Child’s Rocking Chair with FolkArt Milk Paint

Thanks to Plaid Crafts for sponsoring today’s post. All opinions are honestly my own.

Friends, I am so excited about today’s project! Remember when I had the opportunity to tour Plaid’s Headquarters back in March and get a sneak peek at all kinds of fun new paints hitting the market this spring? Today, I get to tell you all about the new FolkArt Milk Paint and show you how I used it to make a special project for my best friend Erin’s little princess.

Painted Chair with FolkArt Milk Paint

What’s so special about FolkArt Milk Paint?

I’m glad you asked! It’s is the first milk paint on the market that is manufactured as a convenient, pre-mixed casein-based paint. It will not spoil like the powdered ready-to-mix milk paint brands. Plus, it’s totally non-toxic; unlike other milk paints it does not require hazardous materials or inhalation warnings on the package. It’s ready to use right from the bottle and can create a variety of looks: everything from a distressed aged finish to a smooth finish.

FolkArt Milk Paint comes in 33 warm, rich color choices designed to reflect the tradition of the American Craftsman.

colorchart2

You can use it on raw wood or even on previously finished surfaces when paired with Bonding Primer.

Here’s how I used it to make a painted rocking chair for a very special little lady!

ClaireInChair1

You’ll Need:

FolkArt Milk Paint {Pink Dogwood}
FolkArt Milk Paint Finishing Oil
FolkArt Milk Paint Brushes
Soft, lint-free cloth
400 grit sandpaper
Unfinished wooden rocking chair
Optional: grey FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint and fine paintbrush

FolkArt Milk Paint

Here is the chair I started with. It’s adorable and just the perfect size for my smallest “niece” Claire. Her room is decorated in a soft teal with white, pink, and grey accents, so I thought a baby pink chair would look super cute next to her little bookshelf.

clairechairbefore

Step 1: Sand your surface.

You can do this by hand if you like, but for a project this size I prefer to use my cordless power sander because it saves me all kinds of time and effort. Fortunately, the chair itself was already pretty smooth when I bought it, but it had some stamped branding on the back that had to go.

clairechair4

After a little bit of sanding, you’d never know it was there in the first place! I also made sure there were no rough edges or splinters that could hurt sweet baby Claire. When I was finished sanding, it was as smooth as a baby’s…well, you can imagine.

clairechair5a

Step 2: Apply a coat of FolkArt Milk Paint.

The FolkArt Milk Paint brushes are made of 100% natural hog hair and specially designed to work with this Paint and the rounded corners help eliminate brush marks. I used the larger of the two brushes, the 2″ size, and brushed the paint evenly onto my surface in the same direction as the grain of the wood. Although it looks like paint, it feels a lot like using a stain because of its thin consistency. Let this coat dry for 30 minutes before moving on. If you happen to be working with a previously sealed surface, you’ll want to apply FolkArt Milk Paint Bonding Primer & Sealer and allow it to dry for approximately four hours prior to brushing on your paint.

Step 3: Apply a second coat of Milk Paint and let it dry for 30 more minutes.

This should give you nice coverage while still allowing the wood grain to show through a little bit. You’ll know the paint is dry because instead of looking glossy, it will have a dead flat finish. FolkArt Milk Paint will cure to the surface in 24 hours.

clairechair6

If you like, you can stop after this step, but I recommend adding Finishing Oil to seal and protect your project. This was especially important for me to do since I knew the chair was going in a child’s room. With four kids in Erin’s house, it’s bound to have some wear and tear ahead of it, so I wanted to protect it as much as possible.

Step 4: Rub a thin coat of Finishing Oil onto the surface using a soft cloth.

I like to keep a stash of old t-shirts cut into rag sized cloths in my craft room for jobs like this; I just poured a small amount of oil onto the rag and rubbed it in. The oil is non-toxic {which is important for a baby project!} and penetrates the wood to protect it from the inside out. You can see the difference in the oiled and non-oiled wood…in this photo, the lower bar hasn’t had oil applied yet while the rest of the chair has. It’s actually really helpful because you can easily see where you missed a spot! The trickiest part of this whole project was getting oil down in all the little crevices. I learned lots of tricky ways to turn the chair and turn my hand to make it work. This Finishing Oil can also be used directly on raw or stained wood.

clairechair7

Step 5: Lightly wet-sand your project, making sure not to sand off all the paint! 

The idea here is not to break through to the raw wood; we just want to make the surface buttery-smooth. You will love how amazingly soft the wood feels when you’re finished.  Brush off any dirt or grit from sanding, as well as any excess oil, and your project is finished! Unless, of course, you’re like me and you feel the need to add some embellishments.

Rocking Chair Painted with Milk Paint

It takes 30 days for the Finishing Oil to fully cure. In the meantime, you can still use your project, just be cautious with it. Here’s a quick look at the chair before and after the painting process!

chairbeforeafters

Step 6: Embellish!

If you like, now’s a great time to add detailing to make your project even more unique. Erin asked me to hand letter Claire’s name on the top rung of the chair back, so that’s what I did. I very lightly sketched the letter placement with pencil, then used a thin brush in FolkArt Home Decor Chalk Paint to go over it. When the paint dried, I erased any remaining pencil marks. If you’re not into hand lettering, you could easily stencil something or apply adhesive vinyl in any design you like!

clairchair7

Here’s a look at the finished product…what do you think? Will Little Miss Claire love it? I sure do!

Painted Rocking Chair with FolkArt Milk Paints

I absolutely love the soft pink color of the paint and the gorgeous velvety smooth finish. I really wish you could somehow touch the screen and feel it! I also love that I know it’s as durable as it is adorable…the paint absorbs into the porous surface of the wood, so it won’t fade, chip, or peel over time. In fact, someday Claire may be able to share it with her own little girl. Until then, though, it’s all hers and she knows it!

ClaireinChair2

Check out the other gorgeous projects made with FolkArt Milk Paint by the other Plaid Creators this week, and also be sure to connect with Plaid on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter for more inspiration and new product sneak peeks!

Painted Rocking Chair for Kids

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7 Comments

  1. Amy, love the chair. Could you please tell me what size and brand brush you used to do the lettering? Also, do you thin the paint at all or add Floetrol when using it for lettering? Thanks! Kathy

    1. I use FolkArt brushes. I don’t remember exactly which size for this project but they’re the script/liner style. Aka, long and narrow with a pointy tip. I do thin the paint sometimes, depending on what kind I’m working with. I just add a bit of water to make it flow easier.

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