How to transform your rustic craft projects with ANTIQUING WAX
I talk to so many people all the time that have never used antiquing wax for their crafty projects because they think it’s just for furniture or cabinets. Well, do I have news…it’s totally NOT just for those things! The truth is you can use it for SO MANY crafty projects especially if you are going for the rustic look.
When I google ‘how to use antiquing wax for crafts’ most of what pulls up are tutorials on how to apply it over furniture. And yes, antiquing wax is GREAT for large pieces like furniture, but it’s also AMAZING for regular home décor pieces. I want others to be aware of the secret craft ingredient they might be missing out on.
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You can use antiquing wax over SOOOOOO many different bases {I’ve linked a few projects below}
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painted Styrofoam
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paper
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painted wood
I have tried several different brands of wax that are affordable and I can say they are all good. You can get them on amazon, I usually recommend Folk Art Antiquing Wax, but you can pick up Waverly wax from Walmart and the one pictured above, from Artminds, at Michael’s craft store
But you can’t just go applying this magical stuff like you do paint because it isn’t paint. There are few things you need to know to make your project turn out the best. And I’m sharing them with you because I wish I would have read an article like this YEARS ago :)!!!
Here are my tips for using antiquing wax on your home décor craft project
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MIX, MIX, MIX when you first open your wax you’ll likely notice that it’s separated. It tends to do that, especially if it’s been sitting for awhile. I recommend using a popsicle stick and stirring it really well. There will probably be clumps on the bottom of the jar, be sure to smash those clumps into the liquid part of the wax, that’s where the color is.
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Wax comes in a few different colors as well as clear {if wanting a rustic look use antiquing wax} but be sure that your bottle says WAX. If you’re looking for this at the craft store it will be with the chalk paints. The bottles look the same so don’t go on color alone as it might just be a dark colored chalk paint and not wax.
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Don’t use your fancy paint brushes to apply wax. You can buy fancy waxing brushes but I use a simple chip brush, specifically 1.5” or 2” sized ones. The ones I send in my DIY CRAFT KITS are 1” brushes.
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Cut the bristles down on your chip brush so that your brush is stiff instead of wispy. This will give your projects a much better look.
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A little wax goes a LONG way when it comes to your home décor pieces. I typically dip just the tips of the brush in the wax then dab the brush off onto my drop cloth I cover my workspace with. Then apply it to the piece I’m working on. This will give you more control over how much is applied.
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Apply only to DRY paint. If you apply to wet paint your paint will just look muddy :/.
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If sealing your piece with any kind of protective clear coating do that first then apply wax on top of that once it’s dry. Your wax will likely wear off and you will have to reapply it BUT if you apply wax then the clear coat the clear coat will flake off.
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Focus on the edges and corners, where things would naturally be worn.
Here are some projects that I’ve used antiquing wax on. Click on the pictures below to see their tutorial 😉
