This is a quick and easy tutorial to show you how quick and easy it is to apply glaze to painted furniture. Glaze is perfect for accentuating beautiful detail work like carved legs and appliqués. It soaks into all of the cracks and crevices and just adds nice dimension to a piece that would otherwise look pretty—but flat.
Here’s a perfect example of pretty—but flat. This is a nice little carved foot on a vintage dresser I painted recently.
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I used Van Dyke Brown Glaze from Dixie Belle Paint Company, the no-VOC mineral-based paint we sell at our shop All Things New Again in Leesburg, Virginia. Brown glaze gives the foot a more antiqued look and makes all of those pretty lines “pop”.
Here’s how quick and easy it is to apply glaze.
Step 1: Brush it on.
Step 2: Wipe it off with a rag before it dries.
Brush on. Wipe off. It’s that quick and easy.
If you don’t like how it looks the first time you wipe it off, just play around with it some more. Add another layer of glaze. Wipe it off again. It is better to build up thinner layers until you get a look you like rather than apply it very thick and have it look too streaky.
And if you end up totally hating it, no worries. Just paint over it and you are right back where you started.
Would you like to see the entire dresser now? I am really happy with how this piece turned out! It was my entry in the August Fab Furniture Flippin’ Contest.
I added some Van Dyke Brown Glaze to the appliqué to accentuate all of those curly-cues. The red is Honky Tonk Red, also from Dixie Belle Paints. It is a vibrant red, but with a little bit of Van Dyke Brown Glaze applied over it, the red softens and takes on a more elegant tone.
Van Dyke Brown Glaze is a versatile product you can use to achieve a variety of effects. It is a great item to include in your painter’s box of tricks.
Happy painting (and glazing!)
<3 Courtney
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Applying glaze is just one of the techniques we teach in our monthly Learn How To Paint Furniture Class at All Things New Again in Leesburg, Virginia. This is a hands-on class where students practice a dozen techniques then choose their favorite paint colors and technique(s) to create a beautiful rack in class to take home and enjoy.
Look at how AWESOME the projects turned out from a recent class!
We love how each student chose different techniques—and they all ROCKED IT!
If you are new to painting furniture, our class is a great place to start. Our students go home with the skills—and the confidence—to start painting furniture like a pro. Space is limited and advance registration is required. Please sign up today!
