by Jeanette @SnazzyLittleThings Quarterly update March 23, 2015

DIY Forums & This Guide In DIY Forums, we have two camps of people…those of us that represent a specific paint line (we love you and want to hear from you more) and those of us that are floating along in outer space mixing paints like mad scientists (…raises hand). In DIY Forums I hope to marry the brains of these two worlds in and create a “buying guide” so that members can make informed decisions, learn to let go of perfection, and to experiment with a little guidance from the group. Our collective knowledge can be powerful, and will help us all raise our creative game!

My thoughts on chalk paints…When I choose chalk paint for a specific project, the outcome I am hoping for is a “perfectly imperfect” effect, one that is weathered, layered and timeless. So this makes me incredibly lenient on what paint brands I choose. Chalk paint has rescued so many long-forgotton wood pieces that would otherwise be difficult to salvage. When our canvases are imperfect, we have to learn to accept that the final result won’t be perfect either.

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Break The Rules

As a budget DIY blogger, I am a consumer, just like you. I don’t represent any specific paint line. I work with what I have, and will do anything in the name of saving money. This means that I sometimes mix things that were never meant to be. I hope this guide helps you learn to walk on the wild side. Because when you do, you will start to maximize your existing craft and paint supply, and your creativity will be limitless. My advice? Start a “paint lab”, keep scrap wood on hand…and see what happens! Just don’t light a match ;-)

Tip: Avoid Yellowing

Did you know that using an oil-based polyurethane over a lighter paint color can cause “yellowing” over time. The best advice I give is to use a water based poly overtop of lighter paints if you want the color to remain true. My favorite top coat from Rustoleum comes in matte, semigloss and glossy. (Affiliate Link).

THE PAINT LAB A practical paint guide for members of DIY Forums

by Jeanette @SnazzyLittleThings Quarterly update March 23, 2015

Here are a couple of things I’ve learned about chalk paint:

• Prep: Most brands behave very well when a piece is well-prepped. This means it is free of wax, dirt and has been washed down properly. By doing so, the piece will be primed for any chalk paint brand. The benefit of chalk paint is that it is a bonding paint with adhesive superpowers. This means you do not need to prime a piece first. I have used it on metal, leather, and wood pieces that have been properly cleaned with beautiful results.

• Bleed-through: Wood tannins or old varnish can bleed-through a light-colored chalk paint no matter how much you clean a piece. To prevent this, you can seal the piece with a clear coat (water based) prior to chalk painting it. By sealing the plain wood, you can still still allow the original wood grain to show through once the piece is lightly distressed. (My favorite treatment to prevent wood bleed = affiliate link included).

• Layering: Layering different colors, waxes and metallics gives you an authentic, Old World effect. The benefit of chalk paint is that it can be easily distressed to reveal the beauty of the layers beneath. Don’t be stuck thinking in one dimension, experiment!

• Washes with Water: Since chalk paint is water-based, I dip my brush often to keep a wet edge and blend the paint. Additionally, you can use water as a “wash” overtop of an existing color (layers!) then wipe off, dab for added color and effect. (The frames above were more of a wash application).

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Prepping a piece…

When prepping a piece of furniture for a fresh coat of paint (or stain), I clean a piece using a few techniques.

• Wire Brushes: To get in crevices. Nothing highlights ancient food stuck on a coffee table like paint!

• TSP: A water / TSP combination should remove most dirt and grime. Important to do all components

• Hardware: Remove old hardware and soak in a TSP mixture.

To get rid of that “old furniture” smell, vinegar works miracles. Wash the inside of drawers with a vinegar and water mixture. For stubborn smells, you can place charcoal inside of the piece for a few days to absorb oder. I use TSP on pieces, too, mixed with water to prep a piece.

If there are many nicks and dings, the furniture will also get a light sanding to ensure a smooth finish.

by Jeanette @SnazzyLittleThings Quarterly update March 23, 2015

• Distressing: In my world, I like to distress a piece prior to waxing, glazing, and definitely before the final poly coat. I don’t distress new wood pieces since I don’t like to reveal new pine (nearly white wood) in my layers. So when we build a new piece of furniture, I use a water based dark walnut stain as my base coat, before applying chalk paint. This way the distressing reveals what appears to be older wood.

Two methods of distressing I use:

• Sanding Blocks: I use sanding blocks to distress when I’m outdoors. I push the sanding block away from me (versus pulling towards me) for more control. I start at the corners of a piece and work my way around the piece after the corners are done. If needed, I then distress flat surfaces lightly.

• Wet Distressing: When I am indoors, I use the “wet distressing” technique to cut down on dust. You can distress metal as well. This method is illustrated in my $10 table makeover.

