How to Chalk Paint Furniture: Easy Step by Step Tutorial
If you’re thinking about painting an old piece of furniture and considering using chalk style paint, this post will give you everything you need to know about this type of paint.
Chalk paint has become one of the most popular choices for painting furniture because it’s easy to use and still gives a beautiful finish.
Although there are many advantages to this type of paint, there are also some tips to consider when using it on your furniture piece.
If you’re looking for information on different types of furniture paint, I wrote a different post that will give you a full comparison of the five best types of paint for furniture (includes information on acrylic, milk, chalk, alkyd, and “wall” latex paint).
For now, though, let’s focus entirely on the type of paint that took the furniture painting world by storm over 20 years ago – chalk paint!
What is Chalk Paint?
Chalk paint is a easy to use type of furniture paint that creates a velvety, ultra-matte finish and adheres very well to the surface it’s being applied to. It can be used on a variety of surfaces including wood, furniture, concrete, metal, glass, laminate, brick and fabric.
The ease of preparation makes chalk paint a great option for first time furniture painters or someone who wants to get right to painting with very little prep work.
Chalk paint was invented by Annie Sloan, a British artist, in the 1990s. She wanted a paint that would stick to different surfaces without sanding or priming, and chalk paint does just that.
The name “chalk paint” is actually trademarked by Annie Sloan, so you will see any other manufacturers of this type of paint calling it chalky paint, chalk-style paint, chalked paint, or chalk mineral paint.
It’s important to note that chalk paint is not the same as chalkboard paint. Chalkboard paint is made to create a surface that can be written on with chalk. Here’s a full informational post on chalkboard paint.
Pros and Cons of Chalk Paint
PROS OF CHALK PAINT
- Adheres very well to almost all surfaces
- Many manufacturers of chalk style paint which allows you to purchase within your price point
- There are less expensive brands of chalk style paint now
CONS OF CHALK PAINT
- Needs to be finished with a topcoat
- Will have some texture once it dries (shows some brush strokes) – It needs to be sanded lightly to get a smooth finish
- Name brands can be quite expensive
I have a full post comparing ALL the brands of chalk paint on the market, side by side, and have found the best brands of chalk paint!
Key Takeaways on How to Use chalk Paint
- Because of its superior adhesion, you rarely need to sand or prime your piece of furniture before painting with chalk style paint.
- The only time you need to sand before using chalk paint is if you need to smooth down a rough surface (like scratches, splintered wood, or other imperfections in a piece of furniture).
- The only reason you would need to prime before using chalk paint is if the furniture has exposed raw wood that will bleed through the paint (mahogany, cherry, or knots in the wood species) or if you need to cover water stains.
- If the wood has an intact finish that is not worn or sanded away, you can apply chalk paint right over that finished wood without the worry of bleed through. (More information on in the post – or jump to it here: primers for chalk paint.)
- It’s best to apply light coats of paint (true for any type of paint) and chalk paint usually covers in 2-3 coats. It dries with a very slight chalky texture, but can also easily be hand-sanded on the final coat for a smooth finish.
- It’s important to use a top coat when painting with chalky paint. It’s a porous paint once dried so it will absorb water or other materials that come in contact with it if it’s not finished in some way. Jump ahead to read about topcoats for chalk paint.
Step by Step: How to Chalk Paint on Furniture
Follow this step-by-step tutorial to beautifully paint any piece of furniture with chalk paint.
1. Gather furniture painting supplies
- Degreasing cleaner (TSP substitute or Murphy’s Wood Soap work well)
- Paintbrush
- Round chalk paint brush (gives more texture in the finish)
- Flat or angled sash brush (gives a smoother finish)
- Chalk paint (see specific brands and where to purchase below)
- 220 grit sandpaper (optional if you’re looking to create a smoother finish)
- lint-free cloth such as a tack cloth or cotton t-shirt rag
2. Clean furniture before painting
No matter what type of paint you’re using, it’s essential to properly clean and prepare your entire piece for painting.
I have a full post on how to prepare furniture before painting, but in short, when using chalk paint I always clean my piece before painting, usually using TSP substitute, Murphy’s Wood Soap or Krud Kutter.
3. Apply first coat of paint
Use a round chalk paint brush to create more texture or a flat or angled brush to create a smoother finish. A foam roller can also be used to paint the larger, flat surfaces on a piece of furniture. Although this method works, I find that brushing chalk paint gives a better finish.
round brush for texture flat brush for less texture
For the best results, it’s a good idea to paint a thin coat of chalk paint. It dries very quickly, especially in ideal painting conditions, so make sure you work in small sections.
