Monday, May 6, 2013

Giving a Facelift with Chalk Paint

I am breaking from my "norm" today.  It's Monday and I always participate in Carissa's meme, "Miscellany Monday."  But, since I knew that many of you were waiting with "baited breath" to hear about my chalk painting experience, I decided not to make you wait any longer. ~aren't you excited?~
 Every once in a while I enjoy working on a project.  I have heard so much about chalk painting and have seen so many pieces done in chalk paint that I really like.  And, as I looked around our house, I saw several pieces that looked like potential candidates for chalk painting. So, I began preparing for a project in chalk painting.
I watched several U-Tube videos on the process and talked with a couple of folks that had done it.  There is so, so much info on the internet and it most helpful to me. ~whatever did we do before the internet~


 As in any project, the first thing I did was gather my supplies.  I decided that I would buy the chalk paint powder and make my own chalk paint. Webster's is the best and for the local gals, Nature's Hidaway carries the powder and the waxes.  As far as I know, Annie Sloan is the only maker of Chalk Paint and it is around $38 a quart. ~a bit expensive for sure~  The powder is $15 and there is enough to make I quart of paint, but you make it by the cup.  Two tablespoons of powder per cup of paint.  And, take my word for it, a little goes a long ways.  I used less than 1/2 cup on the two smaller pieces I did and I used 1 cup on the wash stand I did.  You can use the chalk powder in any water base latex paint you desire and in any color.  In addition to the this, you will need a a paint brush (a sash style is best and I got mine at the $$$ store and it worked just fine and never shed a time), some tight fitting disposable gloves, fine grade sand paper, your choice of wax (I'll say more about this in a minute) old rags and depending on where you will be working, a drop cloth.
I did my chalk painting inside.  The pieces I was doing were all upstairs and we have a large landing at the top of the stairs, so that is where I worked.  It worked out great for me and there is little to no odor with water base paint.
 My first piece was this old rocker.  I bought it several years ago at a garage sale for $25.  I don't know what those spots are on the seat of the finished piece but it must be the lighting. ~forgive me~ 
My second piece was this plant stand.  Both of these pieces were going in the same room so I did them to match.  I used the clear wax on these.
Here are the two pieces in the rightful places.  Yes, that's right, I use the plant stand for a TV stand in one of our upstairs guest bedrooms. ~don't laugh~
  My next piece and much larger piece, a wash stand that I have in our upstairs guest bathroom.  I did it in an Ivory color and then used the color, Rugger Brown, wax on it.  I found a huge difference in the clear wax and the colored.  You really have to work quickly with the wax.  It dries extremely fast, as in just a few seconds.  I wanted a more distressed look on this piece and that was why I chose to use a colored wax.  But, you rub it in with the grain and rub it off immediately to the desired intensity.  The wax color is just a personal preference but you have to wax each piece to seal it and to protect it.  Some tutorials say use a paint brush to put the wax on and some say rub it on with an old rag.  Let me just say, it is a whole lot better to use an old rag. ~in my humble opinion~  
Now, is that not just "plum" pretty!  I was very pleased with the results once it was placed back where it belonged.  Note* in the picture the distressing looks a bit greenish and ugly. ~chuckle~ But, it really does look good. ~I promise~ On all 3 of these pieces I lightly sanded the edges in a "hit or miss" fashion for an even more distressed look.  That is just your preference but needs to be done before putting on the wax.
While I did really like the looks of all 3 pieces, the rocker just did not please me when I got it placed back in the room it belonged in.  The color did not have enough pizazz.  So, I redid it to a golden yellow.

Now, don't you agree?  And, when I grow tired of this color, I can always come back and do it another color. ~oh, the joys of paint~  I used the Rugger Brown color wax on this too.

Now, for just some random info for you in case you are about to embark upon some chalk painting...........
......since doing my pieces I have found out that you can easily make your own chalk powder.  Go to this site to see how easy it is .  
......some tutorials I saw used the term, "just slap the paint on the piece."  Well, slapping is exactly what it will look like and I doubt that's what you want unless you are into a very primitive and rugged look.  I went with the grain of the wood with my brush strokes and found it to be more of the look that I prefer.  
......I used Fiddes wax  but have also found out that you can use any brand wax that is used for a protective finish. The colored waxes will all give a more distressed look to your piece, so if you are not looking for that, then you will probably want to stick with the clear wax.  


I have several more pieces that I am going to be doing in the coming weeks and will share those with you as I do them.  But, good luck to those of you that want to give it a try and remember, the sky is the limit.  You can paint any surface with chalk paint, so the options are numerous. And, remember too, if you do not like the color when you finish, you can redo it another color. ~smile~ If you have a question for me regarding my experience just leave it in your comments or email me and I'll be glad to answer.  I'm far from a pro, so just remember "you get what you pay for." ~big grin~
  
 

Lea @ CiCis Corner
Lea @ CiCis Corner

Hi there! My name is Lea. I've been wife to the best Hubby for 44 years....Mom to a son and daughter....CiCi to 4 precious Grans....lover of family and friends....enjoy laughter and a good time....shopper....picture taking maniac....maker of delicious fudge....organizational enthusiast....memory maker....Southern Belle...and most importantly.....a Child of the King! Welcome to my little corner!

9 comments:

  1. So pretty ... you were so busy with your chalk paint! I've got a couple of pieces that I wouldn't mind painting.

    Did you do anything to the original surfaces to help the chalk paint adhere?

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  2. Love love love the way this looks! great job! Yes, I love how you can just look up anything on the internet. I taught myself to do the rag quilts and got the bib patterns etc. on the internet. Soo nice. Oh! and btw, it was not me me sent you the email about your comments...sorry. I know how frustrating that can be. And no, I know nothing about google +. Hope you got everything all figured out. Enjoy your day!

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  3. You have been a busy gal this week and with such great results. Love the wash stand especially.

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  4. They turned out beautifully!

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  5. Great results! I love the way the dresser looks in the bathroom. And changing therocker to yellow rally made ot "pop"! Thanks for the helpful tutorial.

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  6. Sorry for the typos. I go too fast.

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  7. They came out perfect and I do like the change of color you used on the rocker. Can't believe you worked on so many pieces. I am going to save this post so I can refer to your advice. Way to go!

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  8. OH! MY GOODNESS!!! Girl you have done a great job! I just posted on my decorating blog about painting furniture to give a face lift...I need to post back here for all your wonderful pieces.
    Well I was given an old chair this past week...I know what I am going to be doing!
    Great job...but I have to laugh...you are so much neater than I when you paint!

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  9. I am loving all that you have done! But...I have never ever heard of the chalk paint powder. So glad you shared, becuase I will just not pay for the AS chalk paint!! Going to google and see if I can get any in my area.

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So glad you stopped by and hope you enjoyed your visit. I love your comments and read each and every one of them and I always try to reply to them. Blessings to you this day!