How to Use Milk Paint
Milk Paint is a wonderful paint option when painting furniture or doing craft projects. It’s actually the oldest form of paint and comes in powdered form. I’m excited to share how to use it with you today!
Over the last 10 years, I’ve painted hundreds of pieces of furniture with milk paint. The colors are usually historical in nature and are more muted giving the look of “found” painted furniture, which I love.
You can achieve a lovely chippy finish with this paint that looks completely authentic but it’s also very durable when painted on raw wood. The best part is the paint is natural!
What is Milk Paint?
Milk Paint is the oldest kind of paint. It comes in a powder form and you need to mix it with water to create the paint. Milk is actually one of the ingredients. The other ingredients are lime and pigment. The milk, or casein, acts a binder and the water you mix in becomes the thinner. Lime plays a big role in this paint. When lime dries it becomes very hard – resulting in almost a stone like layer. Another benefit of lime is that it is mould and mildew resistant.
The History Of Milk Paint
Milk Paint was used as far back as 200,000 years ago. Cave paintings were a primitive form of this paint – they mixed together milk, lime, and earth pigments. Later on the Greeks and Romans tried mixing olive oil in but had a difficult time with drying. During the Renaissance painters would mix their own paints using either or oil based paints or water-based milk paints.
During Colonial Times traveling painters would roam the countryside with powdered pigments which could be mixed with farmers’ milk and lime, which most communities had. Milk paint furniture became quite popular in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries – it was favored for its soft velvety and rich colors.
Why You’ll Love Working with Milk Paint
- It is self leveling and applies smoothly on furniture.
- Fabulous color ranges.
- If you love chippy painted furniture you can get the look quite easily on previously finished furniture.
- This paint has an old world charm to it – if you love American Colonial or European antiques!
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What You Need For Using Milk Paint
- Powdered Milk Paint (I’ll share favorite types further on in this post).
- Water
- Mason Jar with lids (that way you can keep it closed tightly between coats), I like these.
- Mixer – I like little milk frothers, like this.
- Paint Brush, I like these
- A paint scraper if you’re going for a chippy finish to help remove the flaking paint.
- A vaccum to remove any tiny chips, flakes or sanding dust.
- A top coat to protect the finish.
Milk Paint – Your Questions Answered
Chalk Paint is also a matte type paint but is 100% inorganic. It comes fully mixed and does not contain chalk. It was named that by Annie Sloan because it has a chalk finish to it once dry. This paint also doesn’t chip and crackle like milk paint does. Milk Paint comes in powdered form and needs to be mixed.
Yes, it is durable but would need a top coat for added protection on kitchen cabinets.
It’s recommended to fully remove any flaking paint off and then seal with either bees wax top coat or tough coat. Hemp oil and tung oil could work their way under the paint and continue to peel.
The paint will achieve the strongest bond when applied fresh, but it will keep for 2 weeks to a month. In dry form, it has an extensive shelf life of 3 years or more.
Bonding agent is recommended to mix in if you want to ensure an even finish to the paint (no chipping or flaking), especially if the piece has already been prefinished. Bonding agent is not needed if you are painting raw wood with milk paint.
General Finishes carries a product called Milk Paint but it isn’t actually the authentic version we’re discussing in this post. It is a low VOC mineral paint but due to the matte nature they called it “milk paint”. It is a nice paint and might be good to try if you’re worried about mixing the paint yourself.
Examples of Milk Painted Furniture
Here are a few of people’s favorites I’ve done over the years. Just know that some of these posts are older so the photography might not be as good.
Jameson Dresser – painted in Miss Mustard Seed’s Artissimo, now called Ink Blue.
Old Work Bench painted in Farmhouse White.
Simone Cabinet painted in Eulalie’s Sky
Driftwood Dresser painted in Driftwood.
Grantham Dresser painted in French Enamel.
What Top Coats are Great with Milk Paint?
- Bee’s Wax – I love using this wax as a top coat. It goes on smoothly and doesn’t add shine to the furniture, order it here.
- Fusion – Tough Coat – this is a great coating if you want to seal in chippy finish. You can apply with a brush or wipe it on. Clear here to get it online. You might like to read this post on sealing chippy paint.
- Hemp Oil – I would only use this if you’ve used bonding agent with the paint. Hemp Oil is also wonderful to revive wood and here. Get hemp oil online here.
More Help with Painting Furniture?
Do you want more inspiration or help with painting furniture? If so, you might enjoy my eBook over 150 pages with tips, tricks and hands on tutorials.
Or there’s more information on this page! Be sure to pin the below image for future reference:
Did you enjoy this post? If so, let me know!
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Love your pieces Danielle. I prefer the “non-chippy” look! Did you use the bonding agent on piece painted in “Typewriter”? Thanks!
Hi Elaine, I did not mix the bonding agent into that piece but it didn’t chip as much as I thought it might. With old pieces you never know. You can see the full tutorial for that desk here: https://www.findingsilverpennies.com/a-black-chippy-roll-top-desk/ Hope that helps!
Do you sell this Milk Paint brand that you use?
Hi Ginger, I don’t sell any paints. The brands I use are Homestead House, Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint, and Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company. I used to buy my paint through Nancy at Sea Rose Cottage but she’s closed her business. You could search online for local retailers or order online. Hope that helps! xx
I have wanted to use Milk paint for sometime now. I want to Thank you for such a lovely presentation on Milk paint. I love when I have the history of something I am interested in. If I don’t I will go searching for it. I have to tell you how much I appreciated your own examples of the use of Milk paint on furniture. I so loved the Simone…that colour is exactly what I have been looking for. I do enjoy coming to visit you and your lovely home. The depth of sharing that you do is so very… Read more »
Hi Stacy, I’m so happy this post was helpful to you. I love learning the history of things, as well, so I try to share that with my readers. I’m also happy to hear it helped you seeing some of the colors on actual pieces I’ve painted. Simone is one of my favorites and just so you know (if you decide to buy some paint) they are now calling this color Aqua Sky, it was called Eulalie’s Sky. Can’t wait to see what you paint in Milk Paint and let me know if you have any questions xx
Love your blog! How do I sign up for the posts please?
Hi Shelly, Oh, I’m so glad you enjoy it! I love sharing ideas with you guys! You can sign up at the bottom of this post or you can click here to sign up: https://www.findingsilverpennies.com/sign-up/
So this is how you get that look on furniture. How interesting!
Yes, this is how I get that ultra chippy look. Hope you give it a try xx