homemade milkpaint over homemade chalkpaint....

...A shabby chic paint makeover of an old pine table

On Monday I showed you some pictures of my old Pine dining/coffee table...

I have had a plan for a while on how I wanted to transform it:

I want a two tone distressed effect...like it is a really old table that has been painted loads of times, with a chippy paint finish, where the "old" paint is shoving through...

 The table top I want to do something special to, and without being too mysterious, I want to save this for my Saturday DIY tutorial...so stay tuned!

So, having discovered the joys of Chalk paint last week, I thought: that is the perfect paint to use....

....but as I've been doing my research, I came across Milk paint....so then I thought: Why don't I combine the two for an ultra chippy-look on my table....

As I am on a tight budget, I decided to make the paints myself....so keep reading for easy recipes on both homemade Chalk paint ......and Milk paint....

I found loads of useful information on choosing the right paint type for your project at the very talented miss mustard seed's blog....this is also where I learned that chalk paint makes an excellent primer for milk paint....

If you would like to do some research yourself on different paint types and techniques, please visit my pinterest board painting and finishing for loads of useful links....

Anyway...you can do research until you are blue in the face....but the best way to learn is to jump in ....and just DO IT......(and maybe you'll end up with blue hands, like me, instead)!!

So here goes: 

The prep...

 

The first thing to do is give it a good clean....

...I used sugar soap

Then I filled all the holes and dinks with wood filler...

 

And sanded it level with the wood...

 After wiping off all the dust....

       

....I used some spray primer to seal in the knots in the wood...

(You can also use knotting solution for this...but I used what I had to save my pennies...)

 That's it....prep done!!

Now for the paint....

Homemade Chalk paint

So, last week I used a branded chalk paint to paint my friends book shelf.

So, feeling a little braver , I decided to try one of the recipes for home made chalk paint I found online at salvaged inspirations for my table.....

 

Recipe:

3 parts paint ( water based indoor paint ie: emulsion)

1 part plaster of paris

water

Mix up the plaster with some water until smooth and mix in the paint...

That's it....simple hey??

You can add more water if you would like a more runny paint...

 

Because I've got other plans for the table top, I turned the table upside down before I started painting..

It also made it easier to get into all those nooks and crannies...

I loved the chalk paint mix....it went on smoothly with good coverage...

I actually preferred this homemade version to the branded chalk paint I used last week...

I did two coats...making sure the first coat was fully dried before applying the next

Usually, you are meant to sand in between the coats, but as I am using the chalk paint as a primer , I didn't bother....

Hey! I like living on the edge...

I slightly unscrewed the table legs before painting, so that I didn't paint them shut... 

 

Chalk paint done....

I painted the table top with a coat of  primer...

I let the paint cure over night...

Then I used my palm sander to smooth out any brush strokes and distress the chalk paint....

The curved table legs I sanded by hand...I used 80 grit sand paper.

Then I used my sanding sponge (ca. 120 grit) to smooth over any rough bits..

The homemade chalk paint distressed beautifully when I sanded it...but the moist rag technique didn't do anything....

Now is the time to mix up your....

.....Home made Milk Paint

Milk paint has been around since Egyptian times, and is traditionally made by curdling milk, separating the curds from the whey, and adding pigments....

But I managed to find this simple recipe at Steve Tomlin Crafts.

It is a naturally thin paint that is very good for using on raw wood and porous surfaces, as it soaks in like a stain, yet looks like paint...

As with chalk paint there is no need for sanding and priming before painting, and when used on top of a previously treated surface, it will naturally peel off and distress beautifully and is perfect for creating that chippy old paint effect....

When purchasing a branded milk paint, it will come in powder form that needs to be mixed with water...

This is exactly what this recipe emulates:

Recipe:

1 part bicarbonate of soda

1 part pigment

4 parts milk powder

6 parts water

Mix all the powders together....

Add the water...mix well.

Let stand for 1 hour to let the powders settle...

Then stir vigorously just before painting....

Whilst I waited for my milk paint to settle, I gave the table a once over with wax...

Because I wanted the milk paint to do its beautiful chippy thing, I needed to seal the porous surface of the chalk paint...so that the milk paint wouldn't just soak in...

After a quick wax and buff using an old pillow case....

 

....I painted my table with my homemade milk paint....

...it goes on like a wash..

Don't hang about when painting with milk paint as it dries very quickly....

...and take care not to go over where you have painted already before the coat is properly dried, as this will cause the paint to lift, and make a mess of your paint job....

I left the first coat to dry for 2 hours before applying a second coat....

The second coat gave a good coverage....

When the second coat was fully dried, it was again time for some sanding and distressing...

The properties of the milk paint will cause it to flake off when sanding ....

...milk paint will flake off in an unpredictable way: some places will flake more than others....

Don't panic! This is the look of milk paint, and you will end up with an authentic flaky aged patina...

I used my palm sander on the flat areas of the table, using sandpaper grit 80...

You can control the flaking a bit by using a higher grit sand paper, or if you want a softer distressing effect, you can sand by hand.....

On the curved table legs I used 80 grit sand paper, and sanded by hand....

When I was happy with the distressed effect, I  used my 120 grit sanding sponge all over, to smooth out any brush strokes, and the grany-ness of the milk paint....

 

You can also distress the milk paint with a moist rag, but then you wont get the flaky effect...more a streaky wash- effect....

After a quick wipe down to get rid of any dust from the sanding, I am ready for the finishing...

Milk paint should always be finished using either hemp oil or a finishing wax, for protection...

...But more on this on Saturday, when I will also show you what I did to the table top....

I know this look is not for everyone, but if like me, you like the aged and distressed look, chalk paint and milk paint lends itself very well to achieving this effect....

By making my own paints, I have saved my self a fortune:

A tin of branded Chalk paint can cost between £20- 50....I made my own for less than £5

and a bag of Milk paint powder will cost upwards of £20....my home made version cost me just over £4...

If you don't feel brave enough (honestly: these recipes work really well) to make your own:

Annie Sloan is the original and best brand of chalk paint, and are now widely sold in the UK...

You can find lots of useful information  and video tutorials on using chalk paint at the Annie Sloan website.

And the ready mixed miss mustard seed milk paint powder (This link will take you to her blog that has lots of useful information and tutorials on using milk paint) , you can purchase from beautifully boho..(if you are in the UK).....just add water, and mix it up as you go ....

I hope I have inspired a few of you to try these two paint type....It is a lot of fun, and you can be very creative with both colours and techniques...

Pop back again on Saturday to see how I finish my table off!!

xxx

June