Step 1: Furniture Selection
Furniture makeovers can be intimidating to say the very least. For some reason, you normally want to start with your great grandma’s huge antique china cabinet. Am I right? As much as I love your ambition, I suggest dialing it back a notch or two and start with something small like a side table or bar stool. They can easily be found at garage sales or Facebook Marketplace fairly cheap and great to practice on. Also, for the first one make it easy and get something that doesn’t require repairs.
For this tutorial, I’m using a bar stool to walk through the process of using chalk paint for a furniture makeover. I do use Annie Sloan chalk paint (ASCP) in this tutorial. You can use the same steps for any brand of chalk paint just keep in mind it may take more coats for different brands. They all vary in coat coverage. One of the main reasons, I use Annie Sloan is it normally takes about two coats to cover any project. That’s a time saver when you’re doing lots of furniture makeovers.
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Step 2: Color & technique choice
Decide on a color and painting technique you would like to use. This will probably be the most time consuming part of the project as there are so many choices to choose from. I suggest searching on pinterest and going into an Annie Sloan stockist store. Most stores have tons of furniture painted in the store which allows you to see first hand what the finished product will look like. They will also gladly share the colors and techniques used to recreate the makeover. Doesn’t that sound nice? Find a local Annie Sloan stockist here.
Step 3: Prep the surface
Use the Lysol wipes to wipe down the furniture piece. If the furniture needs more cleaning due to build up of furniture polish. I would recommend using a TSP heavy duty cleaner to clean it up. Just follow the directions on the box to create the cleaner and go over the piece. Easy right?
See the video starting @ 1:03 minutes to hear me talk more about prepping your surface.
Step 4: Paint (The fun part)
A basic paint technique will require the least amount of effort and you simply paint the piece with two coats of paint. This can be the same color or different color depending on the look you’re trying to obtain. You will paint the first coat and allow it to dry then add the second coat of paint.
Some quick benefits of chalk paint
- No prep work or sanding
- Non-toxic
- Dries quickly
- Cleans up with water and dish soap.
- Able to distress with just a Lysol wipe. I speak more about the technique in the how-to video starting at 13:22.
Step 5: Protect the surface
Wax on … Wax off.. Do you know what movie I’m talking about? hahahh…. I feel like such a dork but I think about every time I cover the furniture in wax. LOL… Apply the Annie Sloan clear furniture wax. Take a brush or a cloth to apply the wax to the dried chalk paint. Just dip brush / cloth into the hard wax and ‘smear’ it on the finish. Then take a clean cloth and rub it in. At first, you will notice the wax seems a bit sticky. You want to rub the wax in until it glides smoothly. You will feel the difference. You want to repeat this process for the whole piece. Applying the clear wax will not change the color of your piece. It will just protect the finish and your hard work. View the video at 19:04 for more info on the waxing technique.
Step 6: Clean up
Don’t overthink this one guys! Easy peasy !! With chalk paint simply use dish soap and water to clean your brushes and set them out to air dry.
Step 7: Enjoy
Now enjoy your hard work!! You deserve it!! I would love for you to post a picture of the piece on my Facebook page.. Just pick a recent post and show it off!!
Optional: Create a fun design statement piece using Chalk Couture. Here’s a Chalk Couture Furniture makeover with a how-to online tutorial.
Make sure to pin to PINTEREST!! and follow my blog !!
Results will vary please see the full disclaimer policy.
View the How To video for more information and hands-on information.
Supplies
- Furniture
- Ground protection ( something to keep the paint from getting on your floor)
- Paint
- Clear Wax
- Paint Brush
- Wax Brush or cloth
- Lysol wipes
Please note that paint colors will vary depending on screen settings. We cannot guarantee that paint colours will exactly match the colour you see on screen. I would highly recommend testing this method on a scrape wood first.
I am in no way affiliated with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint and am not compensated for this project or post. I simply like the product and wanted to share how I use it on my furniture makeovers. Contact an Annie Sloan stockist for the exact supplies and techniques needed for your project. Results may vary from piece to piece depending on many factors. I always recommend testing it on a scrap piece of wood before starting the full piece.
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