the table and 2 large floral chairs i snagged from craigslist for $30.
and the four folding chairs that I found for $40…
that we later saw online for $140 each!
this is the part where i wish i could say i was smart
and whipped up a batch of chalk paint and got the job done so super quick….
i didn’t.
i didn’t know about it until after the 3rd coat of nasty, non-covering red.
and that was also after the best primer there is.
{in fact, if you are ever worried about needing to sand, just don’t.
this zinsser stuff is genius. you will never have to sand again… when in doubt, get the red stuff.}
but, after a few coats, {and my ACE guy assured me it would take all 3 to coat well,
i was frustrated and dissapointed with how it looked,
and i wasn’t even sure how i wanted to distress this one…
so after much online searching, i found a handful of ways to make my own chalk paint.
here is a rough recipe, though you don’t need one.
if you cook, it’s like using a thickening agent.
that’s really all you are doing,
thickening your paint.
with plaster.
how to make chalk paint:
mix up your plaster of paris with a little bit of water at a time until it’s the consistency of thick pudding.
then start mixing your plaster in with your paint until it is more like melted chocolate.
or pancake batter… really, it won’t really matter at all as long as it isn’t too thick.
the paint covers like a dream. nice and thick.
you wouldn’t need to prime OR sand with this stuff for most projects.
i used 2 different techniques this time to age these.
the flaky paint look and the shabby glaze look…
the flaky vintage look:
~ paint the edges and wherever you want the paint to “age” and after it dries,
rub a thin coat of vaseline everywhere there is paint. {i used black for the chairs, and gray for the teal table so they would show up nicely and cover well.}
~ paint over it with 2 coats of your nice thick chalk paint. {it’ll take 2 to cover your “under color” cause it will be reluctant to stick on the first go}
~ then you will take a fine-grain sand paper {i used 220} and gently wipe the edges.
the paint will chip off like butta. {so go easy!}
the top of the table was a bit different…
i first had to fill in the grooves and sand the top cause it was a bit to groovy for me,
if you know what i mean…
nothing a little wood filler couldn’t take care of…
it brushes on thin and dries slow,
so you have time to move it around a bit, wipe it off here, add more there…
it adds the look of a farm table which i love
instead of the hard flat white.
it’s subtle, but makes a HUGE difference!
then i sealed the bottom with a clear satin polycrylic finish,
and dropped a few coats of the semi-gloss finish over the top.
they won’t peel any more than what i did to em,
and now i can handle food on it without a problem!
{i sealed the chairs with finishing wax, so they won’t peel a whole lot more either.}
linking up here:
chef-in-training
not just a housewife
vintage wannabee
homemaker on a dime
Very, very, very nice. So ambitious and talented….hmmmmm…me wonders where you got those characteristics from???
looks great!! love the colors and retro vibe!
Amazing! Mine next, please.
Inspiring and absolutely to die for! Fabulous work! Also lovin your blog designs! Wish I could afford pretties that you create!
I have old red sparkly vinyl and chrome kitchen chairs and am working on refinishing my old wood table in aqua… I am in love with your kitchen!
Looks fantastic! I'm glad your vision came to life! Nice work!
Agh! That sounds fabulous! Perhaps I need to get a linky party going so we can all see the fun. Let me know when you finish it!
Everything looks so nice – great job! My experience with chalk paint? Ugh and sigh. This is my fourth attempt at getting a good mixture! After reading through many blogs, I tried the recipe you stated in your post, but it thickened up so hard – it looked like cottage cheese. I tried it again, same thing – thinking I had done something wrong. In my third try, I used hot water to dissolve the
I had to kind of play with the amount I added too. It will change slightly from each paint-type I think as well. I tried adding it to my latex and found it needed less than when i added the POP mixture to my enamel/latex paint that is thinner… so it is definitely more of an eye-balling thing than anything. I am excited to find out if yours works- the hot water is a great idea!!
OH my goodness, you are amazing! LOVE this so so much!! Can I have it please? 🙂 Great job!!
I love everything. What paint brand/color did you use on the chairs?