Paint Furniture With Home Made Chalk Paint

Chalk paint is one of the easiest paints to make at home and you can make chalk paint in an unlimited variety of colours if you do it yourself. When you want to paint furniture the easy way, or give furniture a shabby chic or distressed finish, chalk paint allows you to do it quickly and easily. The problem with ready made chalk paint is the cost. Chalk paint on the shelf is very expensive and yet you can make your own at a fraction of the cost.

Previously painted, sealed or varnished furniture requires very little sanding, other than the de-gloss the finish, which means less time spent sanding and quick application of paint. And since chalk paint dries quickly, your projects are finished without fuss and much faster.

YOU WILL NEED:

To make your own chalk paint you will need a few suppliers:

Paintbrush

Wooden mixing spoon

Large jug of water

Measuring cup

Interior crackfiller

You will need an empty, clean container for mixing - recycle an old paint container for this.

And finally you will need paint - flat/matt paint - you can use any flatt/matt paint to make your own chalk paint.

OPTIONAL: 240-grit sandpaper or sanding pads

1. While it isn't absolutely essential to sand furniture before painting with chalk paint, a light sanding to de-gloss (remove the shine) ensures a successful project. Use 240-grit sandpaper or sanding to remove the shiny finish. Wipe clean to remove the dust.

GOOD TO KNOW

At this stage you can continue to sand away any defects - or leave as is if you are going for a more rustic finish.

2. Pour one cup of water into the mixing container and slowly stir in one cup of interior crack filler. To this, slowly add two cups of paint. This method will ensure there are no chalky lumps in the paint that will spoil the finish.

GOOD TO KNOW

Only mix one batch at a time - enough paint to apply the first coat. You will have far more success with your project if you make a new batch of chalk paint for each coat.

If there are any small lumps in the paint mixture these will smooth away as you apply the chalk paint over the project.

3. You will need to apply 2 to 3 coats of chalk paint, depending on the final result that you want for your painting project. Allow each coat to dry before applying the next coat. What's nice about using chalk paint is that it dries fairly quickly.

While the mixture should not thicken as you work if mixed correctly, you can add a small quantity of water to the paint mixture should this happen.

OPTIONAL: If you want a smooth finish, sand the finished project with 240-grit sandpaper before applying Antique Wax over the painted finish.

Apply a coat of Woodoc Antique Wax or Polywax and buff to a satin finish.