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Chalk painting has become a favorite hobby for many regular people that may not necessarily consider themselves as professional artists. The reason for this is that it provides a total creative outlet for them.
If you are just getting started with chalk painting, you are probably wondering the piece of furniture that is the best to get started with. Well, there are no defined rules about the piece of furniture you should start with. Many people prefer starting out with simple pieces such as dressers. You can take that old dresser and give it a face lift using Hobby Lobby Chalk paint. If you use this paint on it, you will see it miraculously turn new again.
This article will look at seven quick tips to guide you when painting your furniture using Hobby Lobby Chalk paint.
1. Buy Good Quality Brushes
If you buy good quality brushes, you will be glad you did in the end especially if you plant to paint several pieces. When you paint your first piece, you will most likely want to start chalk painting everything.
If you buy a cheap brush, you will find that it sheds bristles on the piece or pieces you are painting. Even though you can pick up these bristles, it is simply better to buy a good quality brush that does not shed bristles and save that time for something else.
The best-recommended brush is a flat 3-inch brush. Ensure that the brush is not angled but flat. Considering that the Hobby Lobby chalk paint comes from Annie Sloan, you could consider buying an original brush from your local Annie Sloan retailer.
It is also a good idea to have a wax brush for applying clear and dark wax once you have painted your final coat of Hobby Lobby Chalk paint. If you can afford two brushes, one for the dark and one for the light one the better it will be.
2. Have Enough Space To Paint
Even though this seems like an obvious point but most people almost never consider this. Most people are usually so excited to start painting that they simply drag out the piece and end up spilling, smudging, tripping, and bumping their way through the finished product.
Most people never consider such things as pulling out drawers from furniture or even finding space to paint them. It is good to have adequate space to paint even for safety reasons only. You can either push things aside or find space in the hallway to set up shop.
3. Remove All The Hardware And Drawers First
Even though removing all the drawers and hardware might seem like a lot of work, removing them will be worthwhile in the end. It is so much easier to paint drawers and get into those crevices you would not have reached had you not taken them out. Remove the drawer knobs to avoid getting paint on them. Removing paint from the knobs can be quite stressful and if unable to do it, you may have to replace them.
4. Avoid Using Too Much Clear Wax
When many people discover chalk painting, they never realize that they do not have to use half the can of clear wax for a single piece of furniture. Annie Sloan wax can get quite expensive and misusing it is simply a waste of your investment.
Once you buy the wax brush, you can comfortably regulate the amount of wax you apply on the furniture pieces. Simply dip the tip of the wax brush in to the can of wax and then apply it in light circular motions will ensure that your furniture pieces get plenty of coverage. In this case, more is not necessarily better.
5. When Applying Dark Wax Have A Damp Cloth Nearby
At first, applying dark wax can be quite intimidating and scary. In fact, when many people start to apply it on an already chalk painted piece of furniture they usually hesitate. For best results, it is advisable to apply the dark wax soon after applying the clear wax. This makes it go on less clumpy and more smoothly.
Do not worry; you will not ruin your piece. If you so wish, you can take a paper plate and plastic spoon and mix up some clear wax with some dark wax. This gives a nice vintage look with a soft finish.
It is advisable to have a damp cloth nearby when doing the dark wax finish so that it is easier to spread it around as well as for completely wiping off those areas that you are not happy with.
6. Before Buffing Wait 24 Hours
The reason for buffing is for you to get that sheen after you wax and is usually the final step that you do to finish off your furniture piece. Some people say that you can do the buffing while the wax is a bit tacky to the touch while others believe that it is good to wait for 24 hours until the wax dries completely.
You can try both ways for your own personal experience. However, if you can wait for the 24 hours, you will most likely like the finished results better. Even though you are probably looking to get finished with your projects as soon as possible, waiting the 24 hours before buffing gives your piece a more finished sheen.
7. Buff Using A Buffing Brush Or Cheesecloth
For buffing, you need to be ready for a bit of arm workout. A buffing brush works 10 times better than using an old piece of cloth. To get that lovely sheen, there has to be more friction and the buffing brush delivers this excellently. Other people use cheesecloth successfully.
In conclusion, this article has been a discussion of some tips you can apply when chalk painting using Annie Sloan Hobby Lobby Chalk paint. Now that you have understood them, you can now go out there and apply them on your next masterpiece for either your store or your home.
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