Have you ever spotted a gorgeous aged piece of furniture and thought, "I could never recreate that finish"? Think again! With the right techniques and a little patience, you can achieve that same beautifully cracked, vintage look using milk paint—even on flat surfaces!
In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to create an authentic, timeworn finish on furniture, using layers of crack gesso, milk paint, wax, and antiquing glaze.
Let’s dive in!
Why Milk Paint?
Milk paint is one of the most versatile and natural ways to create an authentic aged look. Unlike traditional paints, milk paint reacts uniquely with different surfaces, creating natural cracking, chipping, and layering for a truly historic effect.
If you’ve struggled to get milk paint to work on smooth, flat surfaces, this guide will take the mystery out of it!
Materials You’ll Need:
Crack Gesso – Essential for creating a textured base that helps milk paint crack authentically.
Milk Paint – We used Sunday Supper and Nor for a beautifully layered, aged finish.
Pigments – To tweak the colors and achieve a rich, deep black.
Gel Stain – We used English Walnut to create a deep, aged wood base.
Various Brushes– Keeping separate brushes for gesso, milk paint, wax, and dust will help maintain a clean and professional finish.
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Prepping the Surface
Start with a clean, dry surface. If your piece is raw wood, you’re in luck! If it’s previously finished, clean it thoroughly with Clean Slate and scuff it lightly with sandpaper for better adhesion.
Step 2: Apply a Gel Stain Base
If you want a rich, natural wood tone to peek through your finish, apply Gel Stain in English Walnut. Brush it on, working the stain into the wood grain, then wipe off the excess with a rag. Let it dry.
Step 3: Layer on Crack Gesso
Mix Crack Gesso with equal parts water and stir well. Apply a full coat over your stained surface. This layer creates the necessary "tooth" to help the milk paint adhere and crack naturally.
Step 4: The Magic of Wax Resist
Use a candle or Light Wax to rub along areas where natural wear would occur—edges, handles, and high-touch areas. This will make the top layers of paint naturally flake away later.
The key to achieving a true black is slacking the Nor Pigment separately in water before mixing it into the Nor Milk Paint.
Once your paint is mixed:
Apply the first color layer (taupey brown), let it dry.
Apply the second coat (black).
Don’t worry—this will all come together in the next step!
Step 6: Distress with Antiquing Glaze
Now comes the fun part! Use a sea sponge to apply Antiquing Glaze. This step reactivates the milk paint, allowing you to distress and reveal the underlying layers.
Use a gentle "hit and drag" motion to lift some of the black and expose the brown underneath. Focus on areas that would naturally wear over time, like drawer handles, edges, and corners.
