How to Distress Furniture With Chalk Paint Like a Pro? 5 Easy Steps to Distress Chalk Paint Furniture

Do you want to Distress Furniture With Chalk Paint?

The chalk paint is easy to use and it creates rich, vibrant colors on any wood furniture surface.

This chalk paint is so popular for distressed wood paint because it gives a unique and aged look to your furniture.

You will do this job well if you have the right tools and techniques.

This can be achieved with the help of our tutorial, this tutorial includes 5 Steps on Distressing Painting Wood Furniture with Chalk Paint.

Chalk paint is the favorite wood distressing method among all DIY lovers because it provides a unique appearance to the objects.

Painted Table Over laid Fun Colors
Credits: That Sweet Tea Life | An example of using layers of paint to create an aged look on furniture

In this blog post, we will discuss the purpose behind distressing the painted furniture, how to do distressing, and how to distress furniture using chalk paints.

Are you excited about this?

We will also offer some ideas on How to Incorporate Distressed Furniture in Your Home Design.

How to Distress Furniture with Chalk Paint and Stain?

Chalk paint is a simple method of distressing furniture and requires only the basic knowledge of painting.

Here are the steps you should follow to make your furniture look older using chalk paint:

Must Read: How to Fix/Remove Scratches from Wood Furniture?

STEP 1: Choose and Prepare Your Piece to Do Your Work

If you are doing chalk paint for the first time, it is a good idea, to begin with, smaller pieces to do chalk paint on it.

Chalk paint performs differently from standard oil and water-based paints, and it might require a few tries to figure out how you can create the style that you want.

To make the piece ready, just clean it thoroughly to get rid of all the dirt and dust on it.

If the furniture requires repairs or some extra work, you should do it before you begin painting.

Some DIYers also sand lightly their furniture surfaces to provide the paint with more grip. This can be skipped if you don’t want to do it.

STEP 2: Collect Materials & tools

There are a few basic items that you require for distressing using chalk paint. You will need a cleaner, an opener for the paint can and chalk paint, glaze or wax protection gear, and a painter’s tape.

You will also require a quality paintbrush and water in case the chalk paint requires to be more liquid.

If you are distressing the surface manually, you’ll need sandpaper as well as steel wool to scratch and scrape paint.

STEP 3: Get Ready Your Workspace

Protect the floor using a drop cloth, tarp, or an old sheet or an old cloth to stop drips or spills from paint.

Although chalk paint has a low VOC and also good air circulation is an excellent idea because it can speed up the overall drying time.

You should make sure you’re working in a place with adequate lighting conditions. When you are working with a layer painting technique it is important to observe how the original paint color shows through to the topcoat of paint.

STEP 4: Apply Chalk Paint on Furniture

Chalk paint is used in various ways to make the appearance of old-age furniture. Sometimes, you can do it without sanding it.

Also Read: How to Antique Wood Furniture?

  1. Distress Furniture Manually

Paint two layers of chalk and allow the paint to set following the instructions of the manufacturer.

Use sandpaper of 180-220 grit, work the piece to sand in the areas that need to be distressed. Sand it down until the wood shine through.

  1. Distress Wood with Dark Wax or Glaze | How to Distress Furniture with Chalk Paint and Wax?

After doing the first step of two coats with chalk and waiting for them to dry then, you can use a rag and apply a dark wax, or use a brush for applying a dark glaze.

When the glaze or wax is wet, don’t let it dry completely, apply a towel to remove it until you achieve your desired look.

The dark hue of the glaze or wax will remain in cracks, seams, or flaws in the piece, and it will give the piece a vintage appearance.

  1. Color Wash the Wooden Furniture

The chalk paint can be thinned by water if you want to do it.

Apply paint to the wood piece, then let the piece dry completely. This is best for wooden pieces that are not finished because the grain is evident.

The use of white paint can create an effect of whitewashing, however, you can mix other colors of chalk paint to make the color of wash that you like.

  1. Dry Brush The Furniture

Dip your brush in the chalk paint, and then wipe off the excess with a rag. Paint your wood piece lightly and then let the paint set properly.

  1. Paint Another Layer to The Wood Furnitre

To do this, you’ll need two different chalk paint colors.

Paint a layer of dark paint first and then let it dry, apply the lighter color, and allow it to dry again.

With sandpaper of 180 grit, gently sand to allow the initial darker color of the paint to shine through.

  1. Seal The Distress Paint of Furniture

You must seal the furniture after drying chalk paint on it. Sealing helps protect your paint from fingerprints, dirt, or other substances that could damage the paint.

You can apply polyacrylic, polyurethane or wax, or even a light-colored glaze, to seal and protect the chalk paint.

What is Distressing of Wood Furniture?

Distressing can make objects appear older than it is. It is a characteristic of vintage or rustic design.

