Learn how to create a beautiful ombre effect with plaster!

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Amy Howard At Home Contributor, Kathy Kroening, shows us how to create a beautiful Old World Finish on this console.

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Amy Howard At Home Contributor, Leah Kendrick, shows us how to create an antique chippy accent table. Here is the process:

Step 1: Clean Slate!

Prep your surface with Clean Slate. 

Step 2: Base Coat

Apply two coasts of Tick Tock One Step Paint. 

Step 3: Cracked Patina

Water down your Cracked Patina slightly and apply with a chip brush. TIP: The more it is watered down the smaller the cracks! Let it dry fully so it is not sticky to the touch.

 

Step 4: Apply Second Color

Apply your next color, Leah went with Indian Summer One Step Paint. 

Step 5: Use Your Hands!

As the reaction begins to take place and cracks begin to form, use the palms of your hands to remove some of the top paint to reveal the color underneath. This is the key to your beautiful chippy finish. 

Step 6: Sand

Lightly sand with 250 grit sandpaper and then 400 grit sandpaper until smooth to the touch. 

Step 7: Drybrushing

Apply some dry brushing in Lilacs a Bloomin' One Step Paint for an extra touch.

Step 8: Seal

Seal with Mind Your Own Beeswax. Then add some Dust of Ages when the Beeswax has come to tack (about 10-15 minutes). 

Step 9: Buff

Buff the piece with a clean lint-free cloth for a soft sheen after an hour.

Final Step: Enjoy The Bragging Rights!

Amy Howard At Home Contributor, Tamara Hudson, shows us how to create a plaid finish on a rescued table.

Step 1: Clean Up

This table was about to go to the dump but I rescued it! It was a little dirty but with some elbow grease and CLEAN SLATE she was ready to get painted.

Step 2: Base Color + Plaid

I started with One Step Paint in Italian Silver for the base color on the top inset of the table. I used One Step Paint Good Man is Hard to Find and Black for the Buffalo Check Plaid. After an entire roll of tape the plaid was DONE!

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Step 3: Trim

Next, I painted 2 coats of One Step Paint Easy Street on the trim, apron, and legs of this French Provencial Beauty.

Step 4: Wax Time

After that dried, I used Mind Your Own Beeswax all over the entire piece.

I left that dry slightly coming to "tack"...you don't want to apply the dark wax when the light wax is still slick. You want to use your ring finger to touch it and when it's tacky...it's READY. 

I applied the Dark Wax in all the places that it would have naturally aged. 

So stop and think about it. NEVER start your dark wax right in the middle....think about the edges where you would have pulled yourself up to the table for Sunday Dinner. The table legs from your shoe scuffs. Any corners and edges. Dark Wax is never applied 100% to the piece. I like to do 80/20 or 70/30. The Dark Wax is highlighting certain areas.

Step 5: Buff It Out

After the Dark Wax dried a bit, I used a lint-free rag to buff the entire table to a beautiful shine. You want it to come to tack too, which is usually about 30 minutes but the humidity outside can make it take a little longer. Sometimes I even wait until the next day buff. When I buff out a piece I think of a shoeshine...I literally hear that sound in my head. You want just enough pressure but not too much because it will wipe all your hard waxing work right off. Buffing the wax "sets" the wax and leaves a realistic beautiful shine.

Step 6: Enjoy The Bragging Rights!

 

Follow the steps that Amy Howard At Home Contributor, Leah Kendrick, took to mix Milk Paints and create a beautiful antiqued piece.  

Step 1: Clean

Clean with Clean Slate

Step 2: Base Coat

Paint the entire piece including the hardware with Weybridge White One Step Paint. Two to three coats will do!

Step 3: Milk Paint Mixing *Leave Overnight*

Take Venetian Green Toscana Milk Paint with about 20% Riviera Blue Milk Paint and lukewarm water to create your paint.  Let the mix sit overnight at room temperature.  Mix well before applying paint. You can strain the Milk Paint before use.

 

Step 4: Lay Flat

Lay the piece flat to avoid drips and apply your Milk Paint!

Step 5: Sand

Once the Milk Paint is dry, sand the piece with 400 Grit Sandpaper.

Step 6: Pull Off Milk Paint

Use Antiquing Glaze and a seafoam sponge to pull off Milk Paint in an organic fashion. Rinse the sponge with water and repeat by dipping into the Antiquing Glaze and pulling off Milk Paint in areas where you would like to distress.

Step 7: Dry and Seal

Let the piece dry and then it's time to seal! The bottom portion of the hutch and shelves were sealed with Matte Sealer for extra durability. The rest of the piece was sealed with Mind Your Own Beeswax with a large round chip brush. 

Step 8: Custom Mica Powder Wax

Create a custom Mica Powder Wax with Copper Penny Mica Powder and Meteor Mica Powder mixed with Mind Your Own Beeswax. Use a makeup brush to gently add small amounts of wax (after offloading onto cardboard) to the hardware to add a patina. Also, add the mixture to the edges of the piece and the back wall panel.

  

Last Step: Enjoy The Bragging Rights!

Amy Howard At Home Contributor, Heidi Marsh, gave this table a whole new look. Read below as she takes us through the steps of this transformation. She calls this one, Leila.

Step 1 – Clean

Clean with Clean Slate.

Step 2 – Base Coat

Paint one coat of Black One Step Paint.

Step 3 – Texture

Paint one coat of Cracked Patina. Let it set up according to directions on the bottle.

Step 4 – Top

Top Black One Step Paint on top of Cracked Patina. Let it dry.

Step 5 – Sand

Lightly sand with 400 grit sandpaper and wipe off excess dust.

Step 6 – Apply Gold Leaf

Apply Gilding Size to the highlighted edges of the table. Allow to come to tack about 12-15 minutes. Apply Gold Leaf and burnish. Wipe away excess with hard bristle brush. Lightly sand with steel wool to dull shine and age. Don't forget to gild the hardware.

Step 7 - Apply Wax

Apply Mind Your Own Beeswax to the entire piece. Buff after 30 minutes.

Last Step: Enjoy The Bragging Rights!

Amy Howard At Home Contributor, Kathy Kroening, gave this table a complete makeover and added some gorgeous handles. Follow along with her process below...

Before

Step 1: Clean Slate

Kathy started off by applying Clean Slate to strip the piece of any oils, wax, or grease. 

Step 2: Apply the base coat

Next up is the base coat, Kathy applied two coats of Stella One Step Paint. 

Step 3: Apply the top color

Kathy chose Parisian Gray One Step as the color for the top of the piece and applied it. She applied two coats of this as well. You can see how the piece is coming along in the photo below!

Step 4: Accent Mix

Mix equal parts of Aubergine One Step Paint and water. Apply this mix to detail edges. 

Step 5: Additional Accents

Kathy mixed Black One Step Paint and Mind Your Own Beeswax to add additional detail. She offloaded her brush before applying to the piece.

 

Step 6: Blend In Black Accents

Mix Cerusing Wax and Stella One Step Paint to blend in the darker accents. 

Step 7: Dust of Ages

Kathy then applied Dust of Ages to the waxed areas to add detail. 

Step 8: Gild The Hardware

Apply Gilding Size to the hardware and let it come to tack. Then wrap the hardware in Silver Leaf. Finish off the hardware by sanding it with 0000 steel wool. 

Step 8: Finishing Touches

Finish the piece off by applying and buffing in Mind Your Own Beeswax! 

Last Step: Enjoy The Bragging Rights!