How to Store Chalk Paint and Supplies

Over the past few years I’ve really gotten into redoing furniture with chalk paint. It’s a fun and affordable way to update me house- what’s not to love? Well, the mess- lol! I’ve collected bottles of paint and placed them on a shelf and let’s just say, it’s gotten out of hand! Don’t believe me?

Yep, not pretty. It was hard to find what I needed. The mess was making me crazy. So, I needed to get a handle on the situation. Here’s what I did-

how to Store Chalk Paint

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

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SUPPLIES

chalk paint (I used Tea rose, Daisy, Sea Glass, Driftwood, Aged Ivory, Moon shine metallics in Rozey and Silver Bullet
Paint Brush
Clear Top Coat
Lightning Cleaner

step 1

Start by cleaning the piece of furniture really well (I use Lightning Cleaner). If your backing is laminate, make sure to prime with Slick Stick. Next, I painted the top, sides, and front with Aged Ivory.

step 2

Next, after the Slick Stick had dried overnight, I painted the shelves a different color. The idea is to paint each shelf the same color as the paint that will be stored on it.

I painted the shelves Tea rose, Daisy, Sea Glass, and Driftwood. Each shelf got two coats of paint for full coverage.

step 3

And now, I thought it would be fun to experiment with Moonshine Metallics. This is a new product that Dixie Belle offers. It works on top of paint or on it’s own- so fun! I love the subtle sparkle it gave my piece!

Side note, I tried the gold metallic on the yellow shelf and it ended up really streaky. I didn’t like how it looked so I repainted the yellow coat again. It’s not fun to “mess up,” but I always remind myself that it’s just paint and I can always start over.

step 4

Finally, I finished the piece up by touching up the front of the shelves with the Aged Ivory. Then I applied a Clear Top Coat to seal the chalk paint.

after

Ta da! Doesn’t it look so much better?! I love the the effect of the paint on the coordinating colored shelf. I love that each bottle now has it’s own home.

Some thoughts on storing chalk paint- the biggest thing is that you want to keep paint at moderate temperatures. Don’t let it freeze or it will get ruined. I used to keep my paint in my garage, but it all got frozen, turned grainy, and I had to throw it away.

I’ll be honest, I staged this photo in my office so I could get some pretty pictures of this cute shelf. The truth is after getting a few shots, the shelf went back in the basement.

Here’s how the actual storage looks! I used nails to hang paint brushes above the shelves. Hanging brushes is the best way to store them so they can dry upside down and not weaken the bristles. And on the top shelf, I stored my primers, top coats, and brushes that can’t be hung.

When picking a place to store your chalk paint, make SURE to have it in a spot that doesn’t get too hot or freeze. When we first moved in, I had my chalk paint in the garage. I didn’t realize it froze in there and I ruined a bunch of paint. It was such a sad waste! So don’t do what I did and keep them in a nice cool spot.

I now officially have a functional paint storage system! And I love it! Yay for simplifying and organization! It really looks so much better!

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