I have had several friends asking me about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint lately.   If you haven’t heard about ASCP, then perhaps you are reading my blog for the first time (or you have been under a rock? hee hee!) .  I LOVE ASCP!!!

Yes, it is a bit pricey.  I pay $42 with tax for 32 fl. oz.at Pienture in Costa Mesa, CA. But trust me, the cost is so worth it!!!  A can of paint will last much longer than you would expect.  You do not need much paint to cover a piece of furniture and always work with a wet paint brush.  It keeps the paint from soaking into the brush.  How many times have you finished a project, cleaned the paint brush to see lots and lots of paint going down the drain?  Such a waste!

So why chalk paint as opposed to regular latex paint (which at Home Depot is about $25 for a gallon)?

1. You do not use very much paint.

2. When you sand the piece, the paint comes of in a powder (latex often wants to peal, or come off in small “clumps”).

3.  A baby bottom smooth finish- seriously, it is sooooo soft when finished!

4.  NO PRIMING NEEDED!!!

Yes,  you read that correctly!  Priming is not necessary when using chalk paint. No matter what you are painting- wood, metal, plastic…chalk paint will adhere to the item. I painted a small piece this morning and took pictures (and video) of the supplies needed and the steps I used.

{SUPPLIES}

{Supplies I used}

{STEPS}

1. Clean item to be painted 2. Paint (1 to 2 coats usually) 3. Sand item (if you want a distressed look) 4. Wax the finished piece (this protects the paint and gives the finish a rich look.  Imagine a dry cement patio and a wet cement patio).

{My free “found on the curb” table}

{Baby Girl had covered this table with duct tape. Once I stripped it off, it left these marks. No worries, after I paint and wax, they will not be noticeable.}

{Wipe the item clean}

{First coat}

{First coat. messy is ok!}

{Not very pretty yet, right?}

{First coat. I usually brush paint on with the grain.}

{Don’t forget to keep your brush “wet, but not too wet”}

{Start of the 2nd coat}

{2nd coat}

{Notice the drip on the right side? Not to worry! It will sand right off}

{Another drip…}

{2nd coat complete. I did do a 3rd coat on the table because I did 2 very conservative coats for example purposes}

{220 grit sanding block}

{Lightly sand areas that you want to have a “worn” look}

{This is my favorite tool that Mr. Cabana bought for me, my cordless power sander. I can sand a piece no time at all!}

{All sanded, now time to wax}

{With a soft cloth or brush, wax entire piece}

{Once item is waxed. Let dry and then buff for a super, duper smooth finish!!!}

{In this picture you get a bit of a preview of our new wall color and floors. Still working on decorating. Stay tuned for the “big” reveal coming soon!}

I hope you have found this tutorial to be helpful!  It really is as easy as these pictures describe.  If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment here, or go to my Facebook page.

Until next time,

Butterscotch Lady

(PS.  I took video, but alas, it did not turn out…)