For example, paint the top as one section, then one side, the front, and then the other side. When painting, always try to paint the next pass on a wet edge. This means that the pass you just painted will still be wet as you paint the next pass.
Because of the fast dry time of chalk paint, if you go over a section that has already been painted and is starting to dry, you will most definitely create brush marks in your paint. If you feel your brush dragging when passing over a part that’s already painted, you’ll probably see brush strokes once it has dried.
Of course, if you’re looking to create a textured finish then you may want to do this, but painting thin coats and leaving the paint alone will help to give you the smoothest finish with chalk paint.
3. Apply second coat of paint (and third coat if needed)
Again, less is more when painting additional coats of paint. I usually find chalk paint to cover in two coats, but in some cases you may need three (for example, when painting over a dark surface in white).
See the section below for information to decide if you need to sand between coats of paint.
4. Lightly sand between coats and after final coat (if a smooth finish is desired)
If you’re looking for a smooth finish on your chalk paint furniture, the one step you need to add to the process is to lightly sand between coats and after the final coat. Sanding is not normally necessary with chalk paint because it adheres so well, however, if you do not want any brush strokes or slight variations in this paint, you’ll need to sand.
Hand sand with 220-300 grit sandpaper after each coat has dried. Then, apply a topcoat after you’ve sanded the final coat of paint. Thankfully, chalk paint sands very easily, so this will be a quick process to achieve that super smooth, matte finish.
5. Apply the topcoat
This is the final step when painting chalk paint, and it is essential. Read below to decide the best top coat to use on your project.
Topcoat to Use on Chalk Paint
Chalk paint is a porous paint, so it’s important to apply a top coat so it doesn’t absorb liquid or other materials that might get on it. There are a few different options and each will give a slightly different finish. Here are the different top coats for chalk paint:
- Finishing Waxes: Waxes create a hand rubbed finish and is applied in a circular motion with a wax brush. A little bit of wax goes a long way. I find it helpful to reapply wax every couple of years (on high use pieces) to maintain the protective finish. After curing, they can be left as is for a low-sheen finish or buffed to give a shinier finish.
- Clear furniture wax – Clear wax seals the paint without changing the color of the paint very much at all. It may slightly darken or richen the color, but it’s usually for the better.
- Dark furniture wax – This dark wax darkens the color of the paint and sits in recessed and grooves to accent those areas with a darker finish.
- White furniture wax – White wax lightens the color of the paint and highlights grooves, edges and recesses with white.
- Clear Acrylic Finish: This type of finish is painted on with a brush (for most brands) and will completely seal the paint. It does not change the color of the paint and does not need to be reapplied.
My personal preference of top coat is to use clear acrylic topcoats on chalk paint. (General Finishes High Performance topcoat is my all-time favorite.) the simple reason is because it’s easier to paint over or remove than wax if I decide to change the piece up down the road.
You can see a side by side comparison of these two types of top coats in the video within this post.
Layering Chalk Paint
Chalk paint works beautifully for building layers of different colors of paint to create a weathered, time worn look. After painting 1-2 coats of chalk paint in your base color, let it dry.
Then, lightly mist water all over the surface. Use a second color with a very light amount of paint on your brush (similar to a dry brush technique) and lightly brush paint over the surface.
You’ll need to do some blending and moving the paint around a bit to achieve the look you desire. Because water has been applied and chalk paint it porous, it allows the paint to move more freely than painting on a dry surface and blends the colors.
You can allow this paint to dry and apply a third color, go back over with your first color, or use the second color in other places as well.
Layering chalk paint does require a bit of trial and error, but once you get the hang of it, it’s a fun, creative way to use chalk paint.
How to Distress Chalk Paint
Chalky paint lends itself well to distressing because it can easily be sanded. If you’re looking to create a slightly worn, distressed look, sand with 220 grit sandpaper along the edges, corners, and near drawer pulls.
It’s best to distress chalk paint before a topcoat is applied.
If you are looking to create a two toned paint finish that shows different colors of paint underneath distressing, I would recommend using a resist between coats of paint.
This post will give you three different ways to use a resist to show different colors of paint: how to distress furniture.
Chalk Paint Brands and Cost in 2024
There are so many different brands that make chalk paint; almost every paint manufacturer has jumped on the chalk paint bandwagon!
