How To Paint And Glaze Furniture
If you have an old piece of furniture that needs a new look, painting and glazing can be a fun and easy way to give it a fresh update. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the steps of how to paint and glaze furniture so you can get beautiful results in no time.
These painting techniques for furniture are perfect for adding a unique touch to your home decor. Whether you want to add a distressed, vintage feel or create a bold statement piece, painting and glazing can help bring your vision to life.
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See more AFTER photos below these printable instructions!
How To Paint And Glaze Furniture
In this guide we will show the process on how to paint and glaze furniture from prepping your furniture to choosing the right glaze for your project.
Materials
Instructions
- Remove the hardware with a screwdriver to make the painting and glazing process easier without obstructions. This also makes way for new hardware.
- Clean the furniture thoroughly with Krud Kutter to remove any dirt or grime for a smooth painting experience. A dirty surface can result in a less than perfect textured finish.
- Fill old hardware holes with Bondo, overfilling them slightly. Once dry, sand down the Bondo to be flush with the rest of the furniture. This creates a seamless surface for painting and glazing.
- Scuff sand the entire piece of furniture for better paint adhesion and texture. Make sure to clean up all dust afterwards using a vacuum and tack cloth.
- Spray clear shellac primer as a base coat before painting for better coverage and durability. This also prevents any wood bleedthrough which can affect the final look of your painted piece.
- Mix Behr Pure White paint with Calcium Carbonate Powder and water to create homemade chalk paint. Pour the paint mixture into your paint sprayer through a filter to make sure there are no lumps or chunks that will clog your sprayer. This also helps for a smooth finish on your furniture.
- Spray 3-4 coats of paint with the paint sprayer for an even and professional look. Allow each coat to dry completely before adding another one.
- After the paint dries, lightly distress the edges and corners of your furniture using sandpaper for a distressed, vintage look. Make sure to clean up any dust from sanding afterwards.
- Mix brown antiquing glaze with a bit of water for easier application. Apply the glaze with a cheap brush one small section at a time, following the wood grain and getting into all the details. Let the first coat of glaze sit for 20-40 seconds before wiping most of it off with a baby wipe.
- Let the first coat to fully dry before applying a second coat in certain areas for added depth and dimension. If not completely dry, the next coat of glaze will just remove the first one.
- Add a new wood top by attaching wood planks with wood glue and a nail gun for a sturdy and stylish addition to your furniture. Stain the new top with a dark walnut wood stain following the wood grain, wiping off any excess after a few minutes.
- Protect your painted and glazed furniture by spraying 3 coats of waterbased polyurethane, allowing each coat to dry completely before adding the next one. This will not only protect your hard work but also give it a beautiful satin finish that's easy to clean and maintain.
- Measure correctly and drill new hardware holes for your chosen knobs or pulls, making sure they are evenly spaced and aligned. Attach the hardware afterwards for a complete transformation of your painted and glazed furniture.
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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.
If you’ve ever painted furniture before, then you know how it can transform a piece. There are so many types of paint for furniture and paint colors you can use – you can go for the classics or experiment with brighter and bolder hues.
But have you ever considered adding a glaze on top of your paint? Glazing furniture is a technique that involves applying a translucent layer of color on top of your paint to create depth and dimension. It’s a great way to add character and antique charm to a piece.
Let’s walk you through the process of how to paint and glaze furniture, with more tips and tricks along the way. We’ll cover everything from prepping your furniture to choosing the right glaze for your project. If you’re ready to give your furniture a new look, let’s get started!
Supplies Used to Paint And Glaze Furniture
- Screwdriver
- Krud Kutter
- Bondo
- Sandpaper
- Vacuum
- Tack Cloth
- Clear Shellac Primer
- Behr Pure White
- Calcium Carbonate Powder
- Filter
- Paint Sprayer
- Brown Antiquing Glaze
- Cheap Paintbrush
- Baby Wipes
- Wood Planks
- Wood Glue
- Nail Gun
- Dark Walnut Wood Stain
- Varathane Waterbased Polyurethane
- Drill
- New Knobs
Prep Furniture for Makeover
We began with the basic steps of painting furniture before moving on to painting and glazing. We first removed all the hardware from the dresser using our favorite electric screwdriver. This allowed us to easily work without having to worry about getting paint on the hardware.
Next, we cleaned the piece thoroughly with Krud Kutter to remove any dirt and grime. This is an important step since painting over a dirty surface will result in an uneven and textured finish.
