If you’ve ever seen pictures of the rooms in my house, you’ll see I love painted furniture. White painted furniture to be exact. So when I inherited some dining room chairs from my parents, I knew I wanted to find a way to paint them.
I’ve used chalk paint on several items around my house already. Including my wine rack which Dad and I painted together for an episode of Today’s Homeowner.
And then we used it again for an old desk from our Trash to Treasure episode.
Since both of those pieces have held up really well, I was ready to put my homemade chalk paint to work again.
But first we had to prep the chairs. And by “we”, I mean my mom and I! So glad I was able to guilt her into helping me with this project 🙂 She really is the cutest!
We started by removing the seat cushions and setting them aside for their makeover later. Then we got out the sander. Here we used BLACK+DECKER’s new Mouse sander* since we had a lot of tight spaces to sand. Plus the sandpaper has a perforated diamond-shaped tip, so we could replace just the part of the paper we used the most.
Since you just need to remove the sheen to give the paint a better surface to adhere to, you can use anywhere from 120-240 grit sandpaper for this job. Our sander came with 120 and 240. So that worked out well!
*This post was sponsored by BLACK+DECKER. However, all opinions are honest and 100% my own. I only work with brands I use and trust.
If you are wanting to re-stain, you’d need a more aggressive grit (80-100) to sand it down to bare wood. This guide to choosing sandpaper can help if you need sandpaper for another project around your house.
With everything sanded the way we wanted, we wiped any remaining dust with a rag and then we were ready to mix our chalk paint! The beauty of this “recipe” is that you can use any color you want!
Measure out 5 Tablespoons of Plaster of Paris* in a disposable container. Then add 3 Tablespoons of tap water and mix until all of the lumps are gone. Pour in 2 cups, or half of a quart container, of latex paint in the color of your choice and mix again. Then you’re ready to go!
Obviously you can adjust the recipe if you want to make more or less paint at a time. But I’ve found that it keeps well for several months in a Tupperware container if you want to save the leftovers for touchups or future projects.
We painted 2 thick coats to get the coverage we needed. With the added plaster, it dries fast and hard. So you’re able to start on the second coat as soon as you’re done with the first!
After the second coat was on, we switched gears to the cushion. I picked up a canvas drop cloth with plastic-backing. I figured if something was to spill on the new coverings, it wouldn’t be able to leak through and soak into the foam beneath. Hopefully preventing any liquids, like Sharon’s Chardonnay, from souring and stinking up the chairs!
The 5×5 drop cloth was perfect for the 4 cushions we had. We used a basic stapler and 1/4 inch staples to attach to the plywood underbelly of the seats. It’s nice to have a partner to pull the fabric tight as you work the stapler around the seat. But it can be done solo too!
Once the drop cloth was stapled in place, I added an extra layer of protection with a spray fabric protector. That should further help resist any spills that may ruin our handiwork.
Using the original screws, we reinstalled the cushions to the chairs. Then it was time to toast with a little Strawberry Bliss!
Comment below to let me know if you’ve used homemade chalk paint in your house. I’ve seen some people use unsanded grout instead of Plaster of Paris. Anyone used it and had any luck? Please share!
Thanks for Checking In! ~Chelsea
*This post contains affiliate links*
Linda says
October 4, 2014 at 8:35 amIt was nice to see you have your hair tied while using powertools (sander) but Mom should have had hers tied too. Also, it appeared that you did one chair at a time and there was no mention about the other 3 being done. Wouldn’t it be more time effective to paint all 4 and cover all 4 at the same time?
Penny says
October 11, 2014 at 10:41 amNice video – you made the chair recovering look easy. Did you have any trouble fitting the cushion back into the chair frame? I have some chairs I would like to recover, but am afraid I won’t be able to get the cushion back into the chair.
Chelsea Lipford Wolf says
October 18, 2014 at 6:44 amNope, there was no trouble. Tightening the screw tightens it right back up the frame!
Christine Pace says
October 18, 2014 at 6:20 amDo you have instructions for painting paneling that has been in the living room since the 1960’s? What primer to use & what kind of paint (oil or water based?).
Chelsea Lipford Wolf says
October 18, 2014 at 6:44 amHere’s a helpful video: http://www.todayshomeowner.com/video/how-to-paint-paneling/
It recommends having the primer tinted to the wall color, but I’d say skip that and just use either Kilz’s Original (oil-based), Latex 2, or their Odorless that’s also oil-based.
After that you can use water-based latex paint. (Regulations are making it hard to find oil-based anyway these days!
NONNIE says
January 11, 2015 at 11:19 amI have oak chairs bought at naked furniture shop that have been used x several years without any sealer > paint > varnish. They are a little grungy… but great condition. Now that I am retired I have the time to fix up the house more but have to do it on the cheap. I would like to paint the chairs but want them in color to blend in with the rest of the kitchen.
1/ Any special prep for this project on raw wood? ? ?
2/ Can I use a tinted / colored paint ( thinking FIRE ENGINE RED)
3/ Would I need a final coat sealer if painted on raw wood…. I do not want to have to do this again for YEARS… it needs to be tough.
thanks
NONNIE
.
Michelle Jones says
March 15, 2015 at 7:52 pmHey Chelsea,
I’ve got a table and 4 chairs that I wanna do with chalk paint, except for the top of the table, which I”m gonna stain. I’ve never used chalk paint, but I’m going to this time. The question I have is, Is it easy to clean? And how does it differ from matte/flat paint? And does making chalk paint do the same on dk paint as it does on lt. paint? Thanks…..
Chelsea Lipford Wolf says
March 16, 2015 at 10:53 amHi Michelle, chalk paint is easy to clean. The difference between it and a flat paint is that is dries to a harder finish so it’s more durable. And if you were to sand it for a shabby chic look, it wouldn’t peel like normal latex paint. It would just sand off. I haven’t notice any difference in making chalk paint with light or dark colors. So you should be fine either way for your table. Hope this helps! Let me know how it goes! ~ Chelsea
Linda says
May 15, 2015 at 3:23 pmHey Chelsea!
Your video on chalk painting was totally inspiring to me! Would this method also work on my kitchen and bathroom cabinets too? I want to paint them white (they are now a washed oak) and have been procrastinating for fear of messing them up. And, is the flat paint finish going to be good as is on cabinets, or could I maybe use a gloss paint? I don’t want to bite off more than I can chew so maybe I can experiment on the bathroom first. What’cha think? ~ Linda
Chelsea Lipford Wolf says
May 19, 2015 at 11:27 amHi Linda! Yes this method will work for cabinets. And it’s a good idea to start with the smaller bathroom cabinet to get your feet wet. You’ll definitely want to clean the surface real well before painting since hands=grease and grime. We like to use a degreasing citrus cleaner found in the cleaning aisle with a warm, damp sponge. I’ve used semi-gloss paint with this method before and it turned out fine! Let me know how it goes when you decide to tackle it! ~ Chelsea
Linda Forsyth says
October 9, 2015 at 2:02 amDo you “soft wax” after using the homemade chalk paint?
Chelsea Lipford Wolf says
October 26, 2015 at 11:10 amHi Linda, I did not use wax on these chairs or a wine rack I painted with chalk paint. And they’re holding up well. I have, however, used a paste wax on the top of a dining table. And I’ll never do that again. I find it gets marked up easily when something is slid over it. The marks can be wiped away with a little elbow grease, but who has the time?! Hope this helps! ~ Chelsea