Chalk Paint chair

Finally I am back to Crafting.  In  the last two weeks my little man has crawled all over, learned the stairs like a champ, and with his new two front teeth is eating more often.  Much of my day is a whirlwind just trying to complete one thing.  Though I do enjoy being a mom and am trying to slow down and just enjoy.  It does mean I just don't have the time to get to my projects.  They stare at me from the corner, stuffed in drawers, and irritating my sleep.  I spent what time I could this week, during naps, sorting and deciding what projects are the priority and would make me the most happy.  The rest are going to wait til the say I have spare time, HA!

I have to say, I LOVE CHALK PAINT!  It is my friend.  I found this tragically sad chair on the side of the road.  {Oddly, I have noticed the side of the road in our new neighborhood has many free items left out.}  I do love chairs and never have enough.  Here is a simple way to repair and update a chair.

 The finish is worn and having been left in the rain it also darken the wood. 

 Mold, {which is Oregon's state flower} Has started to grow.  Don't worry, I did treat it and primed those areas to seal it.

 Wobbly legs that need tightening.  But overall, It is in good shape and will be great for my craft table.

 

With a coat of off white Chalk paint by Anne Sloan. It covers so well with one coat.

 I did some sanding and added the clear wax.  Then I added a small amount of dark wax.  I used an old sock to apply it and polish the wax.  The dark wax settles in the brush strokes and corners.  {If you add the dark wax before the clear wax, it will discolor the base coat, which might be what your looking for on certain projects.}

 There is my little guys hand, trying to climb up on everything. 

I am so impressed at how good that old chair looks now.   Next time you drive by some old wood furniture on the curb,  it can become trash to treasure.

Raised stencil Licorice finish

This is one of my favorite finishes. Not only the licorice but doing a raised stencil. I have used this on old cabinets to update with a very unique style. Of course the licorice finish can be done with any color, typically done in tobacco finish.

I started with a reclaimed cabinet door.  I really wanted a nice way to help organize my bathroom equipment i.e. blow dyer, brushes, straightener.  I thought this would be a stylish way to hang them.

 Always do a light sand, this is called a scuff sand as it just scuffs the surface.

 I went a head and primed it, you could apply the mud with or with out primer but to be safe, primer is the best option when going onto a lacquered finish.  It is also a good idea to use oil based primer for this project.  I used Kilz in a spray can. 

 Attach the stencil with tape, not too much as it needs to be pulled off easily.Apply mud as you would frosting a cake.  I left some layering as it adds to the finish.  It is best to use drywall mud.  It can be premixed or dry and mix it at home. (please do not use spackling paste, it will not hold up.) You want it to be the consistency of frosting. 

Let it set for an hour and pull off the stencil.  Don't worry about rough edges, when it's dry you can sand and fix it.  Now you want to prime it again. Make sure the mud is dry and sand down edges as you prefer.  I did two coats with Kilz.  It takes only 10 minutes to dry, do a light sand, and paint final coat.  Because I am doing a clear finish I am just using the primer for the base.

 I used acrylic craft paint mixed with glaze from the art section at JoAnn fabrics.  Water is also a fine option but works better on a paint rather than the primer.  Glaze is just a clear acrylic to mix in with the color.  Using a small brush to apply the glaze and quickly wipe with a wet cloth. Smooth fabrics like T-shirt rags work much better than terry cloth rags as they will leave a texture in the paint.  Reapply glaze as needed.  Using a larger brush dry brush edges and flat surfaces.   A dry brush is when you add paint to the brissles, wipe it dry and brush over surface.

   Add a clear coat, I used a spray can in two coats. 
I love the way it turned out, I might just use it in my office for pencils and such.  I can't decide. 
Le tme know how your project turns out.  I am also glad to answer questions.
I love to hear from you so please comment.  I always promote Pinning to Pinterest or Pinspire.
Happy Painting!!

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