Some talented bloggers and I have challenged each other to come up with a unique item/project made with a different product each month.
This month our challenge is using paint or stain. Luckily, I have been up to my ears in painting this week so I am super excited to share something that you’ve seen being used a million times already but I am just barely there.
I want to share my review and thoughts with you about chalk paint and dark wax after using it on this all natural wood piece that has a lot of pretty detail. To me, the best way to bring those details out is to paint and glaze it. I have never had good luck with the store glazes so if you read further you’ll see what else you can do to get that look besides what I am showing in this post.
After sanding the shine off the wood surface (still a little skeptical about the not having to sand with chalk paint) I decided to try my own mixture of chalk paint as so many DIY-ers are doing.
To make my own chalk paint I just added 1/2 cup of plaster and 1/2 cup of water together in a disposable bowl and mixed it really well. Then I added that to my favorite color of paint - Northampton Putty by Benjamin Moore (about a quart or a little less).
To reduce the brush stroke lines I used an eggshell paint finish along with applying the chalk paint with a sponge roller then back brushing.
Rolling on paint and back brushing is the key to NO brush stroke lines.
I like the thickness of the chalk paint mixture and it seemed to dry fast and hard. I used a little mouse hand sander to distress the paint once it dried.
OK… so the other new thing I tried is this dark wax. I read HERE that applying clear wax to the painted surface first is important so I did. The detailed areas were then brushed in the dark wax full strength after the initial clear wax coat.
(I painted the drawer white because I love two toned furniture.)
I used a cheap paint brush to apply the dark wax into all the nooks and crannies in the wood. Then using a piece of an old t-shirt dipped in clear wax I rubbed in circular motions to spread the wax around.
It was beautiful after I rubbed it all in. I seemed to use a lot of clear wax and I thought I was working with it for a long time but maybe I wasn’t - I didn’t look at the time.
The embellished areas are accentuated with the darker color. I don’t think my results would have been good without clear wax. It helped dilute the darkness.
I have to tell you though - I get this same look with another technique by using stain as I did the dark wax here and then baby oil as the clear.
(You can view that post tutorial
HERE. I think the baby oil way is easier and cheaper but I had to see what all the rage was with these new products).
I don’t know why I like the look of painted hardware but I do. The great part is that chalk paint will even stick to metal.
New knobs went on the white drawer and I lined the inside with chevron contact paper. It’s an “old with the new” look. 🙂
Isn’t it pretty? So let’s re-cap:
The paint color is Northampton Putty by Ben Moore in an eggshell finish.
The drawer is just a white wall paint I have around - it’s semi gloss.
Both are mixed with plaster of paris.
Roll and back brush!
Sand with about a 220 grit paper for a distressed look (distressing techniques can be found in THIS post)
Use clear wax on the whole surface first (and not just a little).
Apply dark wax to the details with an inexpensive paint brush.
Use an old t-shirt or cloth dipped in clear wax to blend it all by rubbing the surface in a circular motion.
Will I use chalk paint again? - YES!
Will I continue to use dark wax? - Some of the time 🙂
OK….so go see the other bloggers that are sharing their Project Challenge today and enjoy!
Thanks so much for reading and happy Friday!!!
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