Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Project

I've been wanting to try my hand at some chalk painting :)

I just didn't want to cough up the money to buy one quart of paint at around $40!! 

But reading about it so much I just had to give it a try and post a review of this oh-so-popular paint.

First of all let me just say that you either have to go online to order it or find a "stockist" to buy it locally. 

Luckily, I found a stockist at the Frisco Mercantile and using my AT&T gift card (thanks Uverse!!) I went over and got me a quart of the Provence color.

It is a very pretty soft blue paint. I like the fact that you can paint most anything with it and you don't have to sand it or prime it. You can paint plastic, cement, wood, fake wood, etc.

I was happy to read that it cleans up easily with just some water.

It's not stinky like latex and it won't become plastic-y if you leave the can open for extended periods of time. 

So far so good right?

I knew I had just the victim for a transformation.

Remember the game room I blogged about last year?

The one in SERIOUS need of revamping?

Yeah. 

Well, this TV cabinet, all $40 worth of  faux-wood, 

would be the first one to get the Annie Sloan treatment :)

Here it is before:

This cabinet is used to store my kids' videos, video games and board games (bottom shelf).

I wanted to transform it from a boring and predictable piece made out of pressboard to a pretty and chic cabinet. 

First I wiped it down because it needed a good dusting!

Next, I poured about 1 cup of the paint into a foam bowl and used a synthetic brush to paint it. 

I covered all the areas outside and just painted the inside of the doors. I will probably go back and buy another quart of their graphite color so I can paint the rest of the inside and give it some nice contrast. I don't know yet.

It really was very simple!

It does show the brush strokes but that's the beauty of it!

The paint really does give it that shabby chic look of weathered wood!

I love it! 

I only gave it one coat all over and touched up here and there on the doors.

Later, when it was dry (and this paint dries pretty darned fast! that can either be a pro or con)

I applied some stencils on each corner using Martha Stewart's Thunderstroke metallic paint.

I got it at Home Depot in the paint department.

The stencil was there too :)

I even painted the hardware with the same metallic paint.

In all, this project took me about a day give or take.

I am very pleased with it and the chalk paint. 
{Almost forgot to add: I did use some Minwax wax paste to buff all over it and give it a nice soft sheen. I didn't buy the Annie Sloan brand  and I think this did just a fine a job. The only shade they had was "Natural" and it didn't darken the color or really affect it at all.}

I am now hooked! 

I know there are blog tutorials on how to make your own chalk paint thereby saving you some serious Moolah, but I thought I'd try the real thing so that I have something to compare it with you know what I mean?

What about you? Have you tried this paint?

Do you want to?

I'd love to see your projects!

Leave me a link to your projects in my comments section so I can feature you in an upcoming blog post all about chalk paint! 

Have a great week!

Patty

Linking to :

Sunday Showcase
Metamorphosis Monday

Trash to Treasure Tuesday
Coastal Charm
Annie Sloan Chalk Party!
At The Picket Fence
Funky Junk Interiors
Tatertots and Jello
Primp
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Cedar Hill Ranch
Delightful Order
Thrifty Decor Chick
Homestories A to Z
Tip Junkie
Making the World Cuter
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia 
Creations by Kara
My Girlish Whims
Whipper Berry
I did not receive any payment or compensation for this review. All opinions are my own and products were bought with my own money.