Then we filled in the old hardware holes with Bondo since the new hardware we planned to replace it with needed new holes in different spots. We mixed a small amount of Bondo and then quickly applied it to the holes, overfilling them slightly. You can learn more about Bondo and other methods to fill hardware holes here: Comparison: Filling Holes when Replacing Cabinet or Furniture Hardware.
Once the Bondo was dry, we sanded it down to be flush with the rest of the furniture. We then scuff-sanded the entire dresser to create a rough surface that allowed the paint to adhere better. Sanding with 220 grit sandpaper will do the trick for this task, but if you want the job to go a little faster, you can invest in an electric sander like this SurfPrep Electric Ray 3×4′′ Sander that we love!
We made sure to clean up all the dust with a vacuum and a tack cloth afterward. Again, the furniture needs to be clean and free of any dust or debris before we paint it.
Prime Before Paint and Glaze
Next up, we needed to prime our dresser before painting and glazing. The primer prepares the surface for the paint to stick to and helps stop wood bleedthrough. You don’t want any stains to appear on your newly painted furniture, so make sure to add a primer.
We used clear shellac, one of the best primers to stop tannin bleed in our list, which also dries quickly. It’s even easy to use, especially its spray can version. We sprayed 2 coats onto our piece for maximum coverage and let the primer dry.
Paint and Distress Furniture
For painting our dresser, we made our own chalk paint with our homemade chalk paint recipe. We mixed Behr Pure White latex paint with calcium carbonate powder and water. You can also use pre-made chalk paint from the store, but if you’re looking to save a bit, making your own is a great option!
Once we had our paint ready, we filtered it into our paint sprayer to make sure it was smooth and free of any clumps. We sprayed 3-4 coats of paint with our Vonforn Paint Sprayer – this sprayer is one of the best cheap paint sprayers and one of the best paint sprayer for chalk paint options, so we highly recommend it for any chalk painting project, especially if you’re on a budget.
After the paint dried, we distressed it (this step is totally optional) using sandpaper. We focused on the edges, corners, and raised areas to give our dresser a vintage look. After distressing, we made sure to clean up any dust with a vacuum and tack cloth. You can learn more distressing furniture techniques here aside from sanding.
Glaze Painted Furniture
With the white paint dry, distressed, and cleaned, we were ready to give our dresser that vintage, aged look with glaze. We mixed our brown antiquing glaze with a bit of water. This gives us more time to work with it.
Using a cheap brush, we brushed on the glaze in one small section at a time following the wood grain, getting into all the corners and details. We let the coat of glaze sit for 20-40 seconds before wiping most of it off with a baby wipe.
The first coat is more of a light coat, evenly spreading the glaze. We then let it dry for a full day before applying a second coat to add more glaze in certain spots. It’s important to let the first coat fully dry, or else the next coat will just pull up the first coat.
Adding A New Stained Wood Top
In addition to updating the furniture by painting and glazing, we also got some wood planks cut to become the new top. We attached them with wood glue and a nail gun, and we made sure the planks were secured evenly on the dresser top.
We didn’t leave the new top as is – we stained it with a dark walnut wood stain to also add some contrast to the white painted dresser. When applying the stain, dip a clean cloth or rag into the stain and wipe it onto the wood in the direction of the wood grain, then let it sit for a few minutes before wiping off the excess.
The longer you let the stain sit, the darker it will be. So if you want a lighter stain, make sure to wipe it off sooner. You can also do multiple coats if you want a darker color. Just make sure the stain is dry before you move on to the next step.
Seal Furniture After Painting and Glazing
Now that we have painted and glazed our furniture, including stained our new top, it’s important to protect our hard work. We sprayed 3 coats of waterbased polyurethane onto the top and the rest of the dresser.
This will not only protect the surface from scratches and wear but also give it a beautiful satin finish that is easy to clean and maintain. We made sure to spray even coats and let each one dry completely before applying the next one for a smooth and durable finish.
With the poly dry, we then measured and drilled new hardware holes for our new knobs. It’s important to measure correctly so we don’t drill in the wrong spots. We attached the knobs after, and our furniture transformation was complete!
And there you have it! Our old, worn out dresser has become a beautiful vintage piece that’s something unique and special. We hope this guide on how to paint and glaze furniture inspires you to take on the same makeover for your own piece!
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