I love the look of creative painted furniture projects. Truly crafty people can come up with outstanding stuff, and their projects can be such an inspiration. Even better, they're usually happy to share information about the process to help us figure out how to replicate it or make our own twist on it. The friendly folks at Hometalk definitely take the cake when it comes to offering up their skills along with their projects to help people figure out how to play with stencils, chalkboard paint, and so much more.

Here are five projects that caught my eye this week; hopefully you'll be as intrigued as I was.

April's chalkboard calendar is brilliant. It's not furniture, exactly: this is actually made from an old window that was too beat-up to officially retain its window status. But it's so nifty that I might actually copy her with one of the old windows I have sitting around in the back shed. She applied chalkboard paint to the glass, stenciled on letters to keep the days of the week organized, added hooks, and had herself an awesome little calendar!

This was a boring old black nightstand. That is, until a crafty blogger painted it, distressed the paint, and played around with the drawer pulls. Looks totally different now, doesn't it? A much more rustic, cool look and feel than a generic store dreser. Nice work! And you don't even need to be a pro carpenter to accomplish it.

I love bright, colorful furniture, and this fire-engine red definitely suffices! Done in milk paint, it's eye-catching and practical all at the same time. Nice side pockets, drawers, and tabletop for arranging items in the bedroom, hall, or living room, depending on your needs.

Cindy did a great job with this painted and distressed buffet (and her owl decor is a real hoot). This finish was obtained with chalk paint and wax, and I love how it brings out the natural features of the buffet while also making it feel less clunky.

Hard to go wrong with classic stencils. This buffet has a classic, distinguished look that would go well in a room with other floral tones, or a more modern feel. The paint and natural wood finish look great together, and the choice of colors is fantastic! I could also totally see this in a historic home; a Philadelphia painter with a specialty in furniture restoration would have a ball working with pieces like this.

Getting inspired to put together your own painted furniture projects, or have some of your own to share? Tell us about it!

Katie Marks writes for Networx.com.