I don’t know about you, but I have been hearing raves and praises about Annie Sloan Chalk Paint quite frequently, so I was over the moon when a girlfriend of mine commissioned me for a “Shabby Chic Distressed Trunk.” From what I have heard, this chalk paint would be just the right way to create the exact look she was going for.

This paint is sold all over; the website has a list of locations. It is a bit pricey so expect to pay a little more than normal for paint, but when you consider all the time you save by not sanding, or prepping, or priming, you’re probably coming out even, or actually a little bit ahead! Yes, that’s right, no sanding…whoo hoo!!

Here’s what you need:

• Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Pure White
• Any paint brush of your choice. I used this one I already had on hand.
• A color free, lint free cloth. You can buy some or use an old t-shirt (I like the t-shirts).
• Annie Sloan Clear Wax. She also makes a Dark Wax, which will give a completely different look.
• Sandpaper for distressing (I used 80 grit, but that really depends on how much you want to distress)

Step by Step:

1. Wipe down piece and remove all hardware.
2. Paint! The paint goes on super smooth and goes a long way. Annie Sloan recommends 1 1/2 coats, so you may see some brush strokes and bleed through on first coat. The paint takes about 15 or so minutes to dry, so I was able to move right into my second coat. 
3. Once the 2nd coat is dry – Wax with clear wax. The wax is wonderful, it’s like Crisco. I applied a small amount in a circular motion with one side of my t-shirt and then wiped it off in the same direction of brush strokes with the dry side of my t-shirt. Don’t go crazy with the wax, a little is all you need, Annie Sloan says to think about it like  putting lotion on, not too much and you want it to soak in.
4. Distress, love this part. I waited for the wax to dry 24 hours before distressing. Then you just sand in places where natural distressing would happen and then anywhere you want for the look you are going for. Wipe off all dust afterwards.
5. Last Step! Wax again! This is just to make sure that your piece remains protected for many moons. Let sit 24 hours before you start use of your piece. This is also where you would apply the Dark wax if you decided to use that one.

Voila! There you go. Check out this fun trunk. I definitely see more Annie Sloan paint projects in my future!