Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover

Want to learn how to use chalk paint to update your furniture? Check out my Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover DIY Tutorial using Rustoleum Chalk Paint!

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Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover Tutorial

Hey everyone! For today’s post I’m excited to (finally) share our Rustoleum Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover. This is a fun DIY project I completed last Fall season, and I wanted to put together a full post with tips on using chalk paint and my DIY experience in the hopes that it would help others who wanted to give their dining table a chalk paint makeover.

If you want to learn how I did this chalk paint table makeover then keep reading and be sure and leave me any questions you have in the comments below!

Rustoleum Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover

Our dining room table has been part of our family for over 9 years now and while I’ve always loved the size of it, it was looking pretty rough after surviving 5 moves. Both the table and chairs were knicked and scratched, and there were a couple unfortunate burn marks on the top of the table that always bothered me. Plus, the stain was a bit dark for my current taste and I was ready for a change.

Although I could have easily went and bought another dining set, I guess I’ve grown somewhat sentimental of this one with our boys literally growing up with it. Plus, I had always really wanted to do a chalk paint makeover and I knew this was my chance!

Dining Room Table Before Photo

Why I Chose Chalk Paint

I’d always seen people rave about how amazing chalk paint was, so I ended up using it to paint my vanity as a test run and loved how easy it was to use. With chalk paint there’s zero prep involved and the full coverage requires less coats than traditional paint.

I was looking to really brighten up our dining room space so I decided to chalk paint the legs of the table, the backs and legs of the chairs, and decided to sand and stain the table top and chair tops.

In my mind it was going to be a really quick project that would take maybe a long weekend at most. In reality, it took me about 3 1/2 weeks. Not because it’s a hard project at all, but because as a Mom of 2 and full time blogger who works at home, I was constantly having to stop and start. I mostly worked on it during the evening hours but as I said it was very intermittent. Without interruptions, you probably could get it done in 3-4 days.

How to Use Rustoleum Chalk Paint To Update an Old Dining Room Set

First you’ll need to pick out the kind of chalk paint and color you’ll want to use for your project. I ended up choosing the Rustoleum Chalk Paint Linen White as I loved how clean and bright it looked.

I personally did a lot of research on chalk paints and while the Annie Sloan chalk paint was highly rated, the Rustoleum Chalk Paint was the preferred choice by so many users who stated the formula was easier to work with. It’s also cheaper than Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, so for me it was a no-brainer.

Next, I cleaned all the furniture really well using a rag and good ol’ soapy water to get rid of any food, dirt, or grime on them. Don’t skip this step unless you want PB&J eternally encrusted on your chairs (haha).

After that it was time to sand the seat tops and table top. I used this electric sander in my garage and it made the job a total breeze. I was able to get all 6 chairs sanded smooth in less than an hour. I also went over top of it with this hand sander with a fine grit to make it super smooth and soft.

The table top took a little longer than the chairs, but again the electric sander made the process so much quicker than if you were attempting to sand manually. I’m pretty sure you would go crazy doing that.

Next was the fun part of staining the table top and chairs. I used the Rustoleum 2-in-1 Stain in Kona which has both the stain and polyurethane in one. I definitely recommend getting the 2-in-1 formula, as this helps eliminate extra steps for you.

I did a total of 3 coats, lightly sanding with a fine finisher grit in between each coat. I also used my vacuum’s furniture duster to get rid of any dust or debris on the surface and a microfiber cloth.

Once the staining was completed I used the chalk paint to paint both the legs and backs of the chairs and table legs. This was the most time consuming step in the entire process because it took about 3 coats total to get the desired level of coverage I was looking for. The trickiest part by far was doing the back area of the chairs where the seats and backing meet.

I actually used some small craft paintbrushes for this part as it was easier to get into all the tiny crevices that way. I also used some lysol wipes for any paint on stain mishaps along the way, and it wiped right off.

Here’s the full list of supplies I used and recommend using for this chalk paint project:

• Rustoleum Chalk Paint Linen White
• Pro Grade Paint Brushes
• Small Paint Brush Set (for detailing)
• Drop Cloths 
• Rustoleum 2-in-1 Wood Stain in Kona
• Detail Sander
• Block Hand Sander
• Sanding Paper, Various Grits
• Microfiber Cloths
• Lysol Cleaning Wipes

And without further adieu here’s some lovely before and afters of this chalk paint dining table makeover.

Before Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover

After Chalk Paint Dining Table Makeover

Check out more home and DIY projects over here!

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What do you think of this Chalk Paint Dining Room Makeover? Have you ever used chalk paint for any DIY projects in your home? Let me know in the comments and be sure and drop any questions you have about this project below!

Thanks for stopping by! – Cara

 

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