Chalk Painting An Old, Metal Cabinet: Lessons Learned From A Beginner

I’ve been a big fan of Annie Sloane and her Chalk Paint line for a long, long time. So after taking a workshop nearby on paint techniques using Annie Sloan paint, I decided to do a ‘practice run’ first. Here I’m sharing the lessons I learned from chalk painting an old, metal cabinet in my craft room.

Why Annie Sloan Chalk Paint?

I am in no way affiliated with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, but I admire what she’s achieved. Since 1990, “Annie Sloan” has been an internationally-recognized brand for manufacturing some of the best quality chalk paint. There are lots of great colours to choose from including finishes, waxes, and beautiful techniques that you can learn online or at local shops that carry Annie Sloan’s line.

Her paints are also water-based, non-toxic, virtually odour-free and may be a great choice for those of us wishing to reduce the toxic load in our homes.

For the novice, something else really caught my eye about her brand: Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint does not require stripping paint nor sanding or priming most surfaces before application!

Yes, you read that correctly.

The formulation is such that the paint will adhere to just about any material from plastic to metal to wood without any prep beforehand. (To read about the few exceptions, check out Annie Sloan’s article here).

For beginners like me, this was incredibly appealing and made using this paint such a joy!

CHALK PAINTING AN OLD, METAL CABINET: LESSONS LEARNED

The original cabinet I decided to paint was old, damaged, scratched up, and rusted along the bottom. It was so beat up and old – ready for the trash heap, quite honestly – I thought I might apply a few cans of simple crafting spray paint instead. Nothing spectacular (or worth writing about!).

However, after a few applications, I realized that the paint dust had settled on the cabinet, creating a gritty, dusty, granulated surface area.

A trashy cabinet had become even trashier! Ugh. This was when I decided to move to Plan B: Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Cleaning Things Up (just a bit)

Although Annie Sloane’s Chalk Paint requires no prep, I wanted to get rid of the granulated look by sanding it off a bit and vacuuming up what was sanded off.

There was still a bit of spray paint dust on the surface, so I used a slightly damp cloth to remove the rest.

At this point, I decided to practice two of the techniques I had learned from my chalk paint work shop using two different brushes, one round, one flat.

METHOD 1: Round Brush for a Soft-Textured Look – The Fast Method

The fastest method (and one that creates a soft-focused texture) requires using a round brush, like this one.

It’s one of the easiest ways of applying chalk paint: simply brush every which way. If you need some guidance, start by painting back and forth using an X shape. (BTW: I did not prep the metal on which I am painting, below).

Do this until you’ve covered the entire surface.

This is layer #1:

This is layer #2:

All in all, a pretty effect, if left as is.

This process was SO quick and so much fun, but I ultimately decided to have a smoother finish using the second technique, which required a flat brush.

METHOD 2: Flat Brush – Feather Strokes for a Smooth(er) Finish

Like other paint methods, this one requires a flat brush, like this one.

Simply apply ‘feather light’ brush strokes to the surface.

(Yes, mine is a bit heavy here so I could capture the paint stroke for this photo. But for practical purposes: keep the layer feather light!)

Since there was no way of creating a pristine finish on this rusted, dinged up cabinet, I decided to use sandpaper to remove some of the paint from edges and handles to create an aged look. This was more in keeping with the condition of the cabinet.

***Just a note about sealing: Typically, you will need to seal this paint with one of Annie Sloan’s wax finish sealers. I did not seal the cabinet surface in any way as I did not think it was worth using on this very old and very tired cabinet.***

After all that effort and practice, here is the final look of my cabinet, all ready to use in my craft room and studio.

The cabinet blends in seamlessly in my craft room and studio. It was a great way to practice some chalk painting techniques while organizing my craft room (take the full Craft Room/Office Organization & Tour here).

Lessons Learned from this Beginner

Practicing on an old piece of furniture – something of little value – will give you the confidence to move onto a bigger project.
Practicing more than one technique will help you understand the effects of the paint and determine what may work or not work for other projects.
Purchasing paint in small quantities is good practice in preparation for larger projects. I have a small ‘sample size’ for just such a purpose.
Less labour-intensive! In my humble opinion – as a chalk paint newbie – Annie Sloan’s Chalk Paint is the best chalk paint to use as there is no prep required. Neither sanding nor priming is required and, as such, it is a dream to work with.
A note about Annie Sloan’s wax finish products: If you use the wax finish, you will need to re-wax every few years. If you’d like something more permanent, I’d suggest using a polycrylic clear finish instead as it will not yellow over time.