How to Chalk Paint a Table – Is Chalk Paint Durable for Tables?

This post may contain affiliate links. We may earn a small commission from purchases made through them, at no additional cost to you.

If you care for the environment and enjoy DIY home decoration, you might love working with chalk paint! Chalk paint is one of the many trends in household design that promotes the sustainability of resources needed, should we wish to undo the damage we humans have caused to our environment. Not only is it eco-friendly and affordable, but it can also be quite fun. If you want to learn how to upcycle tables and other furniture items using chalk paint, join us as we delve into the topic!

What Is Chalk Paint?

Over recent years, the popularity of chalk paint has steadily increased. Its syndication comes on account of its ease of use and many unique properties. Traditional paints can be both messy and time-consuming, whereas chalk paint is not only easy to work with but also capable of achieving sufficient adhesion to most surfaces without priming as another means of extensive preparation.

But what is chalk paint? It is a water-based paint primarily used for decorative purposes. When cured and fully dried, the paint produces its distinctive matte and chalky finish. Most typically, chalk paint is created through a combination of water and fine powder. The powder component is usually something like calcium carbonate, plaster of Paris, or a combination of the two. To give chalk paint any particular color, acrylic paint can be used for pigmentation.

History of Chalk Paint

Although chalk paint is documented to have existed as a commercially available product as far back as 1438, it would be the paint mogul Annie Sloan who, in 1990, would refine the formula of chalk paint in a way that revolutionized its viability as a decorative tool and spur its popularity into the modern age. Given just how popular shabby chic and vintage aesthetics have become in recent years, it has become quite the trend to chalk paint tables and chairs.

For DIY homemakers and décor professionals alike, the rustic charm and ease of use afforded by chalk paint have made it a go-to for many.

What Makes Chalk Paint Unique?

One of the several key factors contributing to the uniqueness of chalk paint is how easy it is to apply. Unlike most other traditional paint mediums, one does not usually need to prime and sand their surfaces before applying chalk paint. Whether you are working with wooden, metal, plastic, or fabric substrates, chalk paint can be easily applied without much preparation beforehand. This has contributed immensely to its popular use for painting decorative items and furniture. Being so easy to apply, it is commonly used as a means to expediently transform worn or old furniture into a charmingly rustic piece without the hassle of sanding and priming.

Chalk paint is also incredibly forgiving when it comes to the difficulty levels of working with it. On account of its matte finish, brushstroke patterns need not be the most expertly administered and imperfections are less likely to form during curing and drying. Better yet, its thick consistency does a good job of masking imperfections, damage, and other such flaws on the surface of the substrate.

With this in mind, chalk paint is a great option for beginners to work with. You need neither experience nor a proficient level of painting skills to apply chalk paint effectively. Chalk paint is also known for its unique aesthetic. Because of its matte finish, it has a softer, more muted look than traditional paint. This makes it a popular choice for creating a vintage, shabby chic look on furniture and decorative items. It is also commonly used to create a distressed look, where the paint is intentionally sanded or scraped away to create a worn, vintage appearance.

The aesthetic of chalk paint is also particularly unique compared to traditional mediums. Its matte finish lends it a more muted and softer look, making painting a table with chalk paint the perfect choice for anyone looking to produce a shabby chic or vintage aesthetic. You can also produce a distressed look by sanding and scraping away the paint to make the furniture appear more rustic and antique.

Durability

Additional to all the aesthetic qualities that can be rendered through the use of chalk paint, it is also considered to have decent durability. Compared to traditional paints, chalk paint does well in areas with high traffic volumes on account of how well it can withstand wear and tear. Painting a table with chalk paint is a good idea if the surface is expected to see frequent use. The matte finish it produces upon drying is also less prone to smudging and the collection of fingerprint marks.

Chalk paint is unique and popular. It is both versatile and forgiving to beginners hoping to make use of the medium and is an excellent choice for anyone hoping to achieve a rustic aesthetic with their furniture. Whether you are a rookie DIY enthusiast looking to restore some old furniture or a seasoned professional in need of a durable and long-lasting finish for your surfaces, chalk paint is a great choice for achieving a matte, smooth finish that is equal parts practical and stylish.

Chalk Paint Pros and Cons

Nothing is perfect and chalk paint is no exception to the rule. There are both benefits and disadvantages to using chalk paint that one should consider before working with the medium. Here we have listed the pros and cons for you.

Uses of Chalk Paint

Painting a table with chalk paint is the most typical use of the medium, most often as a means to breathe new life into old furniture or to supply an antiquated aesthetic to contemporary furniture pieces. Nevertheless, chalk paint can be used for a myriad of different DIY projects beyond this simple scope. The versatility of chalk paint allows for an immense amount of experimentation. The shabby chic look is very in at the moment and this is not exclusive to furniture. You could turn any item, even tools, into trendy and rustic pieces.