Deciding which brand of paint to use might depend on the cost or where you can find the closest chalk paint supplier, if you don’t want to wait or pay for shipping. All of the websites listed below have an area on their site to search for local retailers. You can also purchase all of these paints online as well.
| Brand of Chalk Paint | Where to Purchase | Cost of Pint | Cost of Quart | Number of Colors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Sloan Chalk Paint | online, independent stockists | $16.00 | $45.00 | 42 colors |
| Magnolia Chalk Style Paint | Ace Hardware, Lowes | N/A | $39.99 | 150+ colors |
| Dixie Bell Chalk Finish Paint | online, independent stockists | $23.95 | $35.95 | 68 colors |
| Melange Mineral Paint | online, independent stockists | $22.99 | $34.99 | 100 colors |
| Rustoleum Chalked Paint | Menards, The Home Depot, Lowes | N/A | $22.98 | 26 colors |
| Behr Chalk Decorative Paint | The Home Depot | N/A | $19.98 | hundreds (any paint swatch color) |
Which Chalk Paint is Best?
I did a side-by-side comparison of the 13 major brands of chalk paint and have recommendations on the best chalk paints for furniture in this post.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you personally use chalk paint on furniture?
Chalk paint is, generally speaking, not my first choice for painting furniture. I find myself reaching for chalk paint for small projects, but not as often on larger pieces of furniture. The one time I do often grab chalk paint is if I’m painting laminate furniture. If I’m looking for a more natural, organic finish on a large piece, I usually reach for milk paint over chalk paint.
Do You need to prime before chalk paint?
For most pieces of furniture, you do not need to prime before using chalk paint. However, there are some situations where a stain-blocking primer is needed so a previous stain or color does not bleed through the new paint. If the furniture has water stains or unsealed knotty wood, primer is necessary. Or, if a piece is made of cherry or mahogany and any of the finish layer has been sanded off, a coat of primer is also needed.
I have a full post that describes when to prime furniture and the best stain-blocking primers for the situations listed above. In short, shellac primers are my favorite for hiding bleed through on furniture.
If you paint your first coat of chalk paint and realize there is something bleeding through, simply apply a shellac primer over that first coat, let it dry, and then paint your second coat. This will stop any bleed through to your final coats of paint!
Can you use Chalk paint over wax?
Yes, you can apply chalk paint over furniture wax as long as the wax is dried and fully cured. To determine if the wax has cured, use your fingernail to scrape the surface. If wax comes off under your nail, it is not cured and needs to be removed with mineral spirits before painting. If you are unable to easily scrape away the wax, it is cured and can be painted over!
Is CHalk Paint durable?
Although chalk paint adheres well to surfaces, it is a softer paint that can scratch or dent easily if a topcoat is not used. Once chalk paint is topcoated with a furniture wax or clear water-based acrylic sealer, it is quite durable and will not scratch or chip away.
Can you Spray Chalk Paint?
Yes, chalk paint can be used in a paint sprayer, but it almost certainly will need to be thinned with water before spraying. I have used a few different brands of chalk paint in my paint sprayer with success by thinning with water and then passing the paint through a paint strainer before adding it to the sprayer.
Is Chalk paint Waterproof?
No, chalk paint is not waterproof. However, you can add an exterior grade clear acrylic topcoat which will create a waterproof finish over chalk paint.
What’s the difference between Chalk paint and Milk paint?
Although chalk paint and milk paint have some similarities, they are inherently different in how they are made and thus how they are used on furniture. I now have a full post comparing milk paint vs chalk paint!
Ingredients in Chalk Paint
- Water: Chalk paint is a water-based paint, which makes it easier to clean up and thin.
- Calcium Carbonate: This is a key ingredient that gives chalk paint its characteristic matte, chalky texture. It is responsible for the smooth, velvety finish.
- Pigments: Chalk paint can be tinted with various pigments to create different colors. These pigments may be organic (natural mineral from the earth) or inorganic (synthetic or chemically derived colors), depending on the brand.
- Binder: A binder is what’s needed to help the paint adhere to surfaces. Most chalk paints have acrylic binders or latex binders.
- Fillers: Some chalk paints may contain fillers like kaolin clay or talc, which provide additional texture.
How to Make Your Own Chalky Finish Paint
One of the drawbacks to chalk paint is the expense, especially with some of the name brant paints. I tested out four different “recipes” for chalk paint that are floating around the internet and put them to the test in a side by side comparison.
I have one favorite DIY chalk paint after this experiment, and I’ll say I was a bit surprised by the results!
Chalk-Painted Furniture
With the ease of preparation when using chalky paint, it’s a great choice for quickly painting a piece of furniture. Here’s a round up of 30 chalk painted furniture ideas as well as a few of the pieces I’ve used chalk paint on:
I hope this post answered some of your questions about using chalk paint on furniture! Please feel free to reach out with other questions, or you can check out my other posts on furniture refinishing.
Post by Jenny Leads
Jenny is the voice behind Refresh Living. She has a passion for helping people to create a home they love without spending a lot of money.