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The final step when using chalk paint is to seal your paint work with furniture wax. In this YouTube video linked right below here, I show you how to get a nice, thin coat that dries properly and will give your piece that irresistible hand-rubbed patina.
If you don’t want to watch the video, the transcript follows right here below.
Transcript
Hey this is Kathleen again from oldworldfarmhouse.com and I’m going to show you how to seal your chalk
painted furniture with a coat of clear wax.
Wax brush options
This is chalk paint wax in clear by Annie Sloan and I have a round wax brush from Waxwell that I’m using. I got years ago. If you do not have a round wax brush you can use an old rag um and that works fine. The wax brush just helps it go a little faster. I’ll link to some places to find wax brushes. Annie now makes her own wax brushes,
which she didn’t back in the day when I got this one. You can also get them at Walmart. Waverly has some and other places.
Sources for wax brushes and wax* (*affiliate links)
- Large Waxwell Wax Brush
- Waverly Wax Brushes*
- Annie Sloan Wax Brushes
- Annie Sloan Clear Wax
- Minwax Paste Finishing Wax* (somewhat cheaper alternative to Annie Sloan Clear Wax, works fine over chalk paint)
How to get a nice thin coat that will dry
Waxing, when I first started I tended to way over do the wax. The key to wax is thin coats and the bad news is, in my opinion two coats or three coats are better than one, and it’s bad news because it is a little tedious, but the brush helps it go fast and it seals your piece and it gives it a beautiful patina especially after you rub it
and buff it when you’re done.
So I just barely touch my brush into the wax get some
on there, and then just go and rub it in, kind of like I am rubbing hand lotion into my hands and you want it to absorb to that point. You don’t want it to be really greasy because if you lay it on real thick and you think, oh it’s just going to dry or something, uh-uh it
doesn’t really work that way. You just want to put on the thinnest of coats and really work it into the paint with your brush.
How long to let it dry in between coats
Then you’re going to want to let it dry overnight at least,
so we’re talking like, I would say 12 to 24 hours depending on the kind of weather and humidity where you are. 12 to 24 hours in between wax coats, and if you have the patience to put on two
or three it’ll really go much better towards the sturdiness and durability of your paint job as well, as there is this – in my opinion – this ineffable charm that comes from the patina of a hand
rubbed painted piece of furniture. So as you can see I’m just – I’m not being shy about really pushing it into the paint. And that is that!
More DIY resources for Swedish Country Style
If you want to know more about Swedish Country Style chalk paint colors, I’ve got a video about that here, and if you’d like to learn how to add layers of time and character with chalk paint, I’ve made a video on that as well.
Get even more Gustavian Swedish Country Style in your home with my video tutorial for making some tie-on slipcovers for your dining room chairs.