If you are looking for fun DIY projects in which you could explore the use of chalk paint, you can look towards home décor. Vases, decorative storage boxes, picture frames, and statement pieces are but a few examples of items that you could work with. Depending on how you choose to go about it, you can either give these items a smooth, matte finish or give them that antiquated, distressed aesthetic.

If you would like to bring some bucolic charm to your kitchen, you could use chalk paint to decorate your cabinets. Is chalk paint durable for kitchen table application? Yes, you could also use chalk paint to decorate your kitchen countertops. If you are the kind of person who is fond of backsplashes, using chalk paint to produce these in your kitchen space could be a fun and fulfilling task that would bring about some stunning results.

If you are looking to repaint your walls and are searching for a unique design to go with, you could also consider using chalk paint as the finish. Better yet, using chalk paint to cover your walls could actually give them some utilitarian value. As the name would suggest, chalk paint can be used to produce a chalkboard-like surface that can then be used as a space for drawing and writing. Utility aside, the matte finish and texture produced by chalk paint can also add depth to the aesthetics of your rooms.

Chalk paint is also an excellent choice of paint to use on furniture designed for children. Unlike many other traditional paints, chalk paint is not only non-toxic but can also be cleaned rather easily using just soap and water. The aesthetic qualities of this paint also make it more than suitable for use in spaces meant to house children.

How to Chalk Paint a Table and Chair

Painting a table with chalk paint is a relatively simple task to do, especially when compared to the many other mediums one could choose to work with. However, it would help to be a little wiser about how to do so if it is your first time working with chalk paint.

Thus, we have put together this simple list of instructions on how to chalk paint tables and chairs.

Select Your Furniture

Of course, there is no point in buying chalk paint if you do not yet have an item of furniture you wish to paint. There is no point in learning how to chalk paint a table if you do not have any furniture to paint. We would recommend that you select an old item, well past its prime and in desperate need of a makeover. However, you need not exclusively use chalk paint on tired or retired furniture because it can work well on modern items as well. This is especially true in the case of mass-produced furniture items, which can be personalized and given a bit more character through the introduction of some clock-rewinding chalk paint.

Pick Out Your Chalk Paint

An important part of knowing how to chalk paint a table is the fact that it is good practice to opt for better brands of chalk paint when offered a variety thereof. Higher-quality chalk paints tend to perform better in both durability and aesthetics when compared to the cheaper options. To find a chalk paint that works for you in terms of its color, affordability, durability, and scope of your project, you might have to do a bit of research.

The type of surface area that you are working with will also play a large role in determining what variety of chalk paint you will need.

Get Your Tools and Materials

If you are working with chalk paint, you are only going to need a select few generic painting apparatuses. Rollers and brushes will, of course, be your bread and butter. You may also need some old clothes, tape, stirrers, stirring cups, or buckets (depending on the volume of paint). If you want to distress your workpiece, you are also going to need sanding paper. If you wish to place a protective shield over your work after painting, we would keenly recommend that you use wax instead of your traditional varnishes. Once you have garnered some more experience in working with chalk paint, we recommend that you begin bolstering your arsenal of paint supplies with less conventional tools to produce more exotic finishes.

Set Up Your Workspace

Most typically, chalk paint will not contain many (if any) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) or other harmful chemicals. Nevertheless, we suggest that you still paint with it in a well-aerated space with ample ventilation. Painting indoors might prove easier just to prevent debris and dirt from landing on the paint job before it dries.

Chalk paint has a comparatively short drying time but it could never hurt to expedite the process by ensuring good airflow within the workspace. You should also place newspaper or old rags underneath your workpiece to absorb any spillage.

Get Your Furniture Ready for Painting

Most typically, chalk paint is applied to tired pieces of furniture. This means that, even though surface preparation is not necessarily a requirement when painting with chalk paint, you should at least take time to remove the dirt and grime that might be attached to the substrate before you start to paint. Additionally, depending on the level of wear and tear, you might need to sand or patch imperfections in the surface before you start applying your paint.

Time to Paint

Start by opening up your can of paint with a can opener to prevent spillage. Before you get to painting the entire piece of furniture, we suggest that you first apply some to a hardly noticeable section to assess the aesthetics and adhesion. The bottom stumps of the legs of your furniture are fit choices for this. You may notice that chalk paint has a fairly thick viscosity but do not be fooled because it can spread quite far. Thus, try not to apply too much at one time.

Although most other paints should be applied in the same direction of the grain using uniform brush strokes, you need not follow these rules when working with chalk paint. In fact, you can go against the grain to increase the degree of coverage or to create rustic brush patterns.

You should give your paint at least an hour to dry completely between the application of layers. While one layer should be enough to produce that famous shabby, rustic look, you will most likely need to apply two to three layers of paint to achieve a top-class finish.

