Wow! It has been a long time since I posted a Thrift Shop Flip! I’ve been purposefully staying away from garage and estate sales, and it’s worked. Our house is definitely less cluttered. But sometimes I just need to paint a piece of furniture. And I thought I deserved a treat after getting out of bed early on a rainy Saturday morning to teach a Zumba class. My normal treat is a latte’, but this Saturday I was going to allow myself to stop at the first garage sale sign I saw. (It’s the simple things in life, right?!) LOL
Well thank goodness, this sweet table and chairs were front and center at my first stop. I’d found my item to paint, and I wasn’t even tempted to look for anything else!
It’s cute, right? The table and chairs were manufactured in Thailand, and they’re solid wood. I think the top would look really pretty with a dark stain, but I went full kid on this set, and decided to give it a chalkboard top. Could it be because my “baby” is in the throes of college applications, and will be leaving me next fall?? Possibly. Most likely. Who am I kidding?? Absolutely!! Boo hoo. 
When I have the “need” to paint something, I usually reach for milk paint. It’s all natural so it’s safe to use indoors. You mix it yourself, so you are in control of the consistency. Do you like a thinner paint? Add more water. Thicker paint? Add less. It’s practically effortless painting, so you can keep one eye on Netflix, if you’re anything like me. 
The only prep I did for this makeover was to give the table and chairs a good cleaning with a strong mixture of vinegar and hot water, and I filled in some deep scratches with wood filler.
The green sharpie dictated my paint color for this project:
A custom mix of Old Fashioned Milk Paint “OFMP” in Sea Green, Real Milk Paint in Carribean Blue, and OFMP in Snow White. It’s a beautiful teal color, and I LOVED the variations in the color before I waxed it. Was it blue? Was it green? I knew the application of Daddy Van’s wax, (the lavender scent is heavenly!) would deepen the color, but I couldn’t leave the milk paint unprotected. With two coats of wax, little artists’ fingerprints can easily be wiped away.
I like to apply chalkboard paint with a high density foam roller. Typically 4-5 coats. Instructions on the paint can: “Allow the paint to cure for 3 days before priming.” I’ve made many chalkboards over the years, but I’m not sure I’ve ever waited three days before priming. My life is a little CRA-ZY right now, so I ended up leaving the table for a whole week before seasoning / priming it.
It came to my attention via Hometalk, that some people aren’t exactly sure how or why you prime a chalkboard. If you’re unsure, I’ll show you! To prime a chalkboard, you simply lay a piece of chalk on its side, and cover the entire board liberally with chalk.
I like to take this a step further, and also do this in the opposite direction.
Next, rub the chalk into the surface with a dry rag and then erase. Chalkboards are porous, so if you skip this step, you run the risk of having your first drawing permanently adhere to your chalkboard. And we don’t want that, do we? 
Now you can wipe off the chalkboard dust and clean the surface with a wet rag.
Voila! Your chalkboard is officially open for business.
I had the cutest little model all lined up to come play for this post, but my little friend got sick. Hopefully Master Cooper will feel better real soon! But lucky for me, Floppy Puppy was available to fill in at the last minute.
He looks pretty good for being 17 years old. Must be all the love he received from Sweet Daughter over the years. Booo hooo hooo!
Pollen and leaves were falling faster than I could shoot these pictures, but it was too pretty of a day to be inside! Plus, I wanted to share Seattle’s Autumn Glory with you!! Our leaves have been spectacular this year!!
Sidebar: Did you notice the patina on our fence??!! It’s Gorgeous! This photo made me LOL for two reasons. My first thought was it looks like it was staged in a photographer’s studio, and the fence looks like a fake backdrop. (I promise you, our leaves fall naturally at this house.) And then my mind immediately went to dogs playing poker. Does anyone else see that??!
Floppy Puppy doesn’t really need a chalkboard (he doesn’t have thumbs!!), so this set is for sale locally. If interested, check out the “For Sale” tab above. Cuddley dog not included! And if you like this project, be sure to pin it for later. Till next time, Cynthia
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The post Thrift Shop Flip #12 – Child’s Chalkboard Table and Chairs appeared first on Clockwork Interiors.
