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Sew a Fine Seam

ASCP and Dark Wax

Home Decor

On Labor Day I decided I might as well do some labor 😉  So I dug out a chair and small table I had stashed away to be dealt with later.  Later had come.  I pulled out my Annie Sloan Chalk paint, waxes, and brushes and got to work.

Here is the chair before.  Isn’t she just so lovely??  Not.  I began my projects on the front porch.  The mist that kept coming and going made me think I was in Ireland.  The mist finally started coming down hard enough, and the breeze was just strong enough,  it drove me and my projects inside to the dining room.

Even the bottom, fabric-covered, wood piece of the chair was rather not-so-nice so I pulled all the staples out and recovered the wood and springs.  And I wish it were as simple as saying I pulled out the staples.  I think it took longer to pull them all out than it took to do the entire rest of the project.

Here is during.  After the mist moved me and the projects inside.

Covering my dining room table with a drop cloth made for a wonderful work space.  Gasp!  I actually used a drop cloth for its intended purpose!  The drop cloth was purchased for my Mom’s brick redo so it has actually been used TWICE as an actual drop cloth 🙂

And here is the finished after!  I used a drop cloth for the new seat cushion.  The original seat cushion had 4 buttons – I like it this way.  What do you think?  Travis says put buttons in it.  But I don’t want to.  I used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in old white, and gave it 2 coats.  Then I sanded it down to a satiny smooth finish, hitting the edges just hard enough in spots to show the dark wood underneath.  I like it without a wax finish and I was told by a stockist that sanding seals it off and provides a finish.  So we shall see how this wears.  Sew a Fine Seam has some pop-up shop events in the works for 2013 – this chair will likely show up at one of those!!

She does look rather nice in my living room with Miss Piano and my vintage strawberry carrier I picked up at the Portland flea.

Side note:  I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I {finally} managed to add a watermark to my photos!  I’m having a love/hate relationship with Photoshop.  One minute I love what it can do and the next minute I hate the time it takes.  But figuring out this watermark is definitely one of my love moments!

I also worked on a small table that I picked up just recently.  I tried out AS dark wax on this one.

I thought I had a before pic of this but I couldn’t find one after I had it redone.  So just imagine old yellowed varnish peeling and flaking off.

I painted the legs and drawer Old White and the rest I painted Coco.  And then I played with the dark wax!

I rubbed the dark wax on kind of like I would have used stain.  I did the dark wax first and the clear wax over it and just worked with it till I liked it.  Annie’s instructions say to use the clear wax first and then the dark.  By doing this you can remove the clear wax easily by using more clear wax to remove it.  Cool huh?!  It works too – I tried it on a couple of picture frames.

I didn’t want to mess with getting a  new drawer pull so I just quickly brushed some ASCP in Coco.  I like how it turned out.

I think it turned out quite cute for my first attempt with dark wax 🙂

I also used the ASCP in Old White and the dark and clear wax on these frames.  I haven’t taken after shots of them yet – will post before and after of them later.  Another really cool thing about ASCP – it is odorless.  So working in your dining room is not a problem.  The dark wax has a slight smell to it but not bad at all.  I just cannot say enough good stuff about this paint and the wax!  I would like to have every single color they make – wish I’d win a giveaway or something – my budget won’t stretch that far at this time!!  Someday…

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About Jill Flory

I am the blogger behind this blog, a small business owner, both retail and wholesale. I'm a designer and design consultant, I blog about DIY projects, sewing tips and tutorials I've picked up along the way in the more than 25 years I've been using needle, thread, and machine, home decor, homeschooling, and life.

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Comments

  1. Lisaq says

    Ok, I’m feeling dense, but what is different about this paint? Your projects are beautiful, but how are they different than this technique with other paint?
    DIY challenged,
    Lisa

    Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Latex paint is – plastic. You cannot sand it down for a smooth finish near as easy. And this stuff dries FAST. I think I sanded that chair down less than an hour after putting the second coat of paint on it. The no odor is a huge plus. Go read about it on Annie Sloan’s website – she explains it pretty well! Really you have to use the stuff to really get how great it is. I read about it for months and thought it would be great to try. When people I knew in real life used it and raved over it I was even more determined to try it – I bought some the minute I was in close enough proximity to a supply to get my hands on it!! My husband HATES latex paints for anything other than walls. Now he’s very happy with all my furniture painting projects! You are welcome to come over and try it out or watch me use it!

      Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Lisa, another great thing about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint that I totally forgot – there is NO prep work needed. No sanding, no stripping, nothing unless you really want to. You can put this stuff on any surface. It will even stick to glass. AWESOME. I dislike prep work!

