I love a good, quick and easy DIY project.
I like the look of the rustic, farmhouse, wooden pillar candlestick holders. I pop into Savers here and there and thought maybe they would have a few that I could mix and match for some easy mantel décor.
They did have candle holders but they were metal in differing shades of silver and bronze. Nothing wrong with how they were – but I already had my mind made up on what I was looking for.
These guys were just begging me to paint them.
I love Annie Sloan chalk paint and had some cans already in the basement. For this project I chose Old White and French Linen. Now I didn’t just slap a coat on and call it a day, I wanted a little more of a weathered look. I learned about a pretty simple technique called “dry brushing” that helps achieve a weathered or wood look with chalk paint.
Get yourself a chip brush – they are super cheap, disposable brushes found at any hardware store. They’re not meant for high quality painting projects. They’re pretty durable and usually meant for things like glues and paint removers. They help with that wispy, distressed look.
Heads up! The link to chip brushes is an affiliate link. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Cover the candlestick holders in a couple coats of chalk paint until they are uniform and wait till dry.
To dry brush, dip the tips of your chip brush into a little bit of paint in a different color. I simply used the Old White on top of French Linen and vice versa. Take your dipped chip brush and wipe off excess paint onto a paper towel or rag. Once you do that, wipe off a little more. Less is more here! The brush will be pretty much dry but still hold a tiny bit of paint.
Go around with light, flicks of the paintbrush to get some wispy details. You can also concentrate on any raised the edges to try and achieve the weathered the look where an object would naturally wear over time. If you put on too much paint, don’t sweat it. Just wipe it off. The uneven, random brush strokes add to their appeal when you are distressing.
Dry brushing has become a pretty consistent technique through some of my projects over the years. It’s just simple and easy! More posts to come including dry brushing and chalk paint.
[…] To layer paint, I used a chip brush to dry brush on the white and the cocoa paints. To dry brush, take your dipped brush and wipe off excess paint onto a paper towel or rag. Cover your project in very light coats, to achieve that wispy and weathered look. I’m not sure how many coats I did here, but I alternated between the two colors with the dry brushing technique until it got to that weathered, wood grain look I was going for. (Check out my thrifted candlestick makeover I did with the dry brushing technique here.) […]