How To Chalk Paint Furniture

Chalk paint was invented by Annie Sloan in 1990. Annie Sloan is a leading colorist, author, artist, and inventor.

When coming up with her innovative chalk paint formula, she wanted to create a paint that would save time, since she herself had such a busy life and never felt able to decorate her furniture due to time constraints.

Chalk paint can be applied, dried, and waxed, all within a single day, making it a top choice for moms and others with little time to spare.

Despite its name, the paint does not actually contain any chalk in its mix. It is often confused with 'chalkboard paint', however, the two are pretty different.

Chalk paint is an easy to apply, low maintenance furniture paint with a matte finish. It comes in lots of wonderful colors and shades, and it is particularly loved for its ease of application.

This stuff goes onto wood, metal, laminate, glass, and even brick, making it versatile and fuss-free. If you are looking for a quick, easy, and effective way to give your furniture a make-over, then look no further. 

How To Prepare Your Furniture Before Chalk Painting

One of the main appeals of using chalk paint is that it does not require you to sand or scour your furniture before you apply it.

This paint is durable and goes on easy, even if the surface that you are painting is not pristine. 

You do not need to prime your furniture pieces either, which really saves time. However, even though you do not need to sand down or prime your furniture, we do still advise that you clean it before painting.

To clean your piece of furniture before chalk painting, simply fill a bucket with warm water, and use a damp cloth to wash down the surfaces.

Be sure to remove grit and dust, as that could cause the paint to appear lumpy once dried.

If there are any areas of grease on your furniture, you can use a little teaspoon and water to loosen and lift the stains (see also 'How To Get Ink Out Of Fabric').

It is important to remove grease stains as they can form a barrier between the paint and the surface that you're painting.

You may also like: How to Clean Paint Rollers

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Things You Need For Chalk Painting

Before you begin your painting, make sure that you have these things at the ready.

1. Your choice of chalk paint (enough for two coats over your entire piece)

2. One large paintbrush, and one small paintbrush (for intricate sections)

3. A paint tray

4. A tin of chalk paint wax

5. A wax brush

6. A lint-free cloth

The Chalk Paint Process:

To chalk paint your kitchen cabinets, bedposts, or any other items of furniture, you will always need to follow the same two-step process.

The first step involves applying the chalk paint itself. You will need to apply two coats to get the full coverage you want and to ensure that the paint is robust and durable.

The second stage involves applying chalk paint wax over the dried paint. This wax forms a protective finish, which keeps the paint in top condition and allows it to stand up to the tests of time.

You may also like: How to Paint Kitchen Cabinets

Stage One: Applying Two Coats Of Chalk Paint

With your materials set up, and your pieces of furniture cleansed and ready, you can now begin applying your base coat.

• Pour some of your chosen chalk paint into your paint tray. This will give you greater control of your quantities, and will also prevent the paint in the tin from becoming contaminated.
• Next, scoop up a good amount of paint onto your large paintbrush and begin applying it to the surface of the furniture in broad strokes.

• Be bold, you do not need to be too careful with this paint. Draw your brush over the surface in all directions to get an even coverage.

• If any drips land on the furniture, try to scoop them and spread them before they dry. (if you miss them, they can always be sanded off later).
• When the large sections have been coated, use your small paintbrush to get into the corner, nooks, and crannies. Continue until your entire piece has been covered in a first coat of chalk paint.
• Leave this base coat to dry. It should only take around 30-40 minutes, as it should be a thin layer.
• Once the first coat of paint is dry to the touch, you can begin on your second coat of paint. Repeat the exact same process as above, but this time using your smaller brush. Remember to leave plenty of room for the second coat to dry.
• Once both coats of paint have dried completely, you can then proceed to the next stage.

Stage Two: The Waxing Process

Now comes the fun part!

• Make sure that your second coat has fully dried before you begin with your wax coat.
• Using your wax brush, apply a generous coating of chalk paint wax over a small section of furniture.
• Give each section of furniture a few moments to soak up the wax, before rubbing over the area with your lint-free cloth to get rid of any excess. The cloth must be lint-free so that it does not shed fibers as you rub the wax in.
• Once one section has been waxed, move on to another until the whole piece has been waxed.
• Finally, once all areas are waxed, allow your furniture to rest for at least 24 hours before moving it back into place.

The wax will create a protective finish over the matte finish of the chalk paint, meaning that your furniture projects will be durable and long-lasting.

Final Thoughts

Chalk paint is not only quick and easy to use, it is also incredibly attractive. The chalky paint gives great coverage to a whole host of different material surfaces, and the range of chalk paint colors is wide and varied. 

Annie Sloan has a line of specialist chalk paint brushes and wax brushes that work really well with this paint, however, any regular paintbrush will do.

So why not try sprucing up your old furniture with some chalk paint today!