Upcycle Your Rocking Chairs with this DIY Chalk Paint® Tutorial

Last month I found two matching rocking chairs on Craigslist. I loved their shape and style knowing they would be perfect for my new front porch. Though the red paint on the chairs is a classic color, I wanted to give them a fresh, yet timeless vintage look and knew I would be doing that with Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan. I chose the Duck Egg Blue for these chairs, a new color choice for me. You can see all the colors that the Annie Sloan paint come in as well as the retail directory where you can purchase the paint on Annie Sloan Unfolded. My favorite thing about the Chalk Paint® is how easy it is to use and how professional it looks when finished. The only sanding required is when you want to give the weathered look by sanding the paint off the edges. I loved how the original red of the chairs peeks through which looks great with the red ticking in the pillows. You can learn how to make the matching pillows in there photos in this post. Here are some detail shots of the finished chairs:
Below is my very brief tutorial. It is really that easy. One warning though. . . if you try Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan be aware that you will get hooked and either you will end up painting all of your furniture or find new pieces to paint. It happened to me, and here is some of the evidence! Cheers! ~ Lia
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40 Comments
Amazing post thank you for posting
You’re welcome!
I am very impressed with the quality I’ve got following this guide. I have been looking for a detailed painting guide and this one fits my needs perfectly. It’s easy to follow and it has great step-by-step instructions that will help you paint your rocking chairs in no time at all! The pictures are super helpful as well because they show you exactly what to do, how much paint is needed, where everything goes, etc. Thank you for sharing this wonderful guide.
awesome website
It’s a lovely product!!! One of the best designs in wooden rocking chair I have ever seen. Nice share.
Well thanks!!
Beautiful chairs! I have a rocking chair for my baby nursery that I am wanting to paint with Annie Sloan paint. How many litres did you need for 1 chair?x
I love this paint! I only used 1 litre for this project 🙂
I just completed a little child’s rocking chair with the Emperor’s Silk red Annie Sloan paint. It sat for one week before I applied the clear wax. While applying the clear wax, the red is staining my application towel and wax off towel. I still noticed it while applying the second coat on the seat and arms. I am worried that the red color will rub off on the child’s clothing. Am I doing something wrong?
Not to worry! This tends to happen with chalk paint, but the wax will seal the paint. Once the wax has cured, there shouldn’t be any trouble with the paint rubbing off!
What’s up, I read your blogs. Your humoristic style is great, keepdoing what you’re doing!
Thank you, that just made my day!!
My daughter and I just painted an old colonial style rocker with chalk paint and it turned out beautifully. All I needed was a push to try it out! It really helps to see someone else’s projects first. Thanks for the tutorial.
Val, So happy to hear that you tried chalk paint for the rocking chair, I love using it.
i have seen many questions and answers on using wax for outside furniture. just to clarify – i want to repaint the table that we use on our screened in porch with chalk paint. It is completely covered but still stays out all year round – would you use wax or maybe a polyurethane as a final coat? I fear the poly will take away the chalky look i want. how have your rocking chairs held up? this table gets a lot of use. thank you!
My rocking chairs look great! For the chalk paint, I would stay away from the poly. If you want that finish then regular paint is the best. If you want a chalky look then no wax at all, for the vintage look a thin coat of wax seems to work amazing here on my Portland porch.
Hi Lia – thanks for posting all your helpful tips and the pictures as well. Explains it all so well for a newbie.
I’d appreciate your comments on my query. I have an old varnished rocking chair I am planning on painting with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (now that I have discovered they are available in New Zealand). I am planning on one or two coats, depending on coverage and then one coat of soft wax. No distressing.
The chair will be in a corner of our carpeted living room, and I am wondering what to do about the rockers. Should I paint and wax the under the rockers as well? Will the wax or paint rub off on the carpet? You mention the wax cures in four months – does that mean I need to store the chair elsewhere until it cures?
Thanks in advance for your answer. The only other problem I have is which colour to choose – I have Annie Sloan’s book of colour recipes and that has made things much more complicated!
