The first thing I ever painted with DIY chalk paint is the bathroom vanity in the guest bath. My favorite DIY Chalk Paint Recipe is one part Plaster of Paris mixed with water to a pancake like consistency and three parts latex paint. The samples from the various paint and home improvement stores work great. I thought you would like to see How Does DIY Chalk Paint Look After 3 Years.
As you can see by the before pictures… Aren’t you amazed I took before pictures? I really didn’t know what I was doing but since I have painted forever including my house inside and out more than once and that was one of my jobs volunteering on the Habitat job sites I decided I had nothing to lose. I know how to paint.
When I ventured into the great unknown of painting with DIY chalk paint, what was the first thing I did? I took the doors off and removed the hinges. Another thing was to wipe down the cabinet although I can’t tell you after all of these years what I may have used. My best guess is Murphy’s Oil Soap.
If you have ever used DIY Chalk Paint you know the first coat generally doesn’t look good and your heart stops and you think oh boy what have I done. Yes, that is the emotion I experienced. By that time the deed was done so I continued on.
I don’t know if that makes me stubborn or what but let me tell you when I start a project I finish it regardless of what happens during.
After the second coat of paint and before waxing I knew this was a good thing to do to get rid of the builder grade cabinets without buying new ones. I lightly distressed the cabinet.
Then I started waxing the cabinet and I was in love with the look. I did get carried away with the clear wax and applied seven coats. I suspect that may have been overkill. At some point I found the new knobs at Hobby Lobby and it worked.
How Does DIY Chalk Paint Look After 3 Years? I am very happy with the look and it looks as good as when I painted it 3 years ago.
Don’t Ever Be Afraid To Paint Fabric
Paint Fabric!!!!! Paint Fabric you say? Don’t ever be afraid to paint fabric. I figure it this way, when I paint I get it all over me. The paint never, ever comes out of my clothes. Through multiple washings it is still there. When I have something on, other than my paint clothes and I’ll just do one quick thing. Oh yeah I end up with a little drop of paint on my shirt and it doesn’t come out.
You can paint upholstery, but this post isn’t about painting upholstery today. The point of this story is about painting the fabric around this frame.
I really love art, remember I attended art school. So when I go on the hunt for trash and treasures I always keep a look out for original artwork. I picked up this little oil painting for a good price. I was drawn to the frame and the painting. But the gold fabric in the frame had to go.
I felt the fabric should be the color of the sky in the landscape. I told myself, “Don’t be afraid to paint the fabric. It is an ugly gold and needs to go”. I mixed up the DIY chalk paint but made it thinner than normal. When I paint upholstery, I spray it with water but certainly couldn’t do that on this project.
I chose a color that picks up the color of the sky in the painting. I didn’t even tape it off. I kept a dampish paper towel near and if I got a little bit of paint on the frame I wiped it up. After one coat of paint I liked the frame much better. Remember the fabric will absorb the paint so I knew I would be painting it more than one time.
When I was waiting for the paint to dry and stepped out of the garage and saw this. I had to share it with you.
I did end up painting the fabric multiple times. I just kept painting until the gold disappeared. With the first coat of paint, it became green. Remember, yellow and blue make green. I kept painting and painting, then the fabric was a light blue, pretty but it needed to be toned down a bit.
So to make the fabric color blend in more with the tones in the painting I mixed a little of yellow with a little of the blue. Better but still needed to be more neutral. I went back over it with a more grayed blue and then a grayed yellow. Don’t be afraid, it is only paint.
I also waxed the frame and freshened it up with Rub N Buff. When I finally got the color of the fabric right, it was time to wax the fabric. I considered waxing it with dark wax but didn’t need to. As I was using the Rub N’ Buff around the frame, I got some flecks on the fabric. When I used the clear wax on the fabric it blended in and aged the fabric. I like this so much better than the original gold color. I may even keep it around the house for a while instead of taking it to Shoppe No. 5. What do you think I should do?
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