I think that all of us who like to customize and update our furniture and objects love blackboard paint or chalk paint, for a reason it is one of the most popular decorative paints. Thanks to its great versatility we can create a wide variety of finishes capable of adapting to all kinds of tastes and styles. If you want to know the 6 of the most popular chalk paint finishes don’t miss this infographic.
Chalk paint finishes: aged look
to get a aged look One or several coats of a single color of blackboard paint must be applied until the surface of the furniture or object is completely covered. To apply the paint you can use either a brush, a roller or a spray (in the box in the previous image I used spray blackboard paint).
Once the paint is dry, a layer of colorless or natural wax is applied and before polishing, a layer of colored wax of a dark tone is given and then it is polished. It is finished by removing the excess dark wax by applying white wax only in the desired areas.
Chalk paint finishes: stripped effect
to get a pickling effect one layer should be given a dark tone and another one a lighter one (or vice versa). To achieve a more professional effect, wax or Vaseline is applied between both layers and only in the areas that are later to be stripped or worn. The coats of paint can be given with a brush, roller or spray (in the example photo I used spray chalkboard paint). Once the paint is dry, a medium-grain sandpaper is passed over the areas to be stripped and several layers of colorless or natural wax are applied.
In this link you can see the step by step restoration of an old coffee grinder in which I used the pickling technique.
Chalk paint finishes: wood effect
to get a wood effect apply one or several coats of grayish or light slate paint (the number of coats will depend on the covering power of the paint). For a more realistic effect, it is essential that the finish is very smooth and without marks, so I recommend the use of blackboard spray paint or a short-haired (natural or synthetic) wool roller (in the latter case, sand afterwards with a very fine grit sandpaper). Once the paint dries, several layers of water-based wood stain are applied and finally the surface is protected with colorless wax or wood oil.
you can see the step by step to imitate wood with blackboard paint in this link.
Chalk paint finishes: modern
To provide a modern finish One or several coats of blackboard paint in a single color should be applied, sanding between coats to achieve a smooth and uniform surface. Finally, the surface is protected with colorless or natural wax.
For this type of finish I recommend the use of blackboard spray paint (we will save ourselves the sanding between coats). In this link you can see tutorial in which I explain how I painted a melamine cabinet with blackboard paintfor this I used the roller because there was still no blackboard spray paint.
Chalk paint finishes: industrial style
To provide a industrial look give a layer of blackboard paint in a light tone and another in a darker one of the same color. For example, if you are looking for a metallic look, use medium gray and dark gray, and if you want a rusty look, use medium brown and dark brown. The first tone will be applied evenly and for the second darker one, touches will be made with a brush, roller or with blackboard spray paint, without completely covering the base color. Once the paint is dry, the result is protected with several layers of colorless or natural wax and polished.
You can see an example of how I gave a industrial look to a melamine chest of drawers in this link.
Chalk paint finishes: cracked appearance
To get a cracked look a first layer of a dark tone and a second layer of the final color must be applied. It is very important that the blackboard paint is quite thick in the second layer, for this it is convenient to put it in the fridge for a few hours and use the brush to spread it over the furniture or object.
Once the paint has completely dried (it is advisable to leave it for a few hours), apply heat to it with a dryer or heat gun so that cracking cracks form. Finally, several layers of colorless or natural wax are given to protect.
Below is the infographic in which I have summarized these 6 finishes with chalk paint (you can download the high-resolution PDF file from this link).
Finally, I leave you some interesting links that can help you to better apply these techniques:
– 4 homemade chalkboard paint recipes
– Infographic: quick guide to sanding wood
– 21 uses of the heat gun
did you know these 6 finishes with chalk paint? Have you ever done them? If not, I encourage you to experiment now that you know how to make different finishes with chalk paint to update and recover a multitude of furniture and objects and integrate them into any room and style.
You can find more infographics about DIY and DIY tutorials at Thank you very much for commenting and sharing!
