Chalk Paint by Magnolia Home: A DIY Experiment

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Hey Friends! It’s time for another chalk paint DIY experiment! This time around I’m honored to test out Magnolia Home Kilz brand of chalk paint! Magnolia and Kilz contacted me this summer and asked if I would test out their products and of course my answer was yes! But only after I made sure it wasn’t spam because I couldn’t believe Magnolia would reach out to me. Haha! 🙂

I am thrilled to be able to offer another review of a different brand of chalk paint. If you missed my first chalk paint experience, you can read about my review of Rustoleum’s Chalked Paint here.

Magnolia Home Chalk Paint

They sent me all of these amazing goodies, plus an artisan’s smock (and every time I wear it I feel very official because “artisan” sounds so professional), a copy of The Magnolia Story and a lovely tote bag.

Post may contain affiliate links where I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you on your purchases. Helps me keep this little blog a-runnin’ and all opinions shared are my own.

DIY Chalk Painted Tray

So let’s get to it, shall we! I’ve got all the supplies needed provided by Magnolia (and though they provided the product this post contains my honest opinions). They also provided me with this lovely wooden tray to test out their chalk paint line in the color Shiplap, which, let’s be honest, is so very Magnolia-esque.

However, would you look at this beautiful tray pictured above! There was no way I was painting this finely crafted raw wood when I love it as it is. Good thing I saved a cheap tray that held a Valentine’s gift once upon a time! It is the perfect piece for a quick and easy test project.

Quick Tips

Chalk paint tutorials are EVERYWHERE! There are many bloggers who’ve tested out multiple methods for how to chalk paint. So rather than recreate the wheel, I want to give you a few quick tips with some feedback of my own on Magnolia’s chalk paint.

Tip 1: Prepare Your Surface Well

Your furniture piece should be clean of debris. Chalk paint adheres well to most surfaces but you do need to prep them. This will pay off in the long run.

Tip 2: Read Directions

Just sayin’. It usually pays off in the end. 😉

Tip 3: Don’t Be Afraid to Start

Here is where my motivational speaking comes in. Queue the lights! Often times people are afraid to even try a DIY project for fear that it won’t turn out well. So my encouragement to you is to just do it, as Nike would say. 🙂 If it’s horrible in the end (I have certainly had some horrible DIYs) then it isn’t the end of the world! Most projects are fixable and if they aren’t…..well it’s just stuff anyway.

The Method

Ok friends, time to pull the plug and go for it! Here are some quick facts on my experience with Magnolia’s chalk paint.

1. It is thick but not thick enough to be difficult to work with. It wasn’t a lot different than regular latex paint but it covered amazingly well. The Harry and David logo pictured above was completely covered with one swipe.
2. Use small brushes for small projects. The 1 1/2 inch brush Magnolia sent worked well because it was small enough for my project and had angled bristles to get into the corners easily.
3. Chalk paint dries quickly. This is a good thing but be aware if you are working on a larger project so you minimize brush strokes.
4. Magnolia’s chalk paint is VERY durable. When I went to sand and distress my tray it took a lot of elbow grease to take off the paint! This was a completely different experience from when I tried Rustoleum’s paint which seemed to flake off with no effort before I applied the top coat.
5. Know the look you want in the end. If you want a smooth modern finish I would recommend using a roller rather than a brush and finishing with a clear sealer wax. I wanted a distressed tray with lots of character so I finished with a dark wax and used a brush.

Is It Worth It?

Here is my tray after being painted with two coats of chalk paint, but before I did any sanding/distressing.

Magnolia’s chalk paint has excellent coverage. I have one quart and after painting two coats on this small tray it doesn’t even appear as if I used any paint. Since it covers so well it will end up going a long way. (I’m tempted to try it on my bedroom dressers next!)

Magnolia Chalk Paint Pros

1. Excellent coverage
2. Highly durable
3. Many color choices

Magnolia Chalk Paint Cons

1. More expensive than “super market brands” as I will call the more easily accessible options.
2. Not as easily accessible. I looked at places I could purchase the Magnolia brand in person here in Michigan and the nearest store to me that sells their line is 40 minutes away. So online purchasing will add to your timeline for your project if you don’t have a store near you.

What do you think? I’m thinking I want to try some of their other colors! What’s your favorite brand of Chalk Paint?

{We believe that failure needn’t be a negative thing; rather, we learn from our mistakes and fail smarter the next time.} – Magnolia Manifesto

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