My top 2 favorite paints are Chalk Paint & Milk Paint- They are both Low VOC, No sanding required & no primer required. They both give you a beautiful French or primitive aged look that I love.
However, Both paints work amazing on solid wood project , but Chalk paint works great on any surface. Milk paint for me is a wood only paint. More info about both below.
Waxing , glazing & washes are a MUST to complete a project.
Waxing- seals the project and gives it the duribility. You can age your project by using a wax or a glazing product. I buy minwax at Lowes here in Evansville , if you want to make it a dark wax add Burt Umber paint to the wax and mix it before applying. It is one of my favorite cost saving secrets.
Glazes- can be purchased at lowes or you can google ways to make your own. You must still seal & protect your project when done.
Wash-A wash is simple , 50% latex paint & 50% water. mix well, I often dry brush a dark colored wash on to give it the aged look. You still need to seal & protect your item when done. Great color combo's for washes-teal with a silver or gray wash over it, White with a soft grey wash over it, red with a brown wash over it.
So I hope you can see that I love using waxing to seal & age my project at the same time. I am kinda lazy like that !! Kidding, those who know me, understand I don't sit still very well.
Chalk Paint-
Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint is the best Low VOC product on the Market!! However it is very pricey, it will run $38 a quart plus $12 shipping. You have to understand this is not that bad because you do not need primer and it's coverage is amazing. You can cover approx. 3 large dressers with 1 quart. The dark wax and the wax brush are a must have. Although I usually make my own dark wax because of cost restraints. See my wax recipe below.
http://www.anniesloan.com/acatalog/More_Info.html
Example above of Annie Sloans Chalk Paint.
Above is another great example of a chalk paint dresser. This is from Mrs. Mustard seeds website. She is amazing & you must check out her blog, which includes some great tutorials.
Milk Paint-
Milk Paint Formula
1 Quart skim milk (room temperature)
1 Ounce of hydrated lime by weight
(Available at building centers. Do not use quick lime, as it will react with the water and heat up. Hydrated lime has been soaked in water then dried.)
1 to 2 1/2 pounds of chalk may also be added as a filler.
Stir in enough skim milk to hydrated lime to make a cream. Add balance of skim milk. Now add sufficient amount of powder pigment to desired color and consistency (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Stir in well for a few minutes before using. For best results continue to stir throughout use. Apply milk paint with a cheap natural bristle brush. Allow project to dry sufficiently before applying next coat. Extra paint may be kept for several days in the refrigerator, until the milk sours. Double or triple the recipe for paint. Allow to dry thoroughly 3-4 hours before use. For extra protection, give paint a coat of oil finish or sealer. Color may change - test in inconspicuous area.
Very Durable Weather Resistant Milk Paint Recipe
5 parts cottage cheese or dry curd cheese (Dry curd cheese is cottage cheese without cream or flavoring added. You can make a similar cheese by putting cottage cheese into cheesecloth and hanging it until it stops draining. Use cottage cheese if you’re in a hurry.)
1 part hydrated lime or slacked lime
Mix hydrated lime with water to make a paste. Add to cottage cheese and stir in well. Leave for few hours - the cheese lump will dissolve completely. Select some powder pigments and add to solution (Pigment powder must be limeproof). Add more water if too thick; powdered skim milk if too thin. Strain if you want a fine paint (old nylon stocking works well).
Where to buy Milk Paint- (If you don't want to make your own)
http://www.realmilkpaint.com/products.html
Below is a great website for non toxix , old world paint options. I have had lots of fun playing with mixtures from this website. Lime washes & gesso sections are the 2 I love.
http://www.earthpigments.com/introduction-to-our-recipes.cfm
