Tips & Helpful Hints

PAINTING TIPS

Always clean the piece first
Brush off any loose dust and cobwebs
Use a simple mixture of vinegar and water and a rag cut from an old t-shirt to gently clean the piece – I know many people who use chalk-style paint say just dust off the piece and start painting, but if they saw how much dirt is removed with the vinegar and water solution, they might change their technique. The vinegar and water helps remove that old, musty smell from a piece of furniture that has been sitting uncleaned for many years, and it allows the new finish to adhere to the surface. It is a must.

It is tempting to start with the front of a piece, but you need to resist
Paint the back, bottom (including the feet) and inside of a piece first and allow them to dry thoroughly before starting the front.
This will give you a dry surface to lay your piece on, or to stand it on the feet. If you scrape the sides or bottom, it is much easier to fix than the front.

One of the biggest problems when painting a piece of furniture is finding a drip or run after the paint is completely dry. These are a true pain because you have to sand them down and repaint… a long and tedious process.
To avoid this, you need to go back several times during painting to check for drips. Catching them at this stage means a quick brush-over to blend them in, seconds at most.
Remember to bend down and look at the piece form several different angles to make sure you see all the drips. They are sneaky little things.

If you are planning to distress a piece, rub candle wax or vaseline on some of the edges (not all edges). This keeps the paint from adhering tightly to that area. Then when you sand the piece to create a distressed look, the paint comes off quickly saving you time and effort.

Use very little paint
Load the brush only at the tip then wipe off most of the paint on the side of your pallet (I often use the paint can lid or a plastic plate). If you rub the loaded brush on your hand, no paint comes off.

Brush with loaded paint, notice how dry the brush looks

I use cheap, disposable brushes for this technique because the pressure required to transfer the paint will destroy the bristles. I often cut the bristles as shown above to make it easier to transfer paint
The first strokes of paint should be very light to make sure you don’t create a big splotch of paint. Your strokes can become more forceful as you continue brushing
If you get a splotch of paint, use fine grid sandpaper to lightly sand off some of the paint
This is a layered technique so be patient. You want to complete the entire piece then add a second or third coat to add more color
Layering colors from darkest to lightest works the best

When using wax for your final finish, always make sure you wax the piece in a place where it does not need to be moved
Allow wax time to dry over night before moving the piece
Drying time depends on the temperature in your room or outside depending on where you are working
In warm, breezy weather, the wax dries much faster

Old plastic food cartons make great paint pans and storage containers
Why purchase paint containers when you can get them for free? All that is required is a little cleaning. I put mine in the dishwasher on the top rack
Great options include plastic take-out containers and yogurt and cottage cheese cartons because they have lids, which makes it easy to seal the paint for later use
Do the environment a favor and choose this great recycling option

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use sandpaper with red paper backing
The red color will transfer to the piece, and you will be very sorry with the result

To create an aged finish I use 100 grit sandpaper to sand the piece.
Light and easy sanding is best
I use multiple pieces per piece to prevent large gashing down to the wood. If you do not change your sandpaper often, you will need to push harder which can cause some major paint removal

Natural products will dry out over time, so occasionally, you need to mist them with water to help them stay fresh looking.
I put a stick of cinnamon in a spray bottle of water to add the lovely scent when I spray.
Be sure to spray them away from furniture, walls and carpets to prevent damage to your decor.