Want to know the A to Z of using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint? I’m sharing my best tips for using chalk paint including the best brush for chalk paint, how to use chalk paint wax and more!
The best way to share how to use chalk paint is to walk you through one of my chalk paint projects! I had been looking for a small gray kitchen table for months without finding what I wanted but then stumbled upon a cream desk that was the perfect size and a great price so I decided to use chalk paint to turn it into the kitchen table of my dreams! The best thing about using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is requires NO prep work. No sanding. No priming. Nada. Ready to get the details on how to use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint yourself? (post includes affiliate links; full disclosure statement available {here})
How to Use Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
I chose “French Linen”, a dark gray, as my paint color (you can find a local stockist of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint {here}). Using a natural bristle brush, I applied the first coat and quickly saw that it wasn’t going to come anywhere close to covering the old cream color. But no worries because the paint dries super quickly so not long after I was done painting the first coat, it was ready for a second coat. There’s a night and day difference after two coats – you can see the difference here:
How to Use Chalk Paint Wax
Next, use a rag to wipe off any sanded bits of paint, wait about 10 ten minutes and buff with a rag. After 24 hours, finish it off with a second thin coat of wax, making sure that you cover the distressed areas well. Finally, go over the table one final time with a rag to smooth out the wax and wipe off any excess. The next day, use a rag to buff the wax to a nice shine – done!:
Best Brush for Chalk Paint & Wax
Using Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, it’s now one of the most gorgeous pieces in our home:
You can see more of it in my tour of our guest bedroom {here}. One last piece of advice for using Annie Sloan Chalk paint is to have fun! The beauty of painted furniture is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Having some imperfections is part of a painted furniture piece’s inherent beauty so have fun with your project and don’t sweat it if the final result isn’t totally perfect – it shouldn’t be.
Angela says
July 24, 2012 at 4:54 pmHi Kris, I’m curious how your table is holding up? I really want to do this to my kitchen table. But, I have two kids and the table takes a beating everyday! How do you clean it? I worry about spills, caked on food and scratches. Thanks for sharing!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
July 24, 2012 at 9:39 pmHi Angela – our kitchen table gets lots of abuse too so I had a piece of glass cut for the top of the table. That way it’s easy to clean, I never have to worry about stains, and my kids have a smooth surface to do their homework on. The rest of the table has held up very well to being kicked with shoes, scraped with dog nails, etc.! The wax is key!! Good luck with your project!
Brandi says
January 30, 2013 at 9:53 pmKris, thank you so much for sharing your experience with the paint. I have been on the fence about whether or not to use ASCP for a project. Your thoughts convinced me it’s the way to go. Thanks again, for your detailed post. Now to chose a color…ugh!!! : )
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
January 30, 2013 at 11:20 pmGood luck with your project Brandi! One of the things I like most about ASCP is that all of their colors are beautiful – you can’t go wrong!
Candace Eidson says
August 10, 2013 at 12:42 amI have read that soaking Annie Sloan’s brushes in water overnight before using helps with the brush hairs being left in the paint or wax. After soaking them and they are dry, you are suppose to run your fingers over them and pull out the hairs that have loosened.
Great blog! I start painting my first piece tomorrow!
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
August 10, 2013 at 10:20 amThanks so much for that tip Candace – I hadn’t heard of that but I’ve got a few chalk paint projects I’m about to embark on and I’ll try it out!
Stacey Bravick says
August 17, 2013 at 11:18 pmIt’s a good idea before using your brushes to wash them in Dawn dish washer detergent, rinse thoroughly and let them dry overnight. This prepares your brush and you should have less “hairs” or bristles. I agree that using a damp brush, or rinsing your brushes often when using ASCP helps it go on easier, as it does dry quickly. I have found that the wax does smooth out a rough finish just fine and I always apply 2 coats, buffing the next day of course.
Kris @ Driven by Décor says
August 18, 2013 at 9:29 amGreat tips Stacey – I’m actually going to be working on a piece today and I’ll try out dampening my brush and see how it works for me.
Anonymous says
October 6, 2013 at 9:48 pmBEAUTIFUL. WELL DONE!!
