WEEKEND DIY – Furniture Painting Tips

A few weeks ago we started hosting Chalk Paint® By Annie Sloan 101 Workshops.  This has quickly become one of my favourite activities and something I look forward to every week.  But it also made me realize that there are a lot of furniture painting tips that you won’t find on the back of your paint can.  Here are some of my favorites that I try to remember to pass on every week.

• Preparation really is the most important.  Some paint like Chalk Paint® By Annie Sloan don’t require sanding or priming but whatever product you use it’s always recommended that you clean your piece well before painting.  Over the years, surfaces collect dust, oils from our fingers and cleaner residue.  To prevent your paint from failing, make sure you give your piece a thorough cleaning with either hot water and ammonia, Krud Kutter, or a mixutre of Dawn, hot water and vinegar.  You don’t want to soak your furniture (especially if it’s wood) but give it a good scrub and let dry before getting started with your project.
• Paint can be expensive and you don’t want it to go to waste.  When you open a fresh can, pierce a few holes on the inside of the rim with a hammer and nail.  When you pour out your paint or clean off your brush on the edge of the can, the excess paint will drip back into the can through the holes.  It won’t collect inside the rim, dry and then prevent your lid from sealing the can shut properly.
• Invest in some quality tape.  There’s nothing worse than spending hours taping off your design only to find out your paint has bled under the tape or that the tape is tearing off in pieces when you try to remove it.  My favourite is 3M Safe Release tape designed for freshly painted surfaces.  It’s delicate enough not to damage your new paint job but sticks well enough to prevent bleed.
• Paint can create a thick layer on the edges of your drawers and prevent them from fitting back into your dresser/armoire properly.  Either be aware of how much paint you’re putting on the edges or plane/sand the drawer edges a bit before painting to compensate for the extra layer
• If you’re painting cabinets, mark each door/drawer so you know where it belongs and include all of its hardware in a separate bag.  Remember that over time hinges settle and the hardware that might have fit on the cabinet above your sink may not fit properly on the door by your stove.
• Got knots?  Wood knots contain tannin which, if not sealed properly, will keep on staining through your paint.  To prevent wood knots from popping through on your furniture or woodwork seal them first with either clear shellac or a white shellac based primer like BIN by Zinsser.

To learn more about upcoming Chalk Paint® By Annie Sloan Workshops sign up for our newsletter here or visit our Facebook Page.