Step by Step: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Tutorial

Have you jumped aboard the chalk paint movement train yet?

Well, if you are anything like me, you probably have a whole album on your Pinterest account FULL of gorgeous painted & re-furbished furniture that you have been lusting over, wondering... "How did they do that?!" After months of staring at many gorgeous pieces of ~~furniture~~ ART (all transformed using chalk paint) I decided to take the leap and try Annie Sloan out for myself!

It is no secret that I have been re-finishing furniture for quite some time. The process is tedious & time consuming, but I love every second of it & feel so accomplished when I see the finished product. Being that I am a huge perfectionist and loathe the sight of brush marks, most pieces require me to buy rollers, paint pans, sand paper, sanding blocks, primer & various other supplies for each piece of furniture that I re-do. Not to mention the fact that regular latex paint requires about 3-4 coats for a smooth finish (before distressing). You can only imagine how much time I was spending sanding, priming, painting & waiting between coats drying. As many pieces of furniture that I re-finish in any given month, I was in desperate need of a better & faster way to get the look that I wanted, but in much less time.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint to the RESCUE!!!

I honestly cannot even begin to tell you how much I love this stuff! Quick drying time, no sanding, no priming, no need to use rollers, brush lines virtually disappear, 2 coats will mostly cover anything, will stick to most surfaces, even metals and plastics! Yes, the paint is expensive. But shortly after starting on my first piece I realized how little of this paint you really use, which means that every penny I spent on this tiny quart will go a LONG WAY! Seriously, this stuff is a God send & a genius invention! Thank you miss. Annie Sloan.

If you follow me on INSTAGRAM

you may have noticed my latest instabomb of all my chalk paint reveals & many of you have been asking for a tutorial on this amazing stuff, so here we go...

STEP 1:

Find a piece of furniture that is plain ol' wood. The darker the stain the better, but any old piece will do.

Don't worry about scuff marks or dings, these all add character to the piece.

STEP 2:

Give your piece of furniture a good cleaning. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth & remove any hardware (if needed)

STEP 3:

PAINT. Yep, that's right. Get your brush, dip it in the paint and just jump right in and paint. It doesn't matter which way the brush strokes go (the second coat will take care of that)

STEP 4:

Apply the second coat, this will cover the piece nicely and will fill in any missed areas. After this coat is dry you will notice the brush marks slowly disappear. (You can apply a 3rd coat for a more polished look)

STEP 5:

Sand it. I use a fine sanding block to sand the whole piece of furniture by hand and then use a small piece of 120 grit sand paper to distress the areas that I want more 'worn'. You will sand the parts of the furniture that would have naturally gotten the most wear over time (edges, corners, etc.)

STEP 6:

Apply the wax. Annie Sloan offers two versions of wax, a clear and a dark. For my piece, I used the clear. I also opted to buy her wax brush which is also quite pricey but SO worth it! You will smush the tip of your brush into the wax and cover the end of your brush (as pictured). Then work the wax onto your piece of furniture in a circular motion (like waxing a car). Make sure to cover every nook and cranny.

STEP 7:

Wipe off the wax with a cotton rag, muslin fabric, paper towel or anything that is free of color. When I am waxing, I work in small sections, waking on and then wiping off. You will notice a difference in your piece of furniture as you wax. The paint slightly darkens & the distressed areas become darker and more noticeable. Waxing your furniture seals it for protection, gives a matte finish and smooth to the touch feel.

STEP 8:

Step back and enjoy your beautiful work of art!

WHERE CAN I BUY ANNIE SLOAN?
I have gotten many questions as to where one can buy Annie Sloan chalk paint.
I bought mine at a cute & quaint little store near the beach in San Clemente, CA called
THE ABODE

For those of you not located in California... or near this location.
You can visit AnnieSloan.com
for a full list of retailers in every state that carry her products,
or do a simple web search...
there are many websites that also carry her paint and products as well.
Happy Painting!!!

After spending a few hours on Pinterest the other night, I noticed:

My HOW TO ADD CHARACTER TO YOUR HOME [on a budget] post
has been one of my most popular and most pinned.

Being new to the blogging world, I wasn't often visiting my own blog much after proofreading and publishing my posts, but after seeing it all over Pinterest I decided to click on the link and take a look back and oh boy, was I cringing at the choice & placement of some of my decor!

Being that this post was one of my very first after getting into 'DIY blogging' it was kind of rough around the edges and was put together very fast. At the time, I really didn't know much about Pinterest yet and had no idea that one little blog post would grow so fast in popularity! Fast forward to now, there have been a few little changes that have taken place in our living room that I haven't shared with you all.

In the past year since I began blogging, I have been able to settle more into my 'style'.

It still isn't perfect. & it might not EVER be. But it is a continued process and learning expirence.

My Husband and I are young, 25 years old and married for just 2 years.

The style that we started out with isn't necessicarally the one we fell in love with, it is what we could afford.

Sure, I have a vision of what I wish my home would look like. I have countless folders on my Pinterest of rooms and projects that I wish would instantly come to life, but it all takes time & more importantly money.

The biggest thing I have to keep reminding myself is

"ONE STEP AT A TIME"

I tend to be a perfectionist and want things done NOW.

In the real world, well that's just not doable.

I have made many mistakes in the past with decor. I noticed that shortly after getting married and moving into our home, we started with nothing. Therefore when I went shopping I bought items that we needed, that were cheap and that just filled up the walls and rooms in our home. Looking back that was a HUGE regret!

I am now stuck with a hoarding closet full of un-wanted accessories, pillows, curtains, bedding and various other items that I can't stand to look at. The price tag may have looked good at the time, but now it is an overwhelming pile of junk.

My biggest lesson: ONLY BUY ITEMS THAT YOU LOVE!

You can still decorate your home within budget & find some great deals, but if you don't really LOVE it, put it back. If you buy only items that you truly love you will end up with a home that is 100% you. Don't be afraid to live with bare walls for awhile, or to sit on the floor for a few weeks. Wait to find that perfect piece that you truly LOVE. Invest in pieces that you will keep for years! It will save you more money in the long run!

This is just a sneak peek, as there are still more changes happening in our living room
(that I will be sharing soon!)

Here are just a few changes that have taken place since my last post:

- new pillows

- new coffee table

- new accent table

- new accessories

& Do you remember the BEFORE?...

It just needed some tweaking...

DIY Chevron Clothespins

& yes.. my DIY Valentine's Day book page garland is still up

If you have any questions feel free to ask!
And keep posted for my full Living Room reveal with even more changes!

SOURCES:

PILLOWS - Home Goods

RUG - TJ Maxx

VINTAGE WINDOW - Craigslist (Free)

ACCENT TABLE - Craigslist ($15)

TRUNK - Craigslist ($20)

ENTERTAINMENT CENTER - Target

SOFA TABLE - Target

COUCH - Living Spaces

CHAIR - Living Spaces

PICTURE FRAMES - TJ Maxx & Home Goods

BOOKS - Antique Stores

NAUTICAL STORAGE BASKETS - TJ Maxx

LAMPS - Lowes

MIRROR - Craigslist ($30)

Happy Monday Everyone!

Over the weekend I embarked on yet another painting project! This beautiful chair has been sitting in my garage being neglected for the past 4 months just waiting to be painted. Thankfully I finally found some extra time to get it done so I thought I would share with you the finished product & maybe inspire some of you to go and paint something in your own home seafoam... & did I mention, I am absolutely in love with this color!

Paint Color: Olympic Morning Breeze

When we got the chair (for free I might add!) the seat was covered in this ugly terry cloth maroon towel,
which needed to be changed, immediately. Burlap to the rescue!