modification. The crib was 9 years old, so it was still a drop down. We ordered a kit from the manufacturer that secured the front so it no longer drops down. The pieces were also brown, so I just covered them with washi tape! LOVE that stuff :o) Baby girl loves her crib and rocks out in if for 11 hours every night!
Whether preg or not- or if paints are toxic or not- pls use a proper mask. If doing a large project you don’t realize how much you inhale. My lungs didn’t start burning until the next day and I was super cautious. I ended up with some real health issues. If pregnant let someone else do this! Safe painting.
Hi! Is it safe to spray paint while pregnant?
Love this, Laura. Thanks for sharing.
Going to need it soon. Hint hint :-)
Glad to have found your site.
Oliver
Hi – we recently spray painted our brown minicrib white and I am wondering what size of the earth safe sealer to purchase. Do you remember what you used? They come in 8 oz, 16 oz, 32 oz, or a gallon. Also, did you do more than one coat of the sealer? Thanks!
Are the spray paints you used baby safe in the long run? When the child gets older I don’t want my child to chew on the wood and get sick.
How long did the sanding take? Any tips? That’s the part I’m dreading the most.
I wasn’t looking forward to it either & for good reason….it took a few hours, but sooo worth it!
Are there any spray sealers you recommend? I have primed and painted my crib, but need to seal it.
I am not sure! I only found the liquid sealer that was safe for a crib. Good luck!
Did you use a flat, satin, or gloss finish for the top coat?
I used satin for the top paint coat, but then the non-toxic clear gloss for the final coat!
What was the name of the top coat you used for the crib?
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How many jars of the sealer did you need to do all of the crib?
I believe 2 or 3 depending on how many coats you decide to do.
Hi there, was it a smooth finish after the sealer?
Yes!!
Is there a reason why you didn’t use the polycrylic spray?
No, just prefer the liquid.
Thankyou so much for this pin you’ve posted. My husband and i are expecting our 2nd babygirl and we were blessed with all new baby furniture with our first babygirl, although its all dark mahogany brown. We are in process of purchasing bigger home officially beginning next year but in the mean time our girls will have to share a room and it would be nice to have matching furniture and a new color scheme going on too. Lol…my excuse for wanting to do this project. So i have a lot to do. My 1st daughter uses her crib as a toddler bed now and a close friend is willing to give us back a crib we gave to them for their child which is also mahogany brown. Omg… DIYing projects are addicting & time consuming but…. Rewarding in the end. Thanks again.
Good Luck!
Hi there, can you post what type of spray paint you used? I was under the impression spray paint should not be used in a baby’s room, but if you found a safe one I’d love to hear about it!
Hey there! I used Krylon, and then multiple coats of the water based polyurethane on top. We haven’t had any problems, but definitley use your own judgement!! We simply added a teethguard to the front when she started teething.