Distressing Your Finish

Although this is an optional step, you could distress your furniture after the paint has completely dried. The point of distressing furniture is to purposefully weather the piece so that it fits more so within the rustic chic style. To properly distress a piece of furniture, you should get your hands on some medium-grit sandpaper that you can gently scrub over the surface of your paint job. We advise you to first practice the process on both the edges and corners of the furniture to see if it works or if you like the look. If you are fond of the results, you can then expand your coverage at your discretion.

Seal the Final Product

When it comes to sealing chalk paint finishes, we recommend the use of wax instead of varnish. You should try to apply this sealant shortly after your final layer of paint has dried to protect it from damage further down the line.

While wax can be a bit of a pain to apply to any sort of paint finish, the way it enhances the color of chalk paint compared to varnish is more than well worth it.

Additional Tips and Tricks

The process of painting a table with chalk paint might be an easy one but we can still suggest a few extra guidelines to circumvent any additional hassles. If you want to bring your chalk paint project to the next level, we suggest that you follow these tips and tricks.

• To improve the vibrancy of your workpiece and to make it more eye-catching, try using two colors. The contrast generated between the colors will help modernize the aesthetic of your furniture. You can also blend the point of contact between the two colors to produce a beautiful gradient.
• You can play around with different brush strokes. This is a good way to produce varied effects and patterns.
• You can give your furniture a nice weathered look by sanding the finish down after painting. This helps the furniture appear more vintage.
• Once the final coat of paint is dried, give it a light sanding. This will make your finish a lot smoother.
• Apply your paint in two thin layers instead of a single thick coating if you are working on slick substrates such as metal or glass. The adhesion between the paint and its surface is better this way.
• Do not overdo things during preparation. You should not sand your furniture too much to avoid compromising its structural rigidity or weakening the paint’s ability to adhere.
• If you want to thin your chalk paint, do so using water. Chalk paint is already water-based, which is why you would not want to use something else for this procedure.
• If you want to thicken your chalk paint, just allow it to sit with the lid open for some time before you stir it. Exposure to oxygen will harden the paint for you.

Further Points of Order

If you have never used chalk paint before you might want to get clued into some more aspects of the medium. The more you know about chalk paint before using it for the first time, the better the chances of you achieving a desirable finish. Here are some further points regarding chalk paint.

Drying Times of Chalk Paint

Much like acrylic paint, it takes a very short time for chalk paint to dry. Similarly, it will take roughly 30 minutes for a layer of chalk paint to become dry to the touch. However, you should allow your paint to sit for approximately one to two hours in a well-ventilated space before a second coat is applied. If you wish to seal your chalk paint finish, you should do so roughly 24 hours after the application of the last layer.

Quality of Adhesion

The adhesive potential between your paint and substrate is something to keenly consider before starting any sort of paint job. When it comes to chalk paint, most materials will be suitable for firm adhesion without the need for priming.

Other substrates like glass or metal may need to be sanded and/or primed beforehand so that firm adhesion is possible.

Eco-Friendliness

Most of the paints used on furniture will contain either oil or latex as the vehicle. Chalk paint, on the other hand, uses water, which means that its impact on the environment is substantially lower. Better yet, chalk paint can be used to breathe life into old furniture items that would otherwise find their way to a dump site. You also have the option to purchase chalk paints that do not contain VOC or other environmentally harmful chemicals.

Price Point

One of the downsides of chalk paint would be the fact that it can oftentimes cost a bit more than traditional latex-based paints. You do have options for cheaper chalk paints but these tend to be of a lower quality.

To conclude, chalk paint is an excellent choice of medium to use for the upcycling of old furniture. It not only looks good, but also takes a substantially lower toll on the environment. If you want to paint your furniture to produce a rustic and antique aesthetic, look no further than chalk paint!

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do I Seal Chalk Paint?

Coating your chalk paint finish in wax is the best way to seal it. For starters, it is the sealant that most effectively works towards enhancing the color of your chalk paint finish. Secondly, it helps prevent chipping, fading, and damage from wear over time.

What Are the Benefits of Chalk Paint?

Chalk paint is one of the most eco-friendly options one can use to paint furniture as it not only contains little to no VOCs, but can also be used to upcycle old pieces. Its strong adhesive qualities make it suitable for application on most surfaces without the need for preparation. It is also easy for beginners to use.

Is Chalk Paint Durable for Kitchen Table Application?

Yes, you can use chalk paint as the finish for your household’s kitchen counters. One thing to keep in mind, however, is that chalk paint adheres best to wooden surfaces. Additionally, you may want to seal your finish with primer to prevent the soluble chalk paint from washing off the surface of your kitchen’s tabletops.

Rebecca Fleming( Writer and Editor )

Rebecca is an art maniac since childhood. She started writing for craft-art.com 2 years ago and is also craft-art.com’s blog post editor. After graduating from Cornell University and working for a local art gallery, she discovered her enthusiasm for writing and combined this with her affinity for the creative world.