Dixie Belle Silk Paint Review

This week I’m sharing a little review on Dixie Belle’s Silk Paint that I used on this end table makeover. It has a built-in stain-blocking primer, and topcoat, so supposedly, you don’t need to prime or topcoat it. It’s also self-leveling!

Learn more about the types of paint for furniture here.

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See more AFTER photos below these printable instructions!

Dixie Belle’s Silk Paint

This paint is said to be self-leveling and has a built-in stain-blocking primer and topcoat. Here's how to paint with Dixie Belle's Silk Paint.

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Materials

• Krud Kutter
• Dixie Belle Silk Paint in Quiet Cove
• Lint Free Rags
• 220 Grit Sandpaper
• Tack Cloth
• Minwax Waterbased Polycrylic Spray Can

Tools

• Zibra Round Paint Brush

Instructions

1. Clean your furniture with a degreasing cleaner then scuff sand the surface with 220 grit sandpaper.
2. Use a shellac primer before painting If you’re painting raw wood.
3. Brush Dixie Belle Silk Paint onto end table. Then let it dry for about 24 hours.
4. Sand the 1st coat of paint to distress and remove any brush marks then clean up all the dust from sanding.
5. Paint another coat as you need 2 coats for the best durability. Then let it dry for another day.
6. Topcoat the painted end table and let the polycrylic dry overnight.

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  Dixie Belle Paint
• 
  220 Grit Sandpaper
• 
  Minwax Polycrylic

Table of Contents

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More Before and After Makeovers

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Click any of these “before” photos below to view the “after” of that makeover.

Vintage Buffet Makeover

Old Sideboard Makeover

Painting an Antique Buffet

Painting a Dresser Gray

Here’s the little piece I tested it out on. A cute little, well-built end table that we picked up from the thrift store for $10. So let’s test it out!

Supplies Used for dixie belle silk all in one paint Review

• Krud Kutter
• Zibra Round Paintbrush
• Dixie Belle Silk Paint in Quiet Cove
• Lint Free Rags
• 220 Grit Sandpaper
• Tack Cloth
• Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic Spray Can

Prepping End Table Before Painting

First things first, we removed the drawer pull, and then scrubbed it down with Krud Kutter. This container of paint says to clean it and then paint.

Learn more about how to clean furniture before painting here.

Sooo that’s what I’m going to do. Even though not sanding before painting goes against everything that I know!

Typically we scuff sand every piece of furniture before painting, but since we wanted to truly test this paint, we followed the instructions on the can that say you can skip the sanding step!

But, since this end table has been well used, the finish is more dull than a lot of furniture. So I think there could be a fighting chance here. Or I might regret it. Haha, we’ll see.

Read this post to learn more about how to prepare furniture for painting.

Painting with Dixie Belle Silk Paint

I decided to paint this end table in this light blue color named “Quiet Cove” in Dixie Belle Silk All In One Mineral Paint.

I mixed the paint up really well and then painted it on with my favorite round Zibra paintbrush. Learn more about the best paint brushes for painting furniture here!

I’ve gotta say, this stuff dries pretty quickly. So I tried to work fast, but I also tried to brush the paint on so it didn’t have brush marks going all different ways.

By the way, Dixie Belle recommends to not thin this paint out unless you’re spraying it. And even then, they say you should only add 2 tablespoons of water per 16 ounces.

So thinning it out to help with the brush marks isn’t technically an option here. But you can check out this post for other ways how to paint furniture without brush marks!

It went on very easily though! And within half an hour there was a coat of paint on it.

Then I let it dry for about 24 hours so that the built-in water-based stain-blocking primer could have more time to do its thing. And here’s what it looked like.

No bleedthrough so far. There were definitely brush marks in it. It might have leveled a little bit better than chalk paint.

If I used a higher-end paintbrush, I might not have had as many brush marks. It’s also definitely a matte finish, but not matte like chalk paint. You can tell there is a topcoat in it.

Dixie Belle Silk Paint Scratch Test

I scratched at it in a few different places, and it didn’t scratch at all, except for on the drawer.

Does Dixie Belle Silk Paint Distress Easily?

And then I sanded it with 220 grit sandpaper to see how well it sanded. Some paint just balls up when you sand it, and it’s a pain.

But this paint sanded right down to a fine powder. I love when paint sands down like that. And it made it very easy to distress the paint around some of the edges.

While I was at it, I sanded the top to try to remove some of those brush marks. Learn more about sandpaper for furniture painting here.

Then I cleaned off the dust. And I painted the second coat on.

Obviously, I needed a second coat anyway, but on Dixie Belle’s website, they say you need to paint 2 coats for the best durability. Then I let it dry for another day.

And here’s what it looked like after the 2nd coat of paint was dry. I staged it at this point so you can see what it looks like with no topcoat… all-natural. Haha

Update: Check out how we revamped this little piece in our Pink Painted Nightstand makeover using chalk paint!

I think it looks great!…. until you get closer to it. Haha Closeup, you can see plenty of brush marks still. Yeah, I know, if I paint with a brush, I should expect brush marks.

But this paint is marketed as being self-leveling. The best self-leveling paints level out really well even when they are brushed on.. and I love it when that happens.

You can also see all of the dings and scratches that were on the end table before.

All of those things are totally fine, if that’s what you like. I guess I just want to point out that things aren’t always as they seem online.

This piece looks perfect from further away, but when you get down to it, it’s just not perfect. I didn’t try for perfection, and that’s okay too! I personally don’t plan on selling it as is though.

Dixie Belle Silk Paint Durability

And then I did another scratch test… And it failed!

There is a chance that it will adhere better in a month from now when it’s cured all the way…  

Update: It’s been several months now and the paint doesn’t scratch off when I scratch at it as hard as I can.

