Use Chalk Paint

Chalk paint is great for painting furniture, because it dries quickly and doesn’t need as much prep as regular latex paint. Preparing the piece you’re painting, deciding whether to apply the paint with a brush (best for small pieces), a roller brush (best for long pieces), or a spray gun (best for large pieces), and then finishing your piece with a wax seal can get your furniture chalk painted in no time!

Steps

Preparing Your Surface

1. Work indoors if possible. Chalk paint adheres to surfaces best at room temperature, so working inside is best if you can. If you work outside it might be too hot or too cold for the paint to adhere properly.
2. Protect your floors. Spread newspaper or brown paper on the floor under where you’ll be painting. This protects your floor – whether a hard surface or carpet – from paint drips.
3. Remove any hardware from the furniture you’re painting. This includes things like handles, knobs, or hinges on furniture or cabinets, and glass or pads. Use plastic baggies to store the hardware you've removed until you're done with the project. That way you don't lose anything and you can get your furniture reassembled more quickly.
4. Sand rusty or high-gloss surfaces. Chalk paint will adhere to most surfaces without any kind of prep. However, if your furniture has a high-gloss paint or a lot of rust, lightly sanding it can guarantee good paint coverage. Use a 150-grit or finer sandpaper and lightly rough up the surface of the piece you’re painting.
5. Apply shellac to untreated wood. This gives the chalk paint something to adhere too, rather than it just soaking into the wood. Apply the shellac with a cloth pad, covering the entire surface of the piece in a thin layer, and let it cure according to instructions on the shellac.
6. Clean the surface with soapy water. You should do this after any pre-treatment dries but before you apply the chalk paint. Drop a few drops of liquid dish soap into a bowl of warm water and use a soft cloth to clean the surface. Rinse it with a cloth dipped in clear water, and then let it dry fully before you paint it.
7. Tape off areas you don’t want painted. This is especially important if you’re painting something like a cabinet, since you don’t want paint on your counter surface. Place the tape at the very edge of the thing you don’t want to paint, creating a barrier between your brush and the surface you don’t want painted.
8. Get enough paint. There’s nothing worse than starting a project and running out of paint halfway through. One liter of chalk paint can cover about 140 square feet (about 13 square meters). Make sure you measure the surface area you’re painting before you buy the paint.

Applying with a Brush

1. Get a brush with long flexible bristles. This allows the brush to pick up a good amount of paint. It also gives you a longer stroke, which means you can cover more area before you need to reload your brush.
2. Dip the brush into the paint. Only dip the brush about halfway in to the can; you don’t want so much paint on the brush that it drips a lot. Tap the brush against the side of the can to remove excess paint.
3. Apply the paint in one direction. For example, if you’ve decided to paint starting at the left of your piece, always move left to right. When you run out of paint, re-dip the brush, and then start by placing your brush just inside the paint you just applied and continue painting in the same direction.

Applying with a Roller Brush

1. Pour paint into a paint pan. Don’t totally fill the pan, since you’ll just have to pour it back in the can if you don’t use all of it. Pour enough to cover the roller brush when you place it in the bottom of the pan.
2. Use a high density foam roller. A high-density roller will soak up a lot of paint without it dripping. For most chalk paint jobs, it’s probably best to use a four-inch (10 cm) mini roller. Dip the roller into the paint in the pan and roll it back and forth until it’s coated.
3. Scrape the brush on the grid of the pan. This gets rid of any excess paint on the surface of the roller. Don’t scrape the roller brush too hard since this will get rid of most of your paint.
4. Roll on a thin layer of paint. Then roll the brush back in the opposite direction, and once more in the original direction. This gives you good coverage that should cover up any brush lines.

Applying with a Spray Gun

1. Water down the paint if necessary. Not all paint guns can handle chalk paint because it can be a little thick. Add 2 tablespoons (1 oz) of water to every cup (8 oz) of paint that you use in the paint gun.
2. Operate the gun at high pressure. This is especially necessary if you choose not to water down the paint. Test the gun on a small, out-of-the-way area on your piece of furniture to get used to the pressure.
3. Hold the gun approximately 3 inches (7 cm) away from the furniture. Apply the chalk paint evenly, sweeping your arm back and forth in long, even movements.

Finishing Chalkpainted Surfaces

1. Apply a second coat as necessary. A second coat of chalk paint is not usually necessary, but it can help cover imperfections. It can also give you a two-tone look if you use a lighter shade or the same shade for the second layer. The bottom layer of paint will show through slightly, altering the color.
2. Let the paint dry. Chalk paint dries relatively quickly, but if possible give it about two hours to dry totally.
3. Distress the surface. If you like the matte look of the dried chalk paint, keep it as is. For a more distressed look, use a medium-grit sandpaper and gently rub the surface, especially at the edges.
4. Seal with wax. You can use clear or tinted wax. Gently massage wax into surface of the piece you painted with a soft wax brush. You should use a 500-mL tin of wax for every 3 to 4 liters of paint you used. Work the wax in with the grain of the wood. Let the wax cure for at least 30 minutes.
5. Buff the wax for a shiny finish. You can do this with a soft, clean cloth. Rub the cured wax surface in small, even circles until the surface shines.
6. Replace the hardware. Once the wax is buffed, you can replace any hardware you removed to paint the piece. Be careful not to overtighten any screws, as this can scrape your paint up.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Paint Photos or Copy Masters Using XL Transparency
• Paint an Engine Bay
• Paint a Car Interior
• Use Matte Paint
• Paint Ducks in a Row in Watercolor
• Paint Fluid Art
• Splatter Paint with Balloons
• Puffy Paint a Shirt
• Create an Abstract Painting
• Create a Paint Booth in Your Garage

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