PROCESS

Choose a “FINISH” – What kind of look are you wanting to
achieve? Chippy distressed look, contemporary, modern, sleek,
shimmery, primitive, French country, shabby chic? Anything is
possible so plan it out and if you aren’t sure how to achieve it
reach out to your local Shabby Paints Stylist.  Find a Stylist

Don’t have a local stylist?  Shabby Paints has a great online support group too. Shabby Paints Questions and Answers

Paint Brushes – As important as the paint you choose. A high quality, synthetic brush will always be your ideal option with acrylic paints like Shabby Paints.

PAINTING

When working with latex, thin layers are ideal. With chalk-acrylic, you want a thicker coat for ideal coverage and to allow the product to level properly. Load your brush about 1/3 of the way up (any higher and you risk having the paint get into the ferrule, it can take much longer to clean and misshape your brush in the drying process if you don’t get it all out.

Lay the paint on, you don’t need to go over it multiple times, that can spread it out too thin. It’s ok to just get some more paint.

Let dry FULLY and assess if you need additional coats. Here’s a trick- lay the inside of your arm on the piece. If it feels cool, it isn’t fully dry. Room temperature? It’s dry all the way through. We recommend no more than 2 coats of any of our products (paint or finishing) within a 24 hour period.

PAINTING DIFFERENT SURFACES

Wood – Easiest, done most often. A quick scuff sand to the entire surface is recommended.

Glass – Your first coat should be thin. Because air can’t circulate from underneath, allow extra drying time for each coat.

Fabric – Mist your fabric first and use a 50/50 water paint mixture making sure all fibers are adequately coated with paint. Lightly sand any stiff or standing fibers with sandpaper between each coat. VAX is optional depending on the end result you want to achieve.

Laminate – Like glass, air circulation is an issue here as well. Scuff sanding is your friend. Thin coats are key. You may need additional drying time.

Metal – Similar to glass or laminate. Will require extra drying time and initial thin coats.

Waxed – Painting over wax can be a real issue. Wax is temporary and breaks down over time. This doesn’t make for a solid foundation for paint. Don’t give up, there are a few tricks that might help. 1. Make sure the waxed surface has had plenty of time to cure..45 to 60 days depending on humidity, brand and if it was applied properly. 2. Protect yourself! Waxes are very toxic. Put on mask and work in a well-ventilated area. 3. Make a cleaning mixture of 50/50 Warm Water, White Vinegar, and a few drops of original blue dawn. 4. Scrub then scrub some more. (save some of this mixture for your next step) 5. Use the remaining mixture to dampen a (fine to medium) sanding block and sand the wax off. 6. Rinse thoroughly with water, let dry 7. Now test an area with paint, let cure and scratch and see if it was able to bond. PS – this is one of the many reasons we hate WAX!!

SPECIAL CONCERNS
Bleed -This is used to describe a stain that can “come through”
your paint after the initial coat. It generally presents as a pinkish
(which is common with mahogany furnishings, especially in the
40’s), or a “wet” dingy green yellow (nicotine). If you experience
bleed through after your first coat, apply two thin coats of vax
over those areas, let dry and continue on.