If you have a piece of wood with a strong, visible grain to it – something like oak – you can really bring out this wood grain with liming wax. This isn’t a difficult technique to learn. You don’t need to bring out any paints – all you need is White Chalk Paint™ Wax, a Wax Brush and a lint-free cloth.
Essentially, liming wax is a white wax that soaks right down into the grain of the wood. This technique has been called liming of even ‘pickling’ and would have been used on the old oak beams in houses. What you want to do is really work the wax into the grain, and then wipe it back so all the wax stays deep in the grain and comes off the outer surface of the wood. This is a great technique for bringing out the character of the wood, as well as creating a washed coastal look. It works really well on oak, especially if it’s unvarnished.
Step by step guide to liming wood with White Chalk Paint™ Wax
- Charge your Chalk Paint™ Wax Brush with White Chalk Paint™ Wax.
- Apply the White Wax directly to the wood, pushing the bristles of your brush right into the grain.
- Use a piece of lint-free cloth to wipe back the wax. The wax should stay in the wood grain.
- If you want to adjust the amount of White Wax anywhere, you can do this using Clear Chalk Paint™ Wax – it acts almost like a magic eraser! Dip a lint-free cloth in your Clear Wax and then use it to rub off any White Wax where you don’t want it. Do this while the White Wax is still soft.
- Allow the wax to harden. This curing process can take between 5-21 days at which stage the wax will be completely hard. If you need to clean your waxed finish once it has cured, simply do so with a damp cloth.
Using liming wax on wood is a great way to celebrate the natural grain in wood. It creates a beautiful, traditional limed oak look and sits well in a rustic country style home or a coastal space. If you’re ready to try liming wax for yourself, remember to shop local and buy White Chalk Paint™ Wax from your local Annie Sloan Stockist. When you’re done, take a picture of your finished project and share it with the Annie Sloan community using #AnnieSloan.
