Annie Sloan Chalk Paint - My First Attempt

Pregnancy has really made me feel the need to get crafty.  We had some older pieces of furniture in the house; a dresser, night stand and chair, that I decided I wanted to paint a cool colour.  The dresser and night stand are pieces for the baby's room and the chair will go with a desk in the basement when it is finished (stay tuned for the basement reno post).

 

This is the first time I have attempted a refinishing project like so I started out sanding the chair because it was not an item that was going in the baby's room and I really wanted those pieces to be perfect.  I was so excited to sand, paint and for the entire process, thinking it would be relaxing and enjoyable.  Well, I learned very quickly that sanding furniture, especially furniture with any sort of detail, is not fun and it is extremely meticulous.

 

Lucky for me, my mother in law told me about Chalk Paint by Annie Sloan and that we have a store in Sarnia, Painted Treasures that sells this paint and offers classes.  The magic thing about chalk paint is that you can paint it over any finish on wood without having to sand it, bonus!  I didn't even have to finish sanding the chair I started to sand, I just slapped the paint right on.

 

Once you complete the paint step, with two or three coats, you need to do a wax step, which seals the paint.  I am no expert on this as I have only done these first three pieces of furniture and I completed them in the most basic way.  There are tons of options with the paint colours and two wax finishes to create really unique and antique looking furniture.  I am very excited about this product though and I can not wait to try some different techniques with my next piece of furniture.

 

Before I got started I did watch a few tutorials as the wax step does require a little technique.  The best videos I found were from Christen of Blue Egg Brown Nest, she explained things very well and I simply found her enjoyable to watch.  If you are into interior design and furniture projects of any sort, you should definitely check out her blog, she knows what she's doing.  Here are the links to her YouTube videos that I found very helpful.

Tutorial Step 1

Tutorial Step 2

Tutorial Step 3

Tutorial Step 4

Have fun with your craft projects, support the awesome specialty stores you have in your community and see what other inspiration you can find in your very own home.  With a little paint and TLC you are sure to create something new and exciting!