Milk Paint MAKEOVER

Ready to upcycle an old piece of furniture into a farmhouse beauty? Sweet Pickins makes milk paint, which is a paint made from only six ingredients, including milk protein and all-natural limestone. Milk paint is nontoxic and has no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). It’s the perfect paint to do an indoor DIY project, like this dresser makeover.

Furniture (here: vintage dresser) Screwdriver or drill

TSP or another cleaner of choice Old rags

Sandpaper and electric sander Sweet Pickins Milk Paint (color used here: Wildflower)

Optional: Extra Bond base Paintbrush

Sweet Pickins Oil Wax

Damp paper towels

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

1. First, remove any hardware you don’t want to paint, such as drawer pulls and knobs, with your screwdriver or drill. Bag them and set them aside.

2. Clean the piece. Wipe down all the dust and oils, using either TSP or another cleaner (Sweet Pickins used Simple Green). Make sure the piece is completely dry before moving on.

3. Lightly sand the piece. You don’t need to work any layers off the furniture—just scuff it up so the paint will stick better. For flat areas, you can use an electric sander. For curves and edges, sand by hand.

Wipe down the piece with a damp rag to get any extra sawdust off. Let it dry completely.

Paint the piece with two coats of milk paint, allowing it to dry in between the coats. Optionally, you can add a base for extra adhesion, such as Extra Bond. “We love milk paint for its ability to give pieces a chippy, worn farmhouse look with minimal effort,” says Sausha Khoundet, owner of Sweet Pickins,

“but in this case I wanted more of a traditional look without any chipping, so I added Extra Bond into the first coat. It acts as a primer and bonds the milk paint to the surface.”

After the piece is fully dry, lightly sand the paint for a buttery, smooth finish. Feel free to distress it too.

Finish off the milk paint with a wax finish, such as Sweet Pickins Oil Wax, which will add character and seal the paint. Brush the wax on; then wait 15 minutes and wipe it off with a slightly damp paper towel.

Finally, complete the makeover by cleaning the hardware and putting it back on the piece.