Chalk Paint Coffee Table Makeover

Attempting a chalk paint project has been on my to do list.  I’ve seen so many people doing beautiful furniture refinishing projects with chalk paint.  So I thought I’d give it my best shot and find a used coffee table to refinish.  I responded to a couple online ads online and found a coffee table for $40.  Below is a picture of the table before I did anything to it.  It was pretty beat up and definitely needed some love.

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1. Gather Materials

After a bit of research on chalk paint, I decided to go with this chalk paint in linen white.  I bought a quart of it, along with a tin of protective finish in clear satin for the top coat.  Most of the items needed I had kicking around my house already.

2. Wash Well

The table had obviously been painted before and was sticky and full of scratches.  First, I washed down my table with a cloth and warm, soapy water (I used my favorite Norwex cloth, but I also have some of these microfiber cloths that are very similar to the Norwex ones!)

3. Fill holes and sand

The next thing I did was remove the handle on the front.  I needed to fill the holes left behind.

I had some old filler on hand, but it seemed to do the trick.  Here is another example of wood filler you could use.  I actually didn’t sand my table before painting except on those patches.  However, I would recommend you do a quick sand to help the paint adhere properly.

4. Paint – the fun part!

I used an angled paint brush that worked great for getting in the corners.  (This paintbrush is similar to the one I used but any brush will do the trick.)  The first coat covered okay but was definitely streaky, which I was expecting for the first coat.  My 3 year old even said, “That’s not very beautiful, Mommy!”  But I assured him it would be better after a second coat!  He was really into helping and he even went and got his little paint brush!

Next, I flipped the table over and painted the legs and sides first, then turned the table right side up and painted the top.

Then, I waited 30 minutes between coats, which seemed like sufficient of time.  The legs and sides looked MUCH better after the second coat, and I was happy leaving those parts with 2 coats.  For the top, I decided to give it a third coat, just to help blend in the brush strokes.

5. Distress it (optional)

I loved how it looked at this point, and almost didn’t want to distress it!  But a slightly distressed look was what I was going for, so I grabbed a sanding block and sanded a few areas that would likely see wear as the table aged.  I was glad I took the table outside on the deck to do this job, because it made a lot of dust.  I was afraid I was going to hate it and maybe distress it too much, but I love how it turned out!

6. Top coat

Lastly, I added the protective finish for a top coat.  I really want this table to last the wear and tear of my four kids, so I hope this product will do the job.  The kids will love playing at the table, so I want it to be durable and easy to wipe off.  Before brushing on the finishing top coat, I wiped my table with a dry micofiber cloth to get the dust off.

I did 2 coats of the top coat with a brush, and let it dry for 2 hours in between coats.  I used the clear satin finish, but I also think the clear gloss finish would work well for furniture.  (Apparently I took a picture of the French side of the can, but you can see what it looks like anyway.)

Here are some photos of the finished product:

So there you have it!  For my first chalk paint project, I’d say it was a success.  I will do another chalk paint project in the future for sure, and would use the same chalk paint again.  I’d love to hear what you all  think!  There is a half can of paint left, so I think I’ll paint my boys’ nightstand next!

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