Chalk Paint Side Table Makeover

Hey guys! 

Though this was not a very difficult project, I wanted to write a quick post about my first experience working with chalk paint. I know, I'm super late to the game. And just about everyone has painted most of their furniture with this stuff, but what can ya do. I usually paint furniture with Sherwin Williams' ProClassic, because it is amazing and works wonderfully for a clean, smooth look, but I had a more rustic-distressed look in mind for this project, and I wanted to try some chalk paint out.

Josh had some hand-me-down tv dinner folding tables that we were using in our screen porch as side tables, but they were in terrible condition, so I decided to use them as my first chalk paint project. I went and got myself some Little Billy Goat chalk paint and some low sheen finishing cream sealer by The Real Milk Paint Co. LLC from a local furniture refurbishing store. 

Here is one of the tables, before touching them:

(it was just sitting there begging me to make it look pretty again!)

And here are the supplies I used:

1. Little Billy Goat chalk paint (color named Garren)

2. The Real Milk Paint Co. LLC low sheen finishing cream sealer

3. A fine-bristle paint brush I already had

4. Damp rag

5. Part of an old T-shirt

6. Spray bottle with water

I started off by wiping my tables down and making sure all of the surfaces were clean. I had to use some goo-gone because there was a weird sticky substance on the top of one of them. Then, I opened up my paint, stirred it well, poured some in an old whipped cream container, and started painting away. The WONDERFUL thing about chalk paint is that you don't have to sand your piece before you paint, and it can go on just about any kind of surface! It saves so much time and energy... my kind of paint!

When I first started, I tried brushing it on and then using a fine roller (because that is normally what I do when I paint furniture), but decided that rollers only works well with regular paint. It works better to smooth chalk paint using a spray bottle and water, after brushing the paint onto the surface. This helps the paint to settle evenly on the surface. I still left some brush strokes, though, because I wanted a little texture. 

I let the paint sit and dry for a while, and later came back with a wet rag to do some distressing. That's the other great thing about chalk paint: Distressing is as easy as wiping off the paint with a damp cloth, wherever you want it to look distressed! (Which also means that clean-up is super easy!)

I didn't have any kind of rhyme or reason to my distressing... I just let my visuals lead.

Next, it was time to apply the finishing cream. It is kind of a creamy (makes sense) substance that can be applied using a fine rag (I used part of an old T-shirt and it worked well). This is what the cream looks like:

I spread it over the top of the tables, and in the crevices along the edges and around the legs. At first, the cream looks white, but it dries clear. You can apply right over the chalk paint, and it shouldn't take the color off of your piece. I just loved how much the wood from the distressed areas, and the color of the chalk paint, popped as soon as I spread the cream over the piece! Plus, it is protective and washable, which made it perfect for these tables, since there will probably be many-a-beverage set on top of them. I would suggest two coats of the finishing cream for surfaces such as these. (And coasters... just to be safe. I can't not use a coaster on a wood surface. It feels wrong not to.)

And here is the final product! I absolutely love how they turned out, and I'm so excited that they are now accent pieces in my porch, rather than just projects waiting to happen. They are now cute and functional! I cannot wait to take on my beautiful buffet with this same paint! 

So there you have it! I hope you enjoyed reading my chalk paint story and feel inspired to paint with some chalk paint!

xo

Lauren