Do It Yourself Furniture Paint
Is some of your furniture looking old? Before you throw away any old tables, chairs or other pieces of wooden furniture, know that you can easily renovate them and make them new again. We are talking about using do it yourself furniture paint and giving your pieces a new lease of life. This can be a fun project that is cost-efficient and you can be proud of the home you create. So, let’s get started and learn more about how you can make your own paint and refurbish furniture.
What are the Benefits of Do It Yourself Furniture Paint?
If you go to any hardware store, you are going to come across a lot of paint. This is going to include tubs of paint that you can use on furniture. But, there are many reasons why you are going to want to put these down and make your own. Let’s take a look at the advantages of do it yourself furniture paint.
Commercial Paint Can Be Toxic
Are you worried about what is in commercial paints you can purchase? Well, you might have a point. There are a lot of different ingredients in commercial paints and not all of them are good for you. A lot of paint has a strong odor and this not good for inhalation. In particular, there are some paints that can actually be toxic and this is not something you want to have in your home.
This is the great thing about do it yourself furniture paint. You can make the paint from scratch and know exactly what all of the ingredients are. You can keep away from any ingredients that are bad for your health and make sure that it is all natural for your family to be around.
It can Be Cheaper
Purchasing paint for furniture can be expensive. If you are looking to give your house a makeover and you are on a budget, you may be looking for a way to cut down your costs. Well, the best way you can do this is by making your own paint. Often, you can use ingredients that you already have in your home. For example, a lot of natural pigments for adding color to paint can actually be made with fruit.
Therefore, do it yourself furniture paint is going to work out a lot more cost-effective for your furniture projects. You can keep it simple and mix it all up yourself for more than half the price. In fact, a lot of paint can be made at under $15.
Give Furniture a New Lease of Life
Before you go out and purchase new furniture for your home, know that you can save money and still have a makeover. In other words, you can refurbish the furniture that you already have. This is a great way to enjoy a new style and not have to spend a lot of money. In particular, you can change the color of furniture with do it yourself furniture paint.
Preparing Furniture for Do It Yourself Furniture Paint
We know that everybody is excited to get started on their new project. But, there is some preparation work that goes into it before you can get your paintbrush out. While this can seem tedious, you want to make time for the preparation work so that you can achieve the best result. This is particularly true if you have wooden furniture.
For some furniture, it will be best to sand it down first. This is going to be a vital step for having a smooth and even finish. Sanding down the furniture can get rid of any dents, scratches or other marks that have appeared over time. It can also be a good way to get rid of any paint that is already on the furniture. You want to wipe the slate clean so that you can use do it yourself furniture paint.
Therefore, take the time to sand down pieces of the furniture. Then, you are going to be able to prepare for painting. Make sure to tape off any areas that you do not want to get paint on. You should also make the time to protect your home so that you do not get paint in places you do not want it to be.
If you are going for a washed look, think about spreading on the do it yourself paint thinly. For a solid color, you will want one or two layers of the paint, depending on the ingredients you have used. For a bolder color, it is recommended that you apply a few layers of the paint. Always wait for each layer to dry before adding a new one. This is going to ensure a smooth and attractive finish.
Making Your Own Do It Yourself Furniture Paint
Do you want to create your own paint from scratch? Well, if you want to make it as simple as possible, you are going to need to use two things. We are talking about a pigment and a binder. Here is how you can create your paint.
Creating a Pigment
First of all, you need to create your own pigment for the paint. In other words, you need something that is going to add the color you want to your furniture. There are plenty of items you can use in your house for creating a pigment. In particular, fruits are a great way to create a strong pigment in are going to allow you a variety of colors.
For example, if you want to create a blue do it yourself furniture paint, you can use fruits such as blackberries, blackcurrants or blueberries. You will need a lot of them to create the paint. But, it will be a natural color that is a lot cheaper to make yourself. If you are looking for red, opt for foods such as cranberries and strawberries. You can also use beetroot and rose petals. For yellow furniture paint, consider using mustard powder or bee pollen. You can even create orange using pumpkin.
In order to make the pigment, it is best to push your ingredients through a sieve. This is going to create a color paste and avoid having things like seeds and chunks in the paint. Then, you can add a little bit of water to create the consistency you expect. If you have some ingredients that do not work through a sieve, you can grind them by hand or use a blender.
Using a Binder
Once you have your pigment, you will want to thicken this out so that it can be applied to your furniture. There are a few options when it comes to a binder and we are going to explain how you can choose the right one.
Namely, you want to think about the furniture you are applying the paint to. Is it going to be inside your home or used outside? After all, when furniture is outside, you want to create a paint that is going to be able to deal with the weather. You do not want all of your hard work to go to waste.
For indoor furniture, the best binder is going to be flour. This is going to apply well to a variety of materials, including wood and stone. You may need to apply this paint in a few counts. But, it works well when you apply it with a brush. The consistency is going to be like a paste. You can achieve this by whisking it with cold water and then adding in some boiling water. You can also choose to add a filler ingredient to make the paint go further and to improve the texture. this can include a clay filler or limestone.
If you are painting outdoor furniture, you should choose linseed oil as your binder. This is going to be better for dealing with changing weather conditions. Something you should know is that you are recommended to do more than one layer of paint using linseed oil. But, you should leave plenty of time between coats for drying. This should be around 48 hours. A lot of people like to use linseed oil paint for wood.
Mix Them Together
Of course, when you have your pigment and binder, it is going to be a case of mixing them together. This should be done in a larger bowl and until the pigment combines with the binder. There should be no streaks of color and it should all mix in. Then, all that is left is to grab your paintbrush. Your paint is ready to use and you can give your furniture a new lease of life.
Do not forget to think about making enough paint for several coats. This is going to make sure that you get the same color and do not mix in different quantities a second time. You want to be consistent with the color and thickness of the paint.
