How to Use Milk Paint on Furniture
If you are looking for an authentic old-world paint finish, consider milk paint! This all-natural paint is non-toxic and biodegradable, making it a great choice for a healthy home. Milk paint It is my go-to when I want to embrace the antique feel of a piece with a painted finish. It can give you a smooth finish or a “chippy” antiqued look. While you can distress traditional furniture paint, there is a depth to milk paint that you won’t get with anything else. While it comes in a powder form, it is still very easy to use. In this article, I’ll teach you how!
When using milk paint the most important thing to remember is that it is unpredictable! The finish may chip off, but it may not. You have some control over the outcome but there are no guarantees. So if you prefer a perfect uniform finish, this may not be the best choice. But if you want to embrace a piece’s imperfections and give it some additional depth and character, then there is nothing better. I personally love giving in to the creative process sometimes and just being okay with whatever happens, and this is the perfect product to do that with.
What is milk paint?
Milk paint has been used for centuries, before the use of oils, and more recently acrylics, as binding agents in paint. The milk protein casein is an all-natural binding agent. It is free of chemicals and solvents found in most commercially produced paints today. Just like milk, it will spoil in its liquid form, so products today are sold in powder form.
My milk paint of choice is by Shackteau Interiors. They are a small company out of coastal Massachusetts and they have some truly beautiful and historic colors to choose from. Brush strokes totally disappear when the paint dries. To be honest, their product was the first I tried and I loved the paint and finish so much I have never even tried another brand.
Examples of a chippy finish
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How to use milk paint
Have a peice of furniture you’d like to try painting with milk paint? Gather the supplies listed below and get started!
supply list
Step 1: Cleaning and prep work
When working with milk paint, cleaning the piece as you normally would is important. I talk about cleaning furniture in greater detail in this post. After you have cleaned, it’s time to decide what type of finish you want, a smooth complete coverage finish or a chippy finish.
If you want a chippy finish, then you do not want to sand or prime your piece, as these will encourage your paint to adhere. If you are concerned about bleed through of wood tannins, you can use shellac, but keep in mind shellac may encourage a crackling in the finish (which looks great with a chippy finish in my opinion). You can also seal with a coat of water-based topcoat before painting.
If you are looking for a smooth finish, then scuff sand as you normally would. You don’t need a primer with milk paint unless you are worried about bleed-through. I would avoid shellac and shellac-based primers as they will encourage crackling in your finish. Milk paint is a great option for bare wood.
Step 2: Mix up your paint
Following the directions of your milk paint brand, measure and mix the powder with distilled water. For Shackteau Interiors, they recommend mixing equal parts water to powder, starting with 1/2 cup of each. Place each into the jar, tighten the lid, and shake it up! Keep shaking and or stirring until all lumps have disappeared.
If you want a smooth, non-chippy finish, add the Extra Bond to your mixed paint in a 2:1 ratio ( 2 parts paint to 1 part Extra Bond).
Make sure you don’t mix up more than you really need, like milk, it will spoil. You can put the extra in the fridge between coats but you will have to throw away any you don’t use at the end of your project.
Step 3: Paint
Time to pick up your brush and start painting! The Zibra fan brush is my favorite for milk paint. Depending on how watered down the paint is and the particular color, do as many coats as needed to get the coverage you are looking for. The first coat may look scary but don’t worry, it gets better. The more coats you do, the more likely you are to get chipping.
Step 4: Sand
Now is the fun part! One of the best things about milk paint is how well it sands. If you have chipping on your piece you will want to sand off everything that will come off easily. You can also sand edges or other areas to give it more of a distressed finish if that is the look you are going for.
Step 5: Seal
Milk paint needs to be sealed. There are three products I would recommend – hemp oil, Furniture Butter, or a traditional water-based topcoat. Both the hemp oil and Furniture Butter are super easy to apply – simply brush on, let sit (hemp oil for a few hours and Furniture Butter overnight) and wipe off the excess with a clean cloth. Water-based topcoats are an option if you are looking for a bit more durability, but honestly, milk paint is so durable you don’t really need it! More details on sealing painted furniture can be found here.
Summary
If you’re still with me at the end of this article, I hope you are excited to give milk paint a try. It gives you a truly one-of-a-kind finish on your furniture. If you want your new paint job to look old, this is the perfect way to do that! Just remember to give in to the unpredictability and embrace what chipping you do or don’t get. Happy painting!
Helpful Reference Articles:
- How to Paint Furniture
- How to Seal Painted Furniture: Protecting with a Topcoat
- How to Distress Painted Furniture
As always, please let me know if you have any questions. Want to learn more about all things furniture? Make sure to sign up for my newsletter to get the latest updates and exclusive content.
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