But this is a perfect example of how many paint companies say that you can just clean and then paint your furniture… when in all reality, you’ll get way better results if you take a few minutes to scuff sand before painting.

Actually, some of my favorite paint says that you don’t need to sand most furniture before using it. And yet, that’s not really the case if you want your paint to really stick!

Read more about how to paint wood furniture without sanding or priming here! Also, check out this post for the best paints for furniture without sanding.

I’m really hoping that it will bond better as it cures, but we’ll see! If it doesn’t I’ll be redoing this piece before I sell it. haha

If you want to know how to make money from painting furniture, check out this post to learn more.

Testing Dixie Belle Silk Paint’s Stain Blocking Built-In Primer

Since this is a little review, I decided to also test out the stain-blocking properties. So I top-coated the top with Minwax’s water-based polycrylic in a spray can.

A lot of times a topcoat will make bleed-through stains appear. There is a built-in topcoat in this paint, but if you distress it, you’ll need to topcoat it… or if you want a satin sheen, you’ll need to topcoat it.

Personally, I would want to topcoat it. Learn all about different topcoats for painted furniture in this post!

So I let the polycrylic dry overnight… And the next day there wasn’t any bleed-through.

I’m impressed! I thought that on the edges I might get some stains where the old finish was rubbed off.

I will say though, I tested this paint out a few months ago on raw mahogany that is known to have bleedthrough issues.

I painted 2 coats of silk on the raw mahogany, letting it dry for a day in between coats, just like I did here. It leveled out beautifully! And there weren’t any bleedthrough stains….

Until I top-coated it. And then the stains were horrible. Learn more about how to prevent bleedthrough and stop stains from coming through paint here.

So, if you’re painting raw wood, I would use a shellac primer before painting. Also, check out how to stop wood knots from bleeding through paint.

If you do get bleed through stains, you’ll just have to start over.

Dixie Belle Silk Paint Review

In the end, I think it’s a good paint. If you’re looking for a low-luster finish that you don’t have to topcoat, this one’s for you!

But I would definitely recommend scuff sanding before using it. After I painted the first coat, I read more online, and they do say to scuff sand before painting.

And I think they came out with new labels that say to scuff sand before. But my container doesn’t say that.

I like that there’s a stain-blocking primer in there to help prevent bleed-through! Read more about the best primers for painting furniture here!

I also like that it dries pretty quickly, so you don’t have to work on your project forever. And that there is the option to not have to topcoat it.

I hope you enjoyed this little test!

How to Use Dixie Belle Silk Paint

So just to recap just in case I confused you at all…here is the list of steps I would follow to get the most durable finish with Dixie Belle Silk Paint.

1. Clean your piece
2. Scuff Sand
3. Prime (Especially on Cherry, Oak, and Mahogany Wood)
4. Paint
5. Let Dry for 2-4 hours
6. Repeat Steps 4 & 5
7. Top coat (optional)
8. Let cure for 21-30 days

On the container, it only says to clean with White Lightning, which is their cleaning agent, and then paint. Obviously, there is so much more to painting furniture than just that… so I looked for more info online.

Online, they say to degloss with a light scuff sanding. Especially very slick surfaces, and that those slick surfaces will need their slick stick primer for proper adherence.

But, since the container said to clean it and then paint, that’s what I did.

They also say that 2 coats are required. Dixie Belle also says to not thin Silk paint unless you are spraying it.

If you are spraying it, you shouldn’t thin it out any more than 8 ounces of Water/Floetrol per gallon of Silk paint. Learn more about painting furniture with a sprayer here!

There isn’t a dry time listed on their website, but when asked, they recommend waiting 2 hours before painting another coat.

And finally, Dixie Belle Silk paint has a 21-30 day cure time. Meaning that it will continue to dry and harden up in 21-30 days. After 30 days, it will be as durable as it will ever get.

What is the difference between silk paint and chalk paint?

Dixie Belle Silk paint is a little different than regular chalk paint. They both are beginner-friendly and easy to use. They both have great adhesive properties.

But, Silk has a stain-blocking primer in it to help block stains.

You aren’t supposed to add water to Silk paint unless you are spraying it. But chalk paint you can add water to. Both dry to a matte finish, but Silk has a little bit more sheen to it.

It also doesn’t seem to mark up or collect dust when you touch it, like chalk paint does.   

Chalk paint is better for blending and distressing. Though you can distress silk paint. But it will need to be sealed after you distress it.

Check out these chalk painted end tables using Dixie Belle chalk paint. If you want to my honest thoughts about their chalk and silk paints, here’s my Dixie Belle Paint review.

You can also make your own homemade chalk paint, which is something kind of fun and unique to most of these paints.

Can you add water to Dixie Belle Silk Paint?

Dixie Belle says to not thin Silk paint unless you are spraying it. If you are spraying it, you shouldn’t thin it out any more than 8 ounces of Water/Floetrol per gallon of Silk paint.

I didn’t add any water to the Silk paint on this makeover.

Does Dixie Belle Silk need to be sealed?

Nope. After you paint 2 coats of Dixie Belle Silk, you can leave it just like that.

If you want to change the sheen or add more protection, you can topcoat it with polyurethane or wax. But you don’t have to. It doesn’t scuff like chalk paint does before being sealed.

How long does it take for Dixie Belle Silk Paint to cure?

Silk Mineral Paint has a 21 – 30 day cure time, which is spot on with many paints on the market today. During that cure time, be extra careful with it and what you put on it.

After 30 days, the paint will be as durable as it’s going to be.

More Furniture Paint Reviews

• Rust-oleum Milk Paint Review
• Behr Chalk Paint Review
• Waverly Chalk Paint Review
• Heirloom Traditions All In One Paint Review
• Chalk Spray Paint Review

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