Our new YouTube channel is now live!
We’ve designed a series of videos showing how use Chalk Paint™, Annie Sloan Soft Wax, plus other products and tips for refreshing furniture.
All videos are live, so you can watch them all at once, Netflix style. Or, we’ll be featuring them here on our blog every week, if you don’t want to overload all at once.
First up is the most basic of them all — Applying Annie Sloan Soft Clear Wax.
We teach a lot of people at our store in Ottawa how to use Clear Wax. In fact, every one who comes in is welcome to have a free demo on using Clear and Dark soft Wax. We think it’s very important to know a few key tips before jumping into your projects.
Here’s a run down of our Quick Tips when applying Clear Soft Wax:
- Let the paint dry for at least an hour first before waxing. Longer if possible.
- Use a wax brush. I’m not just saying this! We find most people who come back saying they have a sticky, tacky or uneven surface haven’t been using a wax brush. Plus, a wax brush will stop you from wasting wax. Think about it — if applying with a cloth, you lose about half your wax right away to the cloth as it absorbs in.
- Start with a small amount of wax, and work in a small area (about 1 foot x 1 foot). Move your brush in all different directions to get the wax into the paint texture. You don’t need to push hard. Make sure to completely saturate the area.
- As soon as you’re done applying the wax, it’s time to wipe. Use a rag that’s as lint free as possible! This is very important. Sheets, pillow cases and shop towels work well. Old T-shirts or tea towels do not! Wipe with some pressure, making sure to keep turning your cloth around to use a dry part, so the wax keeps being absorbed (if you keep using the same part of the rag, it stops absorbing at a point, and you’ll simply be moving the wax around, but not absorbing it).
- Once you think you’re done wiping, feel the surface with your hand. If it’s sticky or tacky feeling, you need to go back and wipe more. The surface should feel smooth and your hand should glide easily.
- When you’re sure that spot is done, move on to the next area, still working in a 1 foot x 1 foot area.
- If only using Clear Wax, go back after about a day and apply a second coat.
Whoa…lots of instructions! But don’t worry, it’s very easy, and you’ll get into a rhythm and find it goes quickly.
Hope you enjoy the videos. We’ll be featuring more along with instructions in the coming weeks.
A big thanks to Hannah Jong for all her hard work filming, directing and editing these videos.
Kx