Thank you for your sweet notes on yesterday's counter top and cabinet Q&A post!
(If you missed it, click HERE.)
I know it was a bit wordy (not that this one is isn't!)
but I really wanted to walk you through my learning experiences,
because in the end, they answered a ton of questions that I wanted answers to
and either couldn't find {or didn't anticipate}
when I originally considered painting my counter tops with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
After ironing out a few wrinkles, so to speak, I ended up with lovely counter tops and cabinets.
Here are the wrinkle-free tutorials...
I'm sure there are other ways to do it. This is just how I did it!
COUNTER TOP TUTORIAL: One of the great things about using Chalk Paint is that you don't need to prime or sand.
However, when it came to my counter tops, I did the prep work.
Step 1:
SAND.
I lightly sanded my counter top surfaces with a fine grit sanding sponge
just to give them some tooth and ensure that any grease residue, etc. was completely gone.
I wiped up my sanding residue with a tack cloth.
Step 2:
These are counter tops. I PRIMED.
I used STIX Waterbourne Bonding Primer, tinted gray.
I just asked my Sherwin-William's folks to add a couple of drops of black.
Step 3:
PAINT.
I painted my counter tops with a mix of Graphite and Pure White
from my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint stockist.
They give such a nice, smooth coverage without the brush streaks.
I painted them in long, continuous, smooth strokes from edge to edge.
I let them dry for 24 hours.
Tip:
After the initial coat,
dip just the tip of your brush into a shallow plate of water and THEN into your paint
so that the second coat goes on smoothly and glides over the surface more easily.
I've noticed that Chalk Paint tends to grab subsequent coats.
Adding the tiniest bit of water to your brush helps.
I only needed two coats of paint for complete coverage but painted a third for good measure.
If you happen to see brush stroke marks after your paint has dried and they bother you,
you can just EVER SO LIGHTLY sand them smooth.
(This is where that extra third coat might come in handy.)
If you've never used it before,
Chalk Paint sands very easily so if you apply too much pressure or sand like you normally would,
you just might sand it right down to the original surface.
A couple of light swirls of a sanding sponge ought to be enough.
Where did I get my stencil?
At one point, I considered painting faux grain sack stripes down the middle
using painter's tape to guide me, distressing them a little with my sanding sponge after they dried.
Stencil tutorial:
After the Graphite coat was good and dry, I adhered my stencil to the counter top.
The JDL stencils have a tacky backing.
Using a rag dipped in Pure White paint,
I blotted the excess off so that the rag was barely covered,
and dabbed the paint into the stencil to give it a variegated, time-worn look.
You can see where I blotted my excess paint off next to "EXTRA".
When I needed a rag refill, I'd just dab my rag onto that little section to pick up more paint.
After the paint dried for about 20 minutes, I carefully peeled off the stencil. 
Step 4:
WAX.
After my paint dried, I waxed them using the clear Soft Wax.
Image Source
I like to apply my wax using a lint-free cotton rag,
better known as one of my husband's old t-shirts.
(I love the brush for getting in the nooks and crannies though.)
I think some of the furniture-painting pros like Miss Mustard Seed
and Shaunna at Perfectly Imperfect prefer the brushes.
So, it's really just a matter of what you're personally comfortable with!
Really push that first coat of wax into the paint.
Apply several thin coats, letting each coat dry at least overnight in between.
3 or 4 coats ought be enough but if you're like me, do five.
:)
Then do a good buff to bring out that smooth lustre after your final coat is dry.
Miss Mustard Seed did a wonderful Waxes 101 video that you might find helpful as well as her Wax Questions post.
In yesterday's Q&A post, I mentioned that the longer the wax cures, the more it hardens.
It takes 28 days for a full cure.
Based on my personal experience,
I recommend letting them cure for at least a week before you resume normal use.
I'll need to periodically (around every few months) apply a fresh coat of wax
because it will wear down over time after repeated washings
and you wash your counter tops a lot more than furniture.
Some things I want to be sure to make clear:
You have to love this look.
Make sure you're willing to take on the maintenance of chalk painted counter tops
before you paint them. Painting them is not as durable as the original laminate surface.
It's a really gorgeous look that needs to be cared for almost like painted furniture.
Personally, I love the look so I was willing to fuss a little more.
If you're rockin' battered and bruised avocado green tops circa the mid-60s,
you'll probably love this look and welcome the extra care that goes with it!
