Painting with Chalk Paint

Vicki is a retired teacher and a wife of a retired AF Officer. The military life required a lot of moving around and reinventing a new home

Repurposing Flea Market Finds

Chalk paint is the perfect way to repurpose a solid piece of furniture with good bones.

Good bones are not the same for everyone.

1. Decide on the style of the piece. Will rustic do or are you more of a mid-century person?
2. Does it have the lines that will compliment other pieces in your home?
3. If painted pieces are your passion, find a good flea market or consignment store to search for that perfect piece.
4. If hardware on the piece is a problem it may just be a matter of replacement. Big box stores and some hobby shops can offer a variety of alternatives

Now the artist can work

1. Pick the color that will work in your particular area.

2. Chalk paint comes in many colors, but I found that a lot of shades needed to be ordered online.

3. Lowe's has a small variety, but that may be all you need.

4. There is chalk paint that has to be brushed on, and spray chalk paint is an option. Unless the piece if small, I would pick the type that brushes on.

Tools

1. For chalk paint paint, there is a special brush that can be purchased. I went with a small regular paint brush for those hard to get corners, and a specialty brush.

2. Chalk paint is very thick, so stir well.

3. The chalk paint brush is extremely thick, so only dip in the end. That's all it takes. A regular paint brush can be used on the nooks and corners.

4. The paint can be brush on in any direction. That's one of my favorite things about this paint. No need to paint with the grain.

5. Paint a first coat and let dry for 24 hours. Then follow with a second coat

Supplies

Wet Sanding

I didn't know what this was but quickly found out.

1. Wet sanding requires a product for that purpose which is fine sandpaper surrounding a sponge. I bought mine online. I had to buy a variety pack and hopefully, the others with larger grit can be used later.

2. Wet sanding requires a grit of 800 - 1000. Very fine.

3. Once the sponge is wet, lightly sand your piece in the direction of the original grain. Rub lightly. Too much pressure may take the paint off.

4. Let dry for another 24 hours.

Sandpaper for Wet Sanding

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Finishing your piece

1. A lint free rag or old t-shirt can be used. Wipe down the furniture. A shop towel (the blue type) can also be used.

2. The final action is waxing (unless there is bleed-through.) That problem is addressed later.

3. There is a wax made especially for chalk paint and you will want to use that type of finishing wax for that. You want your piece to have a nice finish.

4. If you have no bleed-through, skip down to waxing.

Paint

Bleed Through

Depending on the condition of your piece you might see stain marks through the first coat of paint.

• This may be a drink stain or possibly inlaid wood.
• The bonding product pictured below is what I used. I haven't been able to find a small size, so I had to buy a gallon.

How to Apply the Bonding

• This product is THICK and will need a lot of stirring.
• Use a craft brush to apply. These can be found at Michael's and are inexpensive.
• Take the craft brush and put a small amount of paint on and then cover the stain or inlaid wood.

Stains

Spot Paint with Bonding

As you can see this chalk painted piece had a couple of stains and an inlaid.

• With the craft brush, I painted only the effected areas.
• This also requires 24 hours before adding your chalk paint cover.
• When dry, I applied a second coat. The stains were covered beautifully. The inlaid still was visible in places. Rather than try a third coat, I decided to try adding stripes to the piece. Only time will tell if I can live with a stripped side table. It is not for everyone. Stripes may be better in a child's room, but since I had the piece for the Great Room, and I did not get the coverage I wanted, I went with what I had.

Puting on Stripes

Applying Wax

• Use a large brush.
• Load only a small amount of wax at a time.
• Work wax into your piece. Once done see if there are dry spots and add more wax to the dry spots.
• When it comes to wax less is more at first.
• Make sure all dry spots are covered.

Applying Wax

Finished Project

• If you see any dry spots, make sure you go back and re-wax to get a good finished.
• Once the wax has cured, shine it with a lint free rag
• Good luck.

Finished Project

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.