Chalk Paint and Stain-Painted Dresser

Leslie D
by Leslie D
$14
4 Hours
Easy
I've done multiple chalk-painted pieces, but had not built up the nerve to try stain painting. I didn't want to ruin a good piece of solid wood furniture while experimenting (it's important that you use solid wood that can be sanded baby-butt smooth to accept the stain). This beat-up dresser was the perfect candidate, as it was a $5 auction find. Total cost for dresser, paint & stain - $14.
The finished product.
Yes, it's a 140 year old antique, but it was in sad shape. Top was badly stained and wood was split on top and on one of the drawers. It was originally a wash stand, which would have had a mirror in a harp-shaped wood frame. The mirror was missing and the arms that held the mirror were broken. A perfect candidate to paint! I sanded the top down to bare wood and penciled in the outline of a rose.
Next step was to use an artist's brush and shadow the rose by adding multiple layers of stain for darker/lighter shadowing. No, I was not drinking (much) when I painted this. A corkscrew is a great quick tool to grab to open a can of stain.
Additional coat of stain on top, and home-made chalk paint, with stenciling started. The home-made chalk paint is 1 part Plaster of Paris (mixed with enough water to wisk it smooth), and then mix in 3 parts satin latex paint. It only took one sample-size container (that you can pick up at Lowe's for $2.98). to do two coats of paint on the dresser. No need to spend $40 on a quart of the name-brand stuff.
An additional coat of stain over the entire top (including the design) made the rose more subtle, as did two good coats of Howard's Feed & Wax. A little sanding to distress and some stenciling (thanks to my Cricut machine), finished it off.
Frequently asked questions
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  3 questions
  • Britney Britney on Feb 25, 2016
    can you save the left overs of this mixture of homemade chalk paint?
  • Connie Strain Connie Strain on Sep 01, 2016
    Did you wax it to seal the paint? I love the Art work on the top
  • Jackie Jackie on Jan 11, 2021

    where did you get the stencil for the flower?

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