Hi Wendy. If it were my piece, I would paint all sides including the bottom. You can use the chair before it cures, maybe not heavy use, but you can certainly place it into your room. Just make sure all the wax has absorbed into the paint where the chair sits on the carpet and maybe let it sit for a day before you bring it in.
Hi Lia. I have two tables (that were previously used indoors) and are varnished. I want to use them outdoors now, and want to know if I need to remove the varnish before I paint with the Annie Sloan paint. I know from reading your blog that I should not wax for outdoor furniture, but the varnish has sealed the wood, so it’s not going to be able to breathe.
I don’t think you will need to sand off the varnish. The reason for not waxing is the heat will melt the wax. I suggest you paint a corner and let it dry to test it first. Let me know how it works for you.
Thanx! Will let u know how it works.
do 😉
I am so addicted to your posts. Fell in love with your rockers so I found Annie ‘s paint in my area. My rocker was old and weathered so it really drank up paint. Used primer red as base then Provence. I’m now on the step where I can lightly sand off the blue so the red shows through but I’m concerned because I was planning on letting the rocker be on my patio in the Texas heat. I read a comment from someone where you said not to use the wax but I thought that was how I got it to set? I need your expert advice, pretty please!!
You are right that the heat will make the wax sticky. Furniture that is to be used outdoors in the rain and heat can be left unwaxed.
I want to paint an outdoor. It’s an old teak chair that sits on my porch. It has no finish on it now. It’s old and weathered. I was thinking of painting it red first and doing the duck egg blue over it (just like your chairs). What kind of paint would you use first (to do the red) ?
And no wax on outdoor furniture?
Hi Rosetta. I wanted to make for sure I gave you the correct information so I asked the experts at Annie Sloan Unfolded to help me give you the best advise. Here is what they said: We do not recommend using Soft Wax or the Annie Sloan Lacquer outdoors. One big reason is that any direct or even indirect heat can soften the wax enough for it to rub off. Chalk Paint® decorative paint by Annie Sloan is great to use outdoors on its own and can even be burnished for a higher sheen if that is the desired look. In terms of the color combination, it sounds like she may want to use Emperor’s Silk as a beautiful red base coat and then continue with a coat of Duck Egg Blue on top. She doesn’t need the Duck Egg Blue to dry completely to begin distressing either. As a matter of fact, it’s a bit easier to distress while the top coat of paint is setting up by wiping the piece with a dry or wet rag. Once the top coat of paint is dry to the touch, it’s easy to distress using 120-220 grit sand paper as well. Here’s a great tutorial by Annie herself that shows how to do a 2 color distressed finish. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjxKGQrO1UE
I thought the rule was “no wax on outside items”. Can you clarify if it is truly OK to wax rocking chairs that will get rain on them on a front porch? Thanks!
You are right. These chairs sit on a covered porch out of the weather so wax works great for them. If I were painting deck furniture that would catch the rain I would skip the wax.
Una bona idea , queden mil vegades més maques tal com les has deixat,
Quin porxo més acollidor !!
Una abraçada.
Thanks Anna! I am loving my porch now. 🙂
They’re beautiful. And I love that color. Not a bad Craigslist score, I’d say!
I am loving them. Now that it is getting warm enough to have my evening beverage on the front porch I will test them out. 🙂
Such pretty chairs and I love the Duck Egg Blue you chose. Love ASCP!!
Thanks Jennifer. I love the final look!
Silly question, but…….Does the wax harden? It wouldn’t get on your clothes if you sit on it, right? I always wondered about that. I have a bench I’m thinking of doing. Love the color of the chairs!
Kate
That is a great question! When you rub the wax into the chalk paint it pretty much absorbs the moisture of the wax. Though you can use the furniture (gently) without harming it, the wax will cure in about 4 months and the finish will feel smooth to the touch.
Gorgeous chairs! I better not try that paint, hubby would have a fit if I paint the oak furniture! hahaha
You are right. Next I am painting a round oak table and 6 oak chairs. Stay tuned! 😉
Very nice pick and work!
Thanks Alex!
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