Chalk Paint Basics Part 4 - Coloured Wax

In part four of our chalk paint basics series we talk about how to make your own coloured waxes and how to layer them.

Please note that this can't be done with all chalk paint systems and is something that is unique to The Artisan Company and Vintro chalk paint.

Make sure to check out part one for an intro to chalk paint and some answers to some basic questions, part two where we talked about different paint techniques, and part three where we talked about how to use clear and dark wax and our lacquers.

Why Use Coloured Wax

Coloured waxes are a great way to create your own bespoke paint finish. They allow you to get super creative and allow you to pull in colours from your home decor so that your paint finishes works perfectly in your home.

Last week we talked about using clear wax to seal your paint and dark wax to create age and patina. Coloured wax works in the same way but first you get to have lots of fun creating your own coloured wax!

How To Make Coloured Wax

The below technique works with all 67 premium chalk paint colours by The Artisan Company and all 56 by Vintro. Please note that this doesn't work with Velvet Luxe or No Seal chalk paints as they have the sealer built into the paint already.

Use a flat surface. We like to use old ceramic plates or baking paper. This allows you to mix your paint and wax well without ending up with any paint swirls.
Decant some of your clear wax onto your flat surace.
Choose your premium chalk paint colour and give it a good stir.
Add paint to your wax. You want to add approximately one part wax to one part paint (1:1), or less paint for your first coat.
Mix your paint and wax well, making sure that there are no swirls or paint or lumps of uncoloured wax.
Brush on and use like normal!

Tips

For your first coat you want your coloured wax to still feel waxy, if it feels tacky add more clear wax to your mix.
You can play around with the ratios, for your first coat don't use more than a 1:1 ratio but you can add less paint to create a lighter wax for a more subtle effect.
Don't weigh your paint but measure by eye. Our premium chalk paints weigh more than our wax, if you weigh out your ratio you'll end up with too much paint!

Chalk Paint Basics Part 4 - Coloured Wax

Layering Coloured Waxes

This is where you can get super creative!

Once you have sealed your premium chalk paint with your first layer of wax, you can have lots of fun adding other colours to create depth and interest. You might want to add a darker coloured wax near your handles or in any carved details, or a bright coloured wax here and there to pull in other colours that are in your decor.

Make your coloured wax using the above steps but this time you can make them a bit stronger.
For each layer of coloured wax add a bit more paint, this way the colour will show up on each layer.
Use your super fine steel wool to blend the layers together.
You can do as many coloured waxes as you want, the sky is your limit.
Have fun and don't be scared to try something a bit out there!