Chalk & Milk Paint Tips & Techniques. Helpful How-to’s & DIYs

Getting a Chippy Finish with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint on a Painted Antique Chair

2/8/2017

A chair is such a great project. Whether you're a newbie furniture painter or a veteran.

If you have quite a few painterly projects under your belt, you may think there is nothing new under the sun, but once in awhile a special one comes along and when you're finished you think — Oh yeah! I'm keeping that!

That's what happened here...

Enter vintage timber chair gifted to me by my awesome neighbour Darlene (yup, she's the furniture-angel who gifted me the barrel for last week's fabulous project!)

Before: An antique chair with lovely bones

There is something about the curved leg and the timber peeking through on the spindled back that excited me. But mostly, it was the old glossy finish — it was just begging to make the most perfect chippy layered look with Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint!

One of my favourite MMS Milk Paint colours is Tricycle. It's a gorgeous red that is bold yet classic.

Let's get started.

Tricycle is a paint-in-the-bum to mix. It really is. (Did you see what I did there? ;P)

The powdered pigment is larger than in other colours so it tends to float at the top — and sit there!

You can mix and mix and mix and mix . . .

Mixing MMS Milk Paint - mixer vs whisk?!

The very best thing you can do in this case is use a MMSMP Mixer rather than a Mini-Whisk. I prefer using a Whisk, but not with Tricycle. It's too stubborn!

Another tip with difficult-to-mix colours is to let it rest. Once you've added water and mixed it for a minute or so, just walk away for 5 or 10 minutes and it will become easier to blend as the pigment dissolves.

No Bonding Agent required as I was hoping for chipping. Isn't it exciting to get straight into painting and see the change happening before your eyes?

Loving where this beauty is headed!

While the chair dried I reupholstered the seat with fabric from fabric.com.

If you haven't checked out this website, get on it! You will be lost in their options (I always start in the sale section). Even with the exchange rate and shipping I find it's worth it for the unusual fabrics.

I searched for my two base colours, red and the original yellow of the chair. I knew I wanted a heavier fabric like linen and a lot of constrast — BAM!

Visit this blog post for how to reupholster a seat cushion like this one.

My lovely floral linen upholstery fabric from fabric.com

WIP: One coat of MMSMP in Tricycle before the chippy magic happens

I used my trusty Cling On O35
to get the paint on quickly and evenly
and in just one coat!

Cling On Brushes are
self-cleaning paint brushes
designed by a master painter in
Holland who really knows his stuff!

The unique oval shape
makes tough jobs easy and
cutting in even easier.

You can see the paint would eventually be flaking and chipping in spots on its own but I wanted it done NOW.

So I wiped it all over lightly with 180-grit sandpaper. A swipe here, a swipe there is all it took before sealing with MMSMP Furniture Wax.

Sanding back lightly to reveal the original painted finish — an easy way to layer paint!

Yeahhhhh....I've had my fair share of Tricycle projects, but this one... the imperfection, the original finish coming through, glints of timber and that fabric.

She and I will be together for a long time!

I'm pretty fortunate to have a bevy of talented family members. I'm grateful that my media artist niece put down her canvas and brushes to snap these photos for me. You can see what else she gets up to over on her Facebook page at Esther Orloff Art.

It's all here...for the love...
Sada

What We Used:

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint

A$12.00 - A$75.00

One of the most beautiful paints you'll ever use. All-natural, non-toxic Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint sticks to any porous surface without primer, sanding or prep. It will not chip or peel as it binds with the substrate. The only paint that creates the authentic "chippy" look.

Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint can be used with Bonding Agent to adhere to even more surfaces including varnished and pre-painted surfaces, metal, plastic & glass without prep. It can range from a solid colour to a stain — depending on how much water is added.

Available in 1 Litre or Sample Sachets, some 2 Litre available
Super fast recoat time
Easy water clean-up
25 gorgeous colours
Simply Wax, Hemp Oil or Tough Coat to seal
Easy to distress or create "aged" look
Non-toxic, environmentally-friendly
Easy colour mixing for custom colours
Mixes with water
Mix only what you need, no waste

You may also need:

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Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax

A$28.00 - A$54.00

Miss Mustard Seed's Waxes are museum quality, all natural, easy to apply and provide a durable finish with a beautiful lustre. No toxic smells or odours. Creamy and silky, easy to apply with Wax Brush or cloth.

Miss Mustard Seed's Furniture Wax is ideal for use on timber, marble or as a finish over Milk or Chalk Paint.

Also available:

Antiquing Wax: Perfect for creating an authentically aged finish
White Wax: Perfect for creating a faded, washed or limed look
Hemp Oil: Provides a solvent-free, protective, water-resistant oil finish
Wax Brushes: Achieve a professional look and save money as it uses less

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Cling On Paint Brushes — OVAL

A$30.00 - A$40.00

Hand-crafted in Holland, these brushes minimise brushstrokes and leave a velvety smooth finish.

Extremely easy clean up while maintaining their unique oval shape. Tipped and flagged for exceptional cut-in capabilities and virtually no shedding.

High quality, no-rust stainless steel ferrule and 100% synthetic (vegan-friendly) bristles for use with all water-based paints. Will last up to 9 times longer than ordinary synthetic brushes.

O35 Brush: Medium-sized brush for all-purpose painting, large or small projects
O45 Brush: Large brush for bigger projects, applies a lot of paint quickly — can be heavy for smaller hands

A must-have in every upcycler and painters' collection.

TIP:
Do not remove the string-it helps give the bristles direction and tension. For new brushes, pull on bristles to remove loose hairs. Soak for 30 minutes before first use. If you notice brush strokes, there is too much paint on your brush.

You may also be interested in:
Cling on Round Brushes
Cling on Flat Brushes
Wax Brushes

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