Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Wagner. All opinions, images and love of painting projects are 100% mine.
I do a lot of furniture makeovers around here, but one thing I hadn’t tackled yet was using my favorite clay paint in my favorite paint sprayer.
It’s been on my to-do list because I was curious how the two would work together, and I finally tried it!
And, no big surprise, they two worked great together. Good to know, right?!
Just look at this gorgeous table!
It started like this:
I typically do two coats of paint (with a paint brush) when using this clay paint on furniture, and the Wagner paint sprayer meant I only had to do one coat.
It went SO FAST!
Unfortunately, the winter weather meant we were in the basement instead of outside. (If you’re worried about overspray, use a paint tent to make painting inside even easier.)
As long as I had the paint sprayer out, I ended up painting a few decor pieces I’d had sitting waiting to be painted, too. Here’s how they all started:
It’s amazing how much faster using the sprayer goes than painting by hand, especially for pieces with lots of ‘spindles’ like that basket or even the letters on the ‘believe’ sign.
Plus the one coat of paint thing is a time saver all by itself.
(I did end up doing a quick second/touch up coat on that ‘believe’ sign, but that had more to do with covering a black piece with light paint.)
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Supply list for a quick table makeover:
- Drop cloth (or old blankets)
- Studio Home Decor Sprayer (you can buy one here or here)
- Extension cord (if needed)
- Paint
- Most paint works just fine in the paint sprayer. I’ve used various brands and have yet to run into a problem. This time, I used a few Country Chic Paint colors: Sage Advice on the table, Icicle on the basket, Lazy Linen on the ‘believe’ sign and Hurricane on the picture frame.
- Water or other paint thinning material
- Screwdriver
- New hardware (optional)
- This one looks like what’s on my table if you want the same look.
How to give a table a quick makeover:
1. Prep your furniture piece.
Like any other furniture makeover, be sure your piece is free of dust and dirt. If there are any big holes or scratches, use wood filler before painting. (More on that in this post about our TV stand makeover if you’re curious.)
Because of the clay paint I used (which covers really well) and the fact that the table was in good shape, I didn’t do any sanding prior to painting.
Take off any hardware and set it aside. I usually end up replacing old hardware for a fresh look, but I like the charm of this gold pull with the Queen Anne style legs so I decided to keep it.
2. Pour your paint in the sprayer.
Be sure to stir your paint in its original container first so you get a good pour. Then add about 10% water (or paint thinning material) on top of the paint to thin it out, and stir.
3. Put the paint sprayer together.
Wagner’s manual is really helpful.
There are a few small pieces, and I referenced the manual the first few times I used the sprayer just because I couldn’t remember what order they go in. (My painting obsession has led to me memorizing the assembly order now.)
Line up the suction tube depending if you’re going to be painting with the sprayer pointing up toward your piece (the angled part should face the back of the sprayer) or down toward your piece (the angled part should face the front).
Screw the paint container into the sprayer.
Adjust the air cap on the sprayer depending if you’ll be painting side to side (the air cap should be horizontal) or painting up and down (vertical).
I go into even more detail (and photos) in this post about how to use a paint sprayer if you have any questions before you get started.
4. Time to paint!
If you’ve never used a paint sprayer before, practice on an old piece of cardboard or scrap wood.
It’s not hard, but you have to get close (think 3-6 inches from your piece), which feels kind of funny at first.
Plus practicing will ensure you have the right amount of water/thinning material in with your paint so the paint comes out in a good stream. (After you use the sprayer a few times, you’ll be able to just eyeball it.)
You can adjust the flow of paint by turning the black circle on the top.
As you paint, keep the sprayer moving, going back and forth (or up and down) over your piece.
The paint will look a bit splotchy in some areas at first, but it will dry smooth. (I painted a door with the sprayer, and it’s amazing what it looked like right away versus when the paint dried!)
Here’s a peek at the table top right after painting/after it dried so you can see what I mean.
The accessories were really quick paint jobs.
(My mom – we joke she’s my assistant since we often do painting projects together – took the further out shots when I was painting the table, but she was busy when I was painting these small pieces so I only have these close-up shots. Good free help is hard to find!)
It’s amazing what you can paint with the sprayers.
You can see in this foyer makeover, I painted everything from the walls to small decor pieces (all in a few hours!).
6. Clean the paint sprayer.
This sounds harder than it is. It takes longer than washing out a brush, but the time you save painting more than makes up for it.
Run warm soapy water through the sprayer to get rid of any paint residue, then let everything dry.
I keep the small parts in a plastic resealable bag inside the paint sprayer box just so I don’t lose them.
7. Once your paint is dry, screw your hardware back on.
I’m loving this green color!
Have you ever used a paint sprayer? It’s addicting once you start.
I’m always amazed how fast painting jobs go with it.
You can see more paint sprayer projects here:
- How to use a paint sprayer to update old rockers
- A foyer makeover with a paint sprayer
- How to paint metal patio furniture
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Vicki and Jenn 2 Bees in a Pod says
Oh my gosh Meg – this table makeover is beautiful! We can’t believe the finish you were able to achieve with a paint sprayer. We definitely need to give this a try!
GreenWithDecor says
Thanks, ladies! The finish is so pretty!
Roxanne says
I got a paint sprayer last year and don’t know how I lived without one for so long! The table looks great!! Pinning!
GreenWithDecor says
I know! They make paint jobs go so much faster! Thank you!
Emily says
I love all of the different pieces you were able to freshen up with your sprayer! We love ours – makes painting a breeze 🙂
GreenWithDecor says
It’s such a fast way to paint!
Kati says
I adore that color! So fresh and pretty. I can’t wait for it to warm up so I can get to painting some furniture.
GreenWithDecor says
Thanks, Kati! I am loving the color, too! And so excited for it to warm up to paint outside!
cindy says
I love the green also! I’ve been looking at paint sprayer to buy since I have several large projects to do. it’s very confusing as to which is the best. what Wagner sprayer do you use? also I make my own chalk paint so would I have to strain the paint prior to using the sprayer?
GreenWithDecor says
Glad you love green, too! It depends what your project is – for furniture makeovers or other decor pieces, I would use the Studio Home Decor Sprayer. If you’re painting interior walls or doors, use the FLEXIO 3000 Sprayer. I have a blog post about using that sprayer going up this week that will be helpful! How cool you make your own chalk paint. If you add about 10% water to the paint, you should be good to go! Let me know if you have other questions!
Cindy Davis says
thank you so much. I look forward to your blog post
GreenWithDecor says
Hi Cindy! Here’s the blog post on the FLEXIO sprayer: https://greenwithdecor.com/paint-walls-paint-sprayer/. Happy painting! Let me know if you have any questions!