In this, the surface is intentionally damaged and weathered to replicate the effects of wear and tear over a long time.

Experts can do the distressing and transform a new unfinished piece of wood into something that appears as it was made 100 years ago (or longer).

Why People Love Distressed Furniture Look?

The look of distressed furniture is a popular decor design for many years.

The look is often referred to for “rustic,” “farmhouse,” or “shabby chic,” you’ve likely seen pieces of furniture that are distressed at home, or in business settings that create an informal, relaxed atmosphere for clients.

Here are some reasons, Why Distressing Is So Popular:

  • It is possible to give your furniture an aged look.
  • A piece that is damaged could make it appear as like you have a costly piece. If you have ever walked through in an antique store you are likely to know that old furniture can carry the cost of a large piece.
  • A little wear and tear can make the cheapest of finds appear like it was purchased from an expensive antique shop.
  • Distressing furniture lets you bring new life to your furniture without having to purchase new ones. Distressing with chalk paint is a particularly easy method to give your furniture a fresh appearance for significantly less than the cost of purchasing new pieces.
  • The pieces that have been damaged can bring you money also! Yes, I am not kidding. A brand new table could be bought for around $110 but if the table having distressed look, you can sell it for $150 to $200 depending on its size.
  • It allows you to mix new furniture with the old ones. If your home’s design is vintage and you want the furniture with same feel and look, you can simply purchase it and make it look distressed to match your style.
  • Distressed furniture provides a warm and relaxing ambience. If it’s done correctly distressed “shabby stylish” decor is warm and welcoming.

How to Use Distressed Furniture To Your Home Decor & Make It Look Outstanding?

There is a variety of ways to use distressed furniture pieces in almost every type of home decoration style.

Also Read: How to Get Rid of Fleas in Your Home?

Here are some suggestions:

  • You can put the old hardware on new furniture pieces to make it look as if it was an old piece.
  • The Distressed Furniture can be placed in areas like your office or home library, hallways and bathrooms, or outside on decks, porches or patios.
  • The distressed furniture can be used as a an antique element in your home decore that creates contrast against modern furniture.
  • Repetition is a method of making mismatched pieces work together in your design scheme. You can repet the decoration pattern, shape or color to build a diverse collection of objects which make a pleasing overall appearance in the living area.
  • Pick a home decore theme and find distressed objects to go with the theme. For instance, if you are planning the room to be themed to a doctor then collect items in distressed condition that convey a message.
  • Find out how other people have been using pieces that are distressed. You can find out some amazing ideas on Pinterest.

Is It Worth To Distress Furniture With Chalk Paint?

According to some furniture decor experts, Chalk Paint is One of the Most Effective Ways to Distress Furniture.

The beauty of chalk paint is that it bonds to almost every surface. It provides a unique matte finish without using any other distressing methods.

Chalk paint is a fantastic choice if you want to complete your furniture distressing projects quickly because there is no need for the preparation work that other projects require (however some DIYers do it to get better outcomes).

It also drys quickly making it even easier to save time.

FAQs While People Distress Wood With Chalk Paint

How does Chalk Paint Make it Easy to Distress Wood Furniture?

Chalk paint is not required to have any additional painting experience beyond the basics. It also does not require any preparatory work. Some kinds of chalk paint distressing produce an aged appearance without the need for steel wool or sandpaper.

Can I Paint Over Chalk Paint?

Yes. You can paint new chalk paint over your existing chalk paint, even if the paint was sealed by wax or glaze. All you need to do is to clean your piece before painting.

How Much Time Should Chalk Paint Dry Before Distressing?

The majority of people recommend waiting for 24 hours of dry time between each, but Annie Sloan says it will typically harden before. The piece should take around 30 days for it to heal fully, but you can apply it with ease within 24 hours.

How Can You Make Chalk Paint Darker?

You can use a dark-colored wax on the chalk paint, it will make your chalk-painted furniture look darker. After you have applied this clear coating, smooth it until it shines.

Can We Use Chalk Paint to Distress Furniture Without Sanding?

Yes. Chalk paint bonds to furniture without the need for primer and there is no need for sanding. A quick wash is generally all you require.

How to Distress Furniture Using Chalk Paint and Vinegar?

Fill a spray bottle up with vinegar, and a smaller amount of water. After you have painted, let the furniture dry, and spray your vinegar mixture. After that use a rug to gently rub your furniture and take off extra paint.

Conclusion for Distress Furniture With Chalk Paint

Distressing your furniture with chalk paint is a great way to give your furniture or wooden items an antique look.

The chalk paint is versatile for DIY projects to distress that you can not find using other paint products.

Explore the internet for more ideas and then purchase the chalk paint to start. You could end up becoming the latest member of the trend for chalk paint pros!

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