Distressing DON’Ts:

• Distress new pine: it looks inauthentic to distress a piece only to reveal brand new wood. Use a walnut layer (or color of your choice) to make the wood appear aged underneath.

• Avoid the “rainbow effect” (which is the natural motion of your arm movement) when distressing large flat surfaces. Nothing ages naturally this way. Always be mindful of what natural distressing would look like on a piece.

• Avoid being heavy handed with a sanding block and creating a “dotted” effect on round objects, like I created on the round legs on this project. Be very light with round pieces. Nothing ages like this (a lesson learned).

• Spray Guns with Chalk Paint: Is it possible? Yes! Have I tried it? No, but many bloggers I know have, and they recommend the HomeRight FinishMax type of spray gun to do the trick. This provides a smooth and even finish, and avoids brush strokes.

• Waxing: I wax pieces when any of the following applies:

• The piece will be used indoors and wont’ be exposed to heat.

• I want to enhance wood or metal embellishments.

• The piece looks too new, chalky, or I don’t like the overall color, so I enhance and richen the color using wax.

• It won’t be used often (like a kitchen table). I personally don’t like the feel of waxed furniture so I use it on pieces that are designed for display.

Waxes can be mixed. (I mix my clear + dark waxes often). Why? So that I can feather-in the aging effect. This gives me more control. I ease it into the piece, especially on flat surfaces like a drawer face. You wouldn’t want to start in the middle of the drawer front with a dark wax. So think about

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by Jeanette @SnazzyLittleThings Quarterly update March 23, 2015

it like applying your blush when putting on make up. (Sorry guys) then blending it out. I apply darker wax where a natural darkening process might happen (corners, around wood embellishments).

• Glazes: As an alternative to waxes, you can create your own “glaze” which is a sheer, water based coating of color overtop of your base. You can DIY your own by mixing an acrylic craft paint (in a color of your choice) with a clear polyurethane. In the photo below, I used a Varathane matte poly,

with a combination of acrylic craft paints to create the home made glaze. What’s nice about glazing is it is typically a water-based creation…and it is very easy to polyurethane overtop of it (unlike waxes). I pick up acrylic paints from the craft store and create them myself. I love glazes with subtle metallic undertones, and of course, rich browns always do the trick to age a piece.

• Polyurethane: I use a water based polyurethane overtop of chalk paint on pieces when any of the following applies:

• The piece will generally get a lot of hands-on use, and I want a clean-feeling finish.

• The piece has not already been waxed. But if it has, I take additional steps to prep it with a light sanding. Then I keep my fingers crossed that the poly will stick. If the first coat doesn’t still well, I apply many layers of poly to solve the problem.

• I use a matte poly if I want the retain an older, distressed look (my favorite).

• I use a higher gloss on pieces that will need to be wiped down often.

• Don’t Forget! — using an oil-based poly overtop of a light paint can cause yellowing over time.

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by Jeanette @SnazzyLittleThings Quarterly update March 23, 2015

My favorite brands & products I use for chalk paint projects:

(Affliliate links included)

Paint Brushes - use a good quality brushes that doesn’t shed.

Varathane Water Based Poly - I like matte, but you can choose any finish you’d like.

Foam Brushes - for a different finish and good if you want to avoid brush strokes.

Varathane Dark Walnut - water based stain, good to apply to new wood projects, before chalk paint.

DecoArt Chalky Paints - I have had very good luck using this paint along with coupons.

Clear Shellac Spray - to seal wood tannins and prevent bleed through.

Sanding Block - I like using an angled sanding block for most projects.

Vinegar & Water - use this to remove old musty smell from furniture.

Charcoal - use regular charcoal (not the self starting kind) to also remove orders in drawers.

Calcium Carbonate - to make my own chalk paint

My Paint Recipe:

Recently I began mixing my own chalk paint, and used it on my bathroom vanity project. I added water / calcium carbonate to my base paint mixture in the color of my choice. So if I have 1 cup of paint, I add about 5 tablespoons of calcium carbonate. Then I continue adding tablespoons of water to the consistency I want. I lean towards a more watery consistency to ensure a smooth finish!

Pros: More color variety. Less expensive. Goes on very smooth when blended smoothly.

Cons: If you need more color, you have to ensure you remember your formula so you don’t end up with different shades. Also, latex paint can peel. So you can decide whether mixing this with a premixed latex paint is the right choice for your project. In my case, this vanity was something we decided was in a somewhat low traffic area, and not visible. This was my experiment. I have since used it on a huge vanity project (one that I am repainting) and LOVE the results, and there is no peeling!

Next quarter I will update this newsletter with a new chapter about my favorite stains and

polyurethane finishes, stripping furniture and more! Jeanette Email: jeanette@snazzylittlethings.com

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