      Reply

    • Deborah says

      Annie Sloan chalk paint goes on like powdered velvet. It doesn’t stink. It’s water-based and easy to clean up. It dries very fast. It doesn’t drip as much as other paints. You can shabby chic it or polish it to a fine, glossy finish. The colors are beautiful. … Some people make their own chalk paint, but I think this stuff is really worth the price. I just wish I could buy it at Home Depot!

      Reply

  2. Rustic Anthology says

    Great job on these!
    And you did a great job with the dark wax for your first time!
    It can be tricky- we use it a TON, seeing as all the furniture we sell at our shop is painted with ASCP, and we have found if you mix the clear and dark together, it is SO much easier to work with. Try it!

    Reply

  3. deborah says

    Both pieces are beautiful. I’m sold on ASCP just hearing that you don’t have to do any prep work and that it will stick to anything!!

    I like your photo watermark too!

    Reply

  5. Liz says

    Jill, the chair makeover and the little table are amazing! You just get to it and do it, don’t you! I just found a table like that that I was going to paint but my friend wants me to just wax it and leave it as is. Meanwhile so many other projects await. I know what you mean about your husband not loving having you bring more stuff home. My family, and even I, have our issues with the growing stash at our house. Just got to keep working on what I have, for sure.
    Liz

    Reply

  6. Laura Ingalls Gunn says

    LOVE that table and the chair looks SO much better. I just painted my kitchen island with ASCP. Can I ask what type of brush or method you use for painting. I tried regular brushes, hair brushes and sponge brushes and didn’t like the resulting texture from any of them.

    Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Thank you Laura! I know I emailed you but I will answer here to in case someone else is reading and wondering! I have Annie Sloan’s paint brush and her brush for wax. I have found that good brushes are worth the money and AS brushes are no exception!

      Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Thank you Donna! And thanks bunches for that tip about the coco and graphite – graphite will be one of my next purchases! Along with the Pure White. I went with the old white on the advice of a friend but I’m loving the pure white SO much more!

      Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Thanks Breida! I worked on a couple more projects this weekend and it’s so much fun to us that paint and wax! And with MMS’s paint shipping soon I will be just giddy with excitement!

      Reply

  11. Judy says

    You did a beautiful job. I think I am getting some furniture tomorrow from my mother in law who is moving. I can’t wait to get out my AS paint again. Thanks for sharing at DIYbyDesign.

    Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Thanks Jaime! I love your link party and the way you are teaming up with a couple other bloggers. I hope to spend some time browsing through links and your co-hosts over the weekend!

      Reply

  15. Kathy @ Creative Home Expressions says

    Love both pieces! Old White is one of my favorites and one I like to have on hand all the time. I am actually doing a small table myself using Old White and my sample size of Coco. Yours turned out great. You’ve given me a peek ahead of what mine can look like with the clear and dark waxes.

    Reply

  16. LUCY says

    Just gorgeous….your photos, your staging…everything…I’m so happy you linked up with us at our FIRST HAPPY HOUR FRIDAY….I’m your newest fan…xo

    Reply

  19. laurie says

    Jill – you did an amazing job on those pieces! Isn’t ASCP the BEST???! 🙂 I won’t use anything else on my furniture/craft projects. Loved the color combo you used, too! 🙂

    xoxo laurie

    Reply

  20. Crystelle says

    The waxing adds sooo much!
    You are quite a busy girl! Shouldn’t you be out partying on Labor day? It’s a day FREE of labor, remember…! 🙂

    Love your photo’s BTW…. You are quite the photographer!

    Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      LOL! Yes, I suppose we should take the day off on Labor Day but we tend to use the extra day to work on projects around the house! Thank you so much for your sweet comment about my photos – I love taking pics and learning more about my camera!

      Reply

  21. Judy says

    Absolutely beautiful. I will be featuring this tonight at my Fall into Fall party that opens at 8pm EST. Please stop by and pick up an I’ve Been Featured button. Thanks.

    Reply

  23. Casandra says

    Love both projects and your obvious talent. Can’t wait to check out the rest of your blog. Do you have a post on that fabulous font styles graphic on your wooden floor?? It’s absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for sharing, I saw you At the picket fence Inspiration Friday.

    Reply

    • Jill Flory says

      Thank you Casandra! The font is on a bamboo rug that I purchased from Decor Steals back when they were Wuslu. I think I did post about it when I got it but I’m not sure how long ago it was!

      Reply

  25. Ela says

    I have two chairs very similar to this that I plan on redoing soon. Can you tell me if you sanded your chair at all before applying the chalk paint?

    Reply

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