Refreshing our Living Room Tables with Chalk Paint

For several months now I've been wanting to try out chalk paint. I know I'm way behind and almost everyone has used it by this point, but I just couldn't see spending so much money on a can of paint! I'm sure the popular brands out there are very nice and high quality, but I still just couldn't do it, especially since I didn't know for sure if I would like it or not. Anyways, on a recent Walmart trip I ran across a display of (you guessed it!) chalk paint! It was only $5.97 for a small container and they had several colors to choose from. I also purchased a can of Miniwax brand Paste Furniture Wax in natural for these projects.

First I tackled our coffee table. I found this solid oak pedestal table at a yard sale over the summer and knew right away it would be the perfect coffee table for us. I love our couch, but because of the chaise lounge I had trouble finding a table that would work. This one is just right, it just needed a little re-fresh!

The chalk paint was super easy to use. The only thing I did to prepare the table for paint was wipe it clean with a damp cloth. I applied the paint with a regular paint brush that I already had. At first I tried to apply it neatly and precisely, but I soon realized that chalk paint is very different from the paint I'm used to using. It goes on sort of thick. I only applied one coat which didn't cover completely and left obvious brush strokes. I'm sure one more coat would offer full coverage if you were going for that look. I didn't mind since I wanted to distress it anyways. After the paint dried I used sandpaper to distress it. I tried to target the areas that would naturally show wear and tear with age such as the edges. After this I used a washcloth to apply the wax. I rubbed the wax into the table using circular motions. Once the wax dried, I was left with a beautiful smooth matte finish.

I did the same exact same thing to our two end tables. These tables were left in the farmhouse when we bought it.

They turned out pretty great too!

I'm eager to tackle other paint projects now that I have this new found love for chalk paint!
Thanks so much for visiting, have a BLESSED day!