Create Your Own Vintage Style Miniature Drawers With Milk Paint By Fusion

Welcome! If this is your first experience with the joy that is Milk Paint you're in for a treat.

You may have purchased my Vintage Style Miniature Drawers Painting Kit, or you may have found this post another way, however you came across this post welcome to the world of Milk Paint.. you're going to love this truly creative experience.

What Is Milk Paint?

Milk Paint is a wonderful paint with 5 natural ingredients - chalk, clay, limestone, casein and mineral pigments. It comes as a powder and you mix with water to create a versatile paint! This tutorial is going to talk you through a 2 colour distress and crackle technique, but there are soooo many more beautiful finishes you can acheive with this paint, from smooth through to vintage chippy.

Let's get started! 

Step One - Apply Your Base Colour

First we're going to apply a contrasting base colour. On this occasion I've chosen Terrarium for my base coat, your painting kit may have different colours.

Let's mix our Milk Paint, this bit is fun! Get a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of Milk Paint powder and 2 tablespoons of water. A top tip is to add the water to your bowl first, the Milk Paint will dissolve much quicker this way. Stir them together until the powder is dissolved and you have the consistency of double cream.

Now paint your drawers all over, including the inside of the drawers. Milk Paint works like a stain soaking into the raw wood so should dry nice and quickly.

Allow the Milk Paint to dry.

Step Two - Apply Your Main Colour Over The Top Of Your Base Colour

Now we can mix our second colour of Milk Paint, I've chosen Hawaiian Hibiscus as I'd like my drawers to be a bright pop of red with the green of the Terrarium peaking through. Your painting kit may have different colours. 

We're going to mix this a little thicker to create some beautiful textures. In your bowl mix 3 tablespoons of Milk Paint powder and 2 tablespoons of water. Mix this until you have a paste like consistency.

Now to paint the two drawers. I think it looks nice when you open the drawers to reveal a contrasting pop of colour, so we're going to paint over the drawer fronts and leave the inside of the drawers in Terrarium. Apply a strip of masking tape down the edge of each drawer as shown in the picture, this will help you acheive a nice straight line when painting the drawer fronts and leave the sides of the drawers in Terrarium.

Now paint over the 2 drawer fronts. 

Next paint the frame that your drawers fit into.

Allow the Milk Paint to dry. You can use a hairdryer to speed up the drying process if you like.

Wash your brush, you'll need a clean brush for the next step.

Notice that where you apply the heat beautiful crackles will appear in your Milk Paint.

Step Three - Time To Seal And Distress Your Milk Paint

This part is so much fun!

Milk Paint is super tough, but it needs sealing as it's porous. We're going to seal with Hemp Oil, this is known as liquid gold as its such a magical product! Use your brush to apply the Hemp Oil over all of your Milk Paint and watch the colour become so much more vibrant.

Now we can distress and really create those vintage textures. Take your sanding pad and buff the oiled surface of your Milk Paint, this is known as wet sanding (as you're sanding a wet surface) and gives you a buttery smooth finish. You can apply a little more pressure on the corners and edges to remove the Hawaiian Hibiscus and reveal the Terrarium underneath. Isn't this part just magical!