I’ve blogged about many different chalk paint projects, but I felt like I needed to provide a basic, step-by-step chalk paint tutorial for you.
Chalk paint is so great because it requires no prep work. You don’t need to sand or strip paint – you just go for it! For this tutorial, I’m using a wooden plaque I picked up at a craft store. But you will use this same technique on furniture, cabinets, or whatever else you are chalk painting.
For the chalk paint, I am using Annie Sloan chalk paint. You can find local retailers by going to her website. There are several other chalk paint options out there – don’t be afraid to test them out!
First, paint the entire piece with chalk paint. I often use a brush (for larger areas I sometimes use a small roller), and you’ll find that a little paint goes a long way. You may only need one coat, but I find that I usually need two. This paint dries really fast, and you’ll be able to tell when it’s dry. Apply the second coat of paint AFTER the first coat is dry.
You can use other finishes, but Annie Sloan’s wax is one of my favorites. Apply two coats of wax on the piece using a wax brush. You DO NOT have to wait for the first coat to dry before adding the second coat. I love wax for furniture pieces, but I would NOT recommend wax on tabletops, desktops, or cabinets. Go here to see why I don’t recommend wax on kitchen cabinets.
Like the paint, a little wax goes a long way. It’s pretty easy to see if you’ve missed any spots. After you have applied the wax with the brush, use a lint-free cloth to buff and remove any extra wax. 
This next step is optional. Dark wax is good if you want to bring out details and/or like the aged look. You must first apply the clear wax BEFORE you apply the dark wax. Go easy on the dark wax. You won’t need much! 
In this tutorial, I only applied dark wax around the edges. You can buff with a lint-free cloth as you did with the clear wax.
If you first applied the clear wax BEFORE you applied the dark wax, you can use the clear wax to erase and dark wax mistakes or if you find that you want a little dark wax. Dip the cloth in the wax and rub away the dark wax. 
You can sand the edges if you really like the distressed look. In my tutorial, it’s hard to see the distressing since I painted white over a light wood. However, sanding the edges can add a lot of interest. Especially if you paint over a dark piece of wood. 
One more thing you can add to the chalk paint is gilding wax. This can be found at any craft store and comes in a variety of colors. I used my finger and apply this. For this tutorial, I applied the gold wax to the edges. 
And that’s the end of the tutorial! Once you get started, you’ll find that chalk paint is really user-friendly. Here are some projects I’ve done with chalk paint: This first project is a headboard I paint with chalk paint (I also painted the upholstered fabric). The headboard was gold, and I painted it with gray chalk paint and used clear and dark wax. I also distressed/sanded it. To see more, click HERE.
This next piece was a dark trunk that I painted with gray chalk paint. I used clear and dark wax as well as the gold gilding wax.
This ornate piece is part of my daughter’s bedroom set which was originally white. I used gray chalk paint and clear and dark wax. I also sanded it.
This is my daughter’s headboard. The piece was originally white, and I painted it with turquoise chalk paint. I used clear wax and sanded. To see more in her room, click HERE.
This is a hutch I painted for my kitchen. The hutch was originally dark, and I used yellow chalk paint. I used clear and gold gilding wax and heavily sanded. You can see more if you click HERE.
I painted the legs on my dining room table gray. The table was originally dark, and I used clear wax and a little sanding. You can see more by clicking HERE.
This is a free dresser that was handed down to me. It was dark, and I used white and gray chalk paint. I also used clear and dark wax and sanded the piece. You can see more by clicking HERE.
This is a bench that we made from a headboard. The headboard was originally a tan color, and I used green chalk paint with clear wax. I also sanded it. You can see more on this project by clicking HERE.
I also have a FREE chalk paint tips printable you can get by clicking HERE. I hope after reading through this tutorial you have the confidence to go for it! Chalk paint is a fun and easy way to instantly transform a piece. Go create something!
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