Step by Step: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Tutorial

Have you jumped aboard the chalk paint movement train yet?

Well, if you are anything like me, you probably have a whole album on your Pinterest account FULL of gorgeous painted & re-furbished furniture that you have been lusting over, wondering... "How did they do that?!" After months of staring at many gorgeous pieces of furniture ART (all transformed using chalk paint) I decided to take the leap and try Annie Sloan out for myself!

It is no secret that I have been re-finishing furniture for quite some time. The process is tedious & time consuming, but I love every second of it & feel so accomplished when I see the finished product. Being that I am a huge perfectionist and loathe the sight of brush marks, most pieces require me to buy rollers, paint pans, sand paper, sanding blocks, primer & various other supplies for each piece of furniture that I re-do. Not to mention the fact that regular latex paint requires about 3-4 coats for a smooth finish (before distressing). You can only imagine how much time I was spending sanding, priming, painting & waiting between coats drying. As many pieces of furniture that I re-finish in any given month, I was in desperate need of a better & faster way to get the look that I wanted, but in much less time.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to the RESCUE!!!

I honestly cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this stuff! Quick drying time, no sanding, no priming, no need to use rollers, brush lines virtually disappear, 2 coats will mostly cover anything, will stick to most surfaces, even metals and plastics! Yes, the paint is expensive. But shortly after starting on my first piece I realized how little of this paint you really use, which means that every penny I spent on this tiny quart will go a LONG WAY! Seriously, this stuff is a God send & a genius invention! Thank you miss. Annie Sloan.

If you follow me on INSTAGRAM

you may have noticed my latest instabomb of all my chalk paint reveals & many of you have been asking for a tutorial on this amazing stuff, so here we go...

STEP 1:

Find a piece of furniture that is plain ol' wood. The darker the stain the better, but any old piece will do.

Don't worry about scuff marks or dings, these all add character to the piece.

STEP 2:

Give your piece of furniture a good cleaning. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth & remove any hardware (if needed)

STEP 3:

PAINT. Yep, that's right. Get your brush, dip it in the paint and just jump right in and paint. It doesn't matter which way the brush strokes go (the second coat will take care of that)

STEP 4:

Apply the second coat, this will cover the piece nicely and will fill in any missed areas. After this coat is dry you will notice the brush marks slowly disappear. (You can apply a 3rd coat for a more polished look)

STEP 5:

Sand it. I use a fine sanding block to sand the whole piece of furniture by hand and then use a small piece of 120 grit sand paper to distress the areas that I want more 'worn'. You will sand the parts of the furniture that would have naturally gotten the most wear over time (edges, corners, etc.)

STEP 6:

Apply the wax. Annie Sloan offers two versions of wax, a clear and a dark. For my piece, I used the clear. I also opted to buy her wax brush which is also quite pricey but SO worth it! You will smush the tip of your brush into the wax and cover the end of your brush (as pictured). Then work the wax onto your piece of furniture in a circular motion (like waxing a car). Make sure to cover every nook and cranny.

STEP 7: 

Wipe off the wax with a cotton rag, muslin fabric, paper towel or anything that is free of color. When I am waxing, I work in small sections, waking on and then wiping off. You will notice a difference in your piece of furniture as you wax. The paint slightly darkens & the distressed areas become darker and more noticeable. Waxing your furniture seals it for protection, gives a matte finish and smooth to the touch feel. 

STEP 8:

Step back and enjoy your beautiful work of art!

WHERE CAN I BUY ANNIE SLOAN?
I have gotten many questions as to where one can buy Annie Sloan chalk paint.
I bought mine at a cute & quaint little store near the beach in San Clemente, CA called
THE ABODE

For those of you not located in California... or near this location.
You can visit AnnieSloan.com
for a full list of retailers in every state that carry her products,
or do a simple web search...
there are many websites that also carry her paint and products as well.
Happy Painting!!!