7 Tips for Chalk Paint Beginners

Hey sistas!

It’s Shari here and I just attempted my first chalk paint furniture makeover project! I purchased a cute little vanity off Craigslist for cheap and decided to freshen it up with some pretty white chalk paint. I love the way it turned out and it was such a fun project! My sister Patti is a furniture makeover pro! Almost every piece of furniture in her beautiful home was repurposed by her! You can see some of her past project posts here: Coffee Table Makeover, Dresser Makeovers, and DIY Desk Makeover. She really is so talented when it comes to decor and color schemes! Today, her and I teamed up to bring you 7 tips for chalk paint beginners.

TIP #1: Clean

Wipe down the furniture with water and a rag before you begin. You want to work with a clean surface. The photo below was taken before I cleaned my vanity and as you can see, it was pretty dirty!

TIP #2: Hardware

Take all hardware off before you start painting! This one is so important because you don’t want to get paint on the hardware. Removing them will also allow you to paint the furniture in a straight line instead of around the object.

TIP #3: Sandpaper

Sand the furniture first to make the paint adhere better. Use fine sandpaper. When you are done, you can also use the fine sandpaper to smooth out any paint clumps after it drys completely.

TIP #4: The Paint

Our favorite store chalk paint is DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish (Everlasting color) which is what I used on this project. We also have our own DIY chalk paint recipe that you can find HERE.

TIP #5: 3 Coats

Use at least 3 coats of paint. Let each coat dry completely in between. After every coat, Patti uses this 4-inch foam mini roller to make the paint look smooth and professional.

TIP #6: Other Supplies

Use painter’s tape and newspaper to cover any glass so you don’t get paint on it. Put your project on top of plastic painter’s sheets or newspaper in case paint drips. The below photo was taken after my first coat before I remembered to remove the side hardware by the mirror…whoops! I ended up getting a little paint on those but was able to get it off with Goof Off, soap, water, and scrubbing!