On the TO DO list here at Sweetwater are a couple o furniture painting projects.
These projects involve furniture that has been oiled or waxed.
That means that in order for MOST paint to adhere properly…..there needs to be a lot of prep work involved.
If you know me….I HATE prep work!
 This little end table started it’s life in Mr. S’s childhood home…..
It has seen several different coats of paint…..and I would have to say that the latest coat is probably my LEAST favorite…
Bad color….and the (my) paint job was less than stellar!
This is also a nice small project!
Perfect for my first foray into the world of Chalk Paint!
Seriously….as ugly as this is….what could I lose!
Many of my favorite bloggers are always “waxing” eloquent about Chalk Paint….and the projects they showcase are pretty wonderful!  But to be honest, I never much paid attention to the products or the process these clever DYIers were using.
It was time for ME to do my research….which of course I am  sharing with you!
If you want the very basics about Chalk Paint….check out this post from Chic Mouldings!   It has basic information about using Chalk Paint….specifically the expensive Annie Sloan product….but the information is generic.
What I learned:
When you paint with Chalk Paint you do not need:
X Prep
X Sanding
X Sealing
X Cleaning
X Priming
X Solvents
If you use Chalk Paint you can paint over just about every surface, wood, plastic, tile, metal, or glass. The paint will even  cover a piece of furniture that has previously been sealed with wax. 
Wow….I knew this stuff was popular….now I see why!
But “Sweetwater,,,,we have a problem!”
Annie Sloan paint is super expensive (in my humble opinion)..
….more problematic…it doesn’t seem there are a lot of places around here that sell it! 
….even more problematic….I wanted to do this project NOW…..not wait until I could go to the store….if I could find a store! And remember….we are in a Polar Vortex…so no way was I going out!
More research…..and guess what….there are recipes out there to MAKE YOUR OWN Chalk Paint….
Hmmmmm….now that is way more “Sweetwater Style”!
 This is a great post with several DYI Chalk Paint Recipes from Salvaged Inspirations!
Diane over at In My Own Style does a comparison of DYI Chalk Paint Recipes HERE!
Source
Since I am all about “Using What I HAVE”, I opted for the Plaster of Paris recipe….because I HAVE some!
I mixed it up…..poured it into the paint I had….with a little help from Marvin of course….
Hmmmm…..I wonder if you can Chalk Paint a cat?
I won’t bore you with all kinds of pictures of the process…..I figure you all know how to paint!  Or if you don’t…..just GOOGLE it!
I only did one coat of the Chalk Paint on this…..then a little sanding and distressing….and a lot of elbow grease with the coat of Johnson’s Paste Wax….which I had to thaw out because it was stored in the garage!!!!

I am pretty pleased with this simple transformation…..and I learned a bunch about Chalk Paint! Mainly that it is simple….inexpensive….no fuss….and very forgiving!
I can’t wait to decide on colors for my other painting projects and get them done soon!
Have A Great Day!