However, if you decide to paint your granite, don't say I didn't warn you.
Sometimes we do things just for the sake of pretty.
My family is no more gentle on these than we were with our original laminate.
I still find Jaden standing on top of them, rummaging through my cupboards.
(And let's just say, he doesn't walk up a set of cloud stairs to get there.)
I'm simply more careful to wipe up water splashes from the faucet right away,
set my hot pans on a trivet, and chop on wooden cutting board, etc.
I apologize for the same photo again.
I swear, I originally had a few more shots and step-by-step tutorial photos for you!
However, I uploaded all of my photos to box.com before I sent my laptop in for repair
in January and my kitchen photo files show as zero bytes.
{sigh}
Only the two tutorial pics above were downloadable.
Fortunately, I was able to grab the final stenciled counter top shot from a sneak peek post!
So much for trusting the upload successful icon.
Lesson learned.
Always double-check the file by clicking on it before deleting the original from your computer.
(This happened to so many of my precious photos, including some of my babes.)
My kitchen is torn apart again in preparation for the zinc
so re-shooting them at this point would likely frighten you!
CABINET TUTORIAL:
Step 1:
I cleaned my cabinets with a good degreaser,
using a $1 bottle of Totally Awesome from Dollar General.
TSP and Simple Green are good ones too.
Step 2 (Optional):
LIGHTLY SAND.
Because I've witnessed my two year-old slam his Lightning McQueen car into my cabinets
one too many times, I chose to take the extra sanding step.
I wanted the extra tooth for adhesion
and I also wanted to make sure that they were completely clean.
I just lightly went over them with a sanding sponge and wiped up the dust with a tack cloth.
I don't believe she sanded and she painted over stained wood.
(She also painted them in a day. Wish I could say the same!)
Annie Sloan Chalk Paint doesn't require sanding or priming so it's really up to you.
UPDATE: See Amy's note in the comments.
Her cabinets have been painted for quite a while now vs. 2 months like mine so I found it reassuring!
Step 3 (Optional):
PRIME...at least the stains.
Grey drew a circle with a Sharpie on one of my cabinet doors
and despite several coats of chalk paint, it continued to bleed through.
So, I ended up priming just that door and repainting it.
Step 4:
PAINT.
I painted my cabinets with Pure White, no distressing.
It covered my factory Eggshell (cream) finish in two coats but I painted a third coat.
Note:
Get a coat of wax on them as soon as possible.
It takes 24 hours for the paint to thoroughly dry but don't wait too much longer beyond that,
especially if you have little ones.
I ended up having to repaint a few doors (twice) because I let them sit unwaxed for too long
and life happened around them including juice splatters,
black smudges from Lord knows what, a pencil mark, and I think even a butter smear.
Just about anything that touched this paint unwaxed, stayed there.
Scrubbing just took the paint off.
(The wax sets the paint and protects.)
.
If you want the distressed, layered, French look that Annie Sloan is known for,
she has written a couple of books of books,
Just type "chalk paint" in their search boxes and be inspired.
They each paint furniture in a different style.
I reach out to my awesome {North East} Annie Sloan Chalk Paint stockist, Patty
when I have a question.
Your area stockist would be a great resource too.
There.
That ought to {overwhelm} get you headed in the right direction as far as paint techniques!
Step 5:
WAX.
I waxed them just like a piece of furniture, using a brush to get in the grooves.
Then, I let them cure.
I applied another coat of wax a couple of weeks later.
I adore the soft lustre of my cabinets.
They're a little tougher than a piece of painted furniture with the extra wax coats
but I'll still treat them as such.
Despite the pretty look and finish, chalk painted cabinets aren't for everyone
and again, you have to love the look of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint
(I'm curious. Who doesn't?!)
and be comfortable with maintaining the finish every few months with a fresh coat of wax.
I don't plan on waxing my cabinets every few months though...just the counter tops.
I think you could get away with every 6 or 12 months on the cabinets,
except for maybe right under the sink where the cabinets tend to get wet more often.
At least in my house.
Oh, how I would love a farmhouse sink with a deep basin!!!
If you paint your cabinets or counter tops, I'd love to see!
As always, if you have any questions, just ask.
Make sure you read my Q&A post because that answers a bunch.
Have a lovely week!
UPDATE: Be sure to read the comments for some sealer recommendations.
It's no secret around here that I fancy embroidery hoop art at the moment.
