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How to Tint and Apply Furniture Wax

One of my favorite tricks with furniture is creating my own tinted furniture wax.  I use Chalk Paint® to tint clear wax.  This effect can draw attention to a beautifully detailed piece (panelling, moulding or carving).  It can take simple furniture and make it beachy.

I’ve been getting many questions about ratios and application, so thought I should write a post devoted to it.

How_To_Tint_Wax_title

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To create tinted wax, you want to mix clear wax and your choice of Chalk Paint®.  I use old white a lot, but have used other colors as you’ll see.

When tinting clear wax, mix 70% chalk paint® with 30% clear wax, for a more pigmented wax you can play with ratios.  I usually don’t measure.  I just go by consistency.  I like it to look like frosting.  See here:

creating_white_wax

This wax was done with Old White.  The Old White wax gives an antiqued and beachy effect.

When applying the tinted wax you want to work in small areas.  First apply a bit of the un-tinted soft clear wax so the area is tacky and then apply the tinted wax.  I’ve used a waxing brush but for these areas I used a small decorative paint brush.

tinting_wax_collage

To apply: put the wax on heavy, wait a few minutes and wipe away with a clean cloth.  Then move onto the next area.  The wax will remain in the recesses.  It really made all the lovely details show up on my husband’s armoire which I named Clifton.

Conor’s dresser also got the tinted wax treatment.  Again a beachy, old fashioned look was desired.  For this piece, I used Old White tinted wax over Annie Sloan’s Craqueleur.  I wanted the wax to go into the crackles of the piece.  The dresser itself is painted in Paris Grey.

nautical_dresser_chalk_paint

What if your piece doesn’t have any moulding or crackle?!?  Can you still use this effect?  Yes!  This sweet little seaside table was painted in Florence Chalk Paint® and I just thought it needed a bit of white.  I mixed Pure White with clear wax.  For this method, I almost dry brushed the wax on with a chip brush.

Seaside Table title

Here’s a close up of the tinted wax:

chalk paint table close up

Now I told you, you don’t have to use only white to tint wax which is true.  I can’t wait to use blue!  Well, you know me – the blue lover I am!  I think blue tinted wax with French Linen or Old Ochre or Country Grey would look pretty amazing.  I’ve also seen Graphite tinted wax over Old White and that looks lovely and vintage.

On a very early piece, “Colette “, I did Olive tinted wax over Provence in a rustic finish.  The gold was achieved with gilding wax.  Sorry for the grainy photo – it was taken a long time ago with my old camera.

colette table_tinted_wax

What colors do you like to tint your wax with?  Would people be interested in a post on applying dark wax?  Leave a comment and let me know!  If you have any painting questions I love getting emails and am happy to help!  Happy Painting!

You may also like these posts:  My Chalk Paint Tips and Why I Love Chalk Paint!

Since writing this post, I’ve published my first eBook in June of 2016. In this eBook I’ve included everything I know about painting furniture and faux finish techniques in over 150 pages. Click here to learn more about my eBook and to get your own copy!

On the Tip of my Paint Brush: Painted Furniture Techniques by Danielle Driscoll

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Dawn Reeves
10 years ago

I’m refinishing two wingbacks and a side table this month. This method will be perfect to make the details pop! The furniture you refinish is beautiful!

Camille
10 years ago

Great tutorial Danielle, thanks! Dark wax sounds very interesting… xx

Katie @ Upcycled Treasures

Great tips! Pinned 🙂

Nana Diana
10 years ago

So-Do you still really buff the piece hard when you are finished waxing? Does that remove most of the “lines” left by the wax? lol I still don’t know what I am doing with this chalk paint stuff! xo Diana

Lisa
10 years ago

Love the technique! I use Johnson’s Paste Wax instead of Annie Sloan. Wonder if I could get the same results? I will have to give it a try! Sharing on my FB page. Nice work.

Lisa

Debbie @Dewdrop Gables
10 years ago

I love tinting wax and I’ve tinted glaze as well. This is a great post, well written tutorial, thanks for sharing! I saw Dovetails share your post on Facebook, I’m now following you and look forward to seeing more.
Debbie 🙂

Cynthia
10 years ago

Great post and tutorial, thanks for the tips, superstar!!! PINNED!!!

Cynthia

Betty Stapleton
Betty Stapleton
10 years ago

I painted a child’s wingback with emperors silk and then waxed it with clear wax and the wax showed white all over. When I rubbed it the material started to pull. So I mixed the emperors silk chalk paint with the clear wax and applied it to the cloth and it worked great. Wished I did it in the beginning.

Lauren
10 years ago

Would love to see the dark wax. I am trying to figure out an easy method to darken the trim all over my house. Have you ever used this method on baseboards or door trim?

kat
kat
10 years ago

Lovely tips, thank you for sharing. I will definitely try some tint wax.
Have a lovely day.
Kat

Eni
Eni
10 years ago

That’s great Danielle. Beautiful job!

Mary @ Orphans With Makeup

Great post Danielle. Something I have yet to try. I always like seeing how other people finish their furniture, so definitely would love to see a post on dark waxing.

Beth Tyler
Beth Tyler
10 years ago

Yes! Would love to see more with dark wax, mixing other colors!

alyhas
alyhas
10 years ago

Thanks for the great write up with pictures, Danielle. Dark wax blog, yes please. ..always love and appreciate learning from your experience. Thank you!

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Beth
9 years ago

I love tinting my wax. Great tips here. Thanks! ~Beth