Anonymous says
July 2, 2014 at 3:05 pmI don’t wait anytime to buff. I buff immediately and use a polisher (from the big box store) that one would use buffing wax on a car. It makes the surface like glass. I also don’t distress after the wax. I paint, distress, wax and distress more if needed. I love the look the wax gives the distressed portions that you don’t get when you distress afterward. IMHO
Annie says
June 28, 2015 at 8:10 amI love it! Absolutely beautiful. You did a great job!
Andrea says
October 23, 2015 at 9:29 amWow, good job with the table! Looks really nice. I’m in love with this color, thinking of painting my walls with it. I’m hesitating a bit because I don’t want them to look to brown, it looks so different in different pictures… Would you say it looks more gray or light brownish in for example daylight?
Kris Jarrett says
October 23, 2015 at 11:38 amHi Andrea! I would definitely say that it looks more gray than brown. Stores that sell AS chalk paint have paint charts of the colors (and our store actually has true painted samples) so you might want to see it in person before committing. In fact your best bet may be to just get a color chart and color match the sample in a typical wall paint because the AS paint could get pretty expensive to use depending upon the size of the painting project. Enjoy your weekend!
Evelyn Spangard says
November 19, 2016 at 6:42 pmWhat is the effect of using chalk paint varnish versus wax or in conjunction with?
Jane Shields says
April 30, 2017 at 6:23 amI need help. I chalk painted a table antique white, applied the clear wax, distressed it and then dark waxed it. It looks horrible. In watching your video, I think I shouldn’t have used the dark wax at all. Can I start over and just paint over what I have? Or does a waxed piece have to be prepped in some way?
Kris Jarrett says
May 15, 2017 at 10:37 amHi Jane! Actually the video you watched wouldn’t have been mine (I never made a video on using chalk paint) but I can tell you that with Annie Sloan paint and wax, you can just paint back over the wax and try again!
Robbin says
September 11, 2017 at 11:43 pmYou can use Mineral Spirits to remove the wax even after it has dried. I just did this and then repainted a different color.
Kimberly says
June 21, 2018 at 11:55 amGreat read‼️ I just finished one of two mirrors for our bathroom. As I was painting then waxing, I kept thinking, “what is all this hype about the paint and waxing???”. Now that I’ve read your thoughts about it, I understand a little better. I still don’t go goo goo for the waxing part but maybe it’ll grow on me⁉️⁉️⁉️ Thank you for posting what you learned. And I ❤️💙❤️💙 your table❣️
Kimberly
Kris Jarrett says
July 26, 2018 at 11:01 pmThank you so much Kimberly! I hope your mirrors turned out beautifully!
Renee Parkhurst says
August 18, 2018 at 12:32 pmI love Annie Sloan chalk paint I am in the process of painting my entire bedroom furniture with coco except for my night stands which are getting robin egg. My curtains and bedding are robin egg and brown. I used the water based poly on mine as we are kinda rough on furniture. Annie Sloan seems expensive but I painted 3 pieces of very dark furniture with coco and it only took one quart. I also love the AS brushes, especially the one that’s like a mop. Your furniture is beautiful and has inspired me to used that color on my next project.
Kris Jarrett says
September 9, 2018 at 11:55 pmThat’s such a beautiful color combo!! I think it’s a great paint too!
Cindy says
June 14, 2019 at 11:57 pmHow do I decide which color to use as a base. I want a driftwood or restoration hardware look. I painted base of dining table old white. For the top I have old white, French linen and Paris Gray. Which would be the base and which ones would be dry brushed?
Cindy says
June 15, 2019 at 12:02 amI loved your explanation and photos! You mentioned it to consider a glass top for a frequent use dining table. After I finish my driftwood top dining table , should I use Annie Sloan’s flat polyurethane. I do not want to buy expensive glass or have the look or cleaning Challenges of glass. Your website is very helpful compared to others. Thank you for sharing.
Amy says
June 24, 2019 at 10:52 amWhat round brushes can you recommend for painting? The AS brushes are too expensive. I purchased your recommendation for the wax brush!
Thank you,
Amy