and we're off!

Happy 2012!  It's back to life as usual around here so I got right to work on project number one.  Remember this table?

I had big plans to mix of some homemade chalk paint with this.

I read up on a bunch of other people's experiences with homemade chalk paint and found some interesting consistency issues.  Someone said it resembled painting with lumpy pancake batter.  Whaaaat?  Well, turns out that was exactly what it was like but strangely when the lumpy mess you've mixed up hits the furniture it smooths out rather quickly.  The lumps are gone and it adheres really well without any sanding or priming which as far as I'm concerned is a miracle!

I couldn't find any really specific ratios for mixing aside from a 1 part plaster of paris to 2 parts paint.  So I mixed one part plaster of paris to one part paint first and got it as smooth as I could and then mixed in the other part of paint.  I got to work quickly because it does stiffen up and I kept stirring as I worked.  I even added a little water when I was nearing the end to loosen it up again.  Two coats did the trick.  I sanded a little around the edges to distress it and a bit on the top where I was a little sloppy with my strokes.  Everything I read said that Annie Sloan's wax is far superior to any furniture wax you can buy but I opted for a $9.00 can of minwax and it worked just fine.

So, with a $6.00 container of plaster of paris, a $9.00 can of minwax and some Behr paint samples I had left from our bedroom I transformed that table to this.

distressed detail

It's a very pretty soft grey.  I'd say my first homemade chalk paint adventure went well.  I am always trying to figure out a way around priming and sanding and this let me skip those steps with a clear conscious. The distressed look I wanted allowed me to be pretty relaxed about painting since I was going for an aged and imperfect look anyway! 

My little desk for the bedroom is up next and I'm walking around the house sizing up other furniture victims to paint as we speak.

linking up to It's Overflowing 
and Delightful Order
and Creation Corner
The Shabby Nest
Tatertots and Jello
At The Picket Fence