How to easily distress anything – plastic, wood, glass, resin – for an authentic looking antique finish using just paint and Vaseline.
Hey y’all! I think I’m finally getting back into my groove after last week’s
Myrtle Beach trip.
This project I’m sharing with you guys today is really a little teaser for what’s to come.
Remember my mash up of
gallery wall inspirations that made my head swirl with ideas? I have figured out my direction and I’m so excited for our naked stairway wall to have some bling on it! And by bling I mean distressed vintage-inspired awesomeness. If you have any picture frames lying around waiting to be jazzed up, this project is perfect.
Over the course of several months, I’ve had a little collection going of random frames I’ve discovered in thrift stores or craft stores that I thought had interesting details.
I knew I wanted to eventually do a gallery wall. Some were as cheap as 99 cents (poppin’ tags yo) and some I paid a little more at around $10. I always always check the frame section of thrift stores when I visit. I chose 6 total to distress for our wall- 4 thrifted and 2 from Hobby Lobby.
Okay, they’re really not too bad. And I originally thought they would be pretty in Olivia’s ballet theme room, but I swiped them for our living room instead…I know, shame on me…so greedy.
The other two of the 6 were this brassy gold plastic, which, unfortunately, I forgot to snap a before shot of (bad blogger!).
Believe it or not, I have never done a chalk paint project. (Say whaaat?) I had always wanted to! And, y’all, I gotta say, I have found the elixer of life. Okay, I exaggerate. But it’s amazing stuff.
From this point on, if you stand still long enough, I might slather you with a layer of chalk paint. I think I shyed away from it before because I was so scared of ruining a paint project and ending up with wasted funds. That stuff ain’t cheap! Annie Sloan projects are beautiful, but I can’t swing over $22 for 8 ounces and potentially mess it up. (Update: I finally did it, and it was SUPER easy! I had no reason to be scared. And I discovered a little of that paint goes a long way. See my beginner’s guide to chalk paint here.)
BUT I found a super cheap alternative.
I’m loving this Plaid brand, Folk Art Home Decor Chalk Paint, so if you’re a beginner at chalk paint, like me, I highly suggest trying it out.
So back to the frames.
Supplies I used: (Affiliate links are provided below for convenience. For more info, see my full disclosure
here.)
- 2 colors of chalk paint (I used Folk Art paint in Java and Parisian Grey.)
- Vaseline
- A clean, dry rag
- Paper towels
- 2-3 large artist brushes
Step 1. Paint frames with a coat of your base color (the shade that will show underneath the distress finish). I used the Folk Art Chalk Paint in Java on four of the frames, and I used Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze on the other two just to see if there would be a major difference. Both came out great. You can really use anything.
Step 2. After the paint is dry, rub Vaseline onto various spots on the frame.
I focused mainly on the corners and edges where normal wear and tear would occur. And, hey, I got a little skin softening treatment in the process. 🙂
Step 3. Paint on a layer of your top coat color of chalk paint. Don’t worry about painting into every cranny and crevice of your detail as that adds to the distressing. You can apply the paint immediately after rubbing on the Vaseline. Spray paint would even work too if you didn’t have chalk paint. This part is where it gets really fun! You can immediately see the distressed places. For my top coat color, I used the Folk Art Chalk Paint in Parisian Grey.
Step 4. Once the top coat of paint is dry, use a clean, dry rag to wipe away the Vaseline.
Then, (optional) dry brush your frame. I chose to use the Java color again leftover from my base coat. To dry brush, dip an artist brush into the paint, and swipe off the paint onto a paper towel until the bristles are dry. Brush it on your frame, focusing on the detail work of the frame if you have any.
As you dry brush, you’ll see the color very faintly to add more dimension to the distressed finish.
And that’s it! It took longer for the paint between coats to dry than the actual distressing steps themselves. It was super easy! And the best part is you can do this finish on practically anything since there isn’t any sanding required. Two of my frames were plastic (like the one pictured below), and they ended up looking like distressed painted wood when I was finished.
Now they’re ready to be hung up for the gallery wall! I have other frames that I spray painted a darker color to add some contrast. I can’t wait to see what it all looks like.
What distressing projects have y’all done lately?
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Hey I was wondering what size the biggest frame is like that family picture on the right? Thanks! I’m trying to make a gallery wall and I’m having a hard time decided how big to go.
I’m 95% sure the biggest frame is 20″x24″. Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you!! Did you just do a bunch of 8×10 and 5×7 in between? Or was it smaller?
Yes, mostly 5x7s with a couple of 8x10s and 4x6s thrown in.
I stumbled on this product at my local Walmart. While I have not tried it on furniture just yet, Ilike you I did try it out on a lovely thrift store frame and it turned out great. Love how your frames turned out. I cant wait to try it on a piece of furniture:-)
So glad to hear it, Shyrlene! I tried it out on furniture and discovered it took a lot of it to cover. Annie Sloan is more expensive but the coverage is much better, so you end up using less. I think both are great though. 🙂
Gonna try this this on this one this on a frame I found. How thin should I put the Vaseline on?
Yay! Hope it turns out well! I put a moderate amount. It’s better to put it on on the thicker side. You could always wipe it away and add paint in its place if it’s too much.
On my gosh girl……I am so excited to have found your blog. I am IN LOVE with everything I see. I love cottage, shabby, industrial type DIY. I love doing it on a budget. I love love love Goodwill. And…..I love Jesus!! So…..I feel like I have found my decorating kindred spirit sister! So flipping excited!
YES! Hi twin! So glad you found my little blog corner over here! 🙂
Me, too!
I am about to enter into the chalk painting addiction zone… have liked it and am going to try it!
Hi, these frames look lovely! I’ve never heard of chalk paint before- how is it different to normal paint?
Thanks, Helen! Chalk paint is like a flat finish paint that sticks to all sorts of finishes and is great for distressing pieces. No prep work, priming, sanding or anything is required beforehand. Beware, it’s addictive stuff. 🙂