How to Create a Whitewash
Whitewashing is an easy way to achieve a coastal or limed look on your next project. It instantly lightens and brightens any piece of furniture and is a fabulous way to highlight all of the details on the surface. Creating a whitewash (or a wash of any color of your choosing) is easy to do with Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint!
Option 1 - Mix Your Milk Paint Thin
Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint is incredibly versatile! Because it’s a powdered paint that is mixed with water, you have total control over the thickness and viscosity of your batch.
This characteristic is especially helpful when you want to create a whitewash. By mixing your Milk Paint to be thin and watery, you can create a wash using any color you choose - including white!
We recommend starting by mixing 1 part Milk Paint powder with 2 or 3 parts water. Try starting with 2 parts water first, and paint it out on a scrap piece of wood. If it’s to your liking, you can move forward with your project. If the mix is still too opaque to your taste, add another part of water.
Here is a helpful tutorial video from our YouTube channel demonstrating this technique.
Your wash should look something like this mix of our beautiful cream, Linen.
As you paint your wash onto your project, you can wipe it back a little with a lint-free cloth or shop towel. It will dry pretty fast though, so work in small sections.
Another option is to do the opposite - paint a wash over your entire project and let it dry WITHOUT wiping it off (which won’t take long). Then, gently sand it back with 180 or 220 grit sandpaper. This will remove some of the excess paint and leave you with a lovely finish!
The results of using this method are so gorgeous! Check out the final look of the Linen wash on this farm table by Miss Mustard Seed.
Here’s another example of a wash. This dresser was painted in the early years of Miss Mustard Seed’s furniture days in Dried Lavender (coming back soon). The drawers were gently washed with Ironstone.
Here’s a close-up of the Ironstone wash:
See how the wash of Ironstone added a light and airy touch to the drawers?
Option 2 - How to Whitewash Using Full Strength Milk Paint
You can also mix your Milk Paint to full strength (i.e. a 1 to 1 ratio) and achieve a whitewashed effect. Simply apply your Milk Paint and use a shop towel to wipe it back. The difference between this method and that mentioned above is that each layer you apply is a bit more opaque than a wash. This will give you a much stronger wash with a bit less wood peeking through.
If you’d rather not wipe your Milk Paint back, then considering dry brushing! Dip your brush into full-strength Milk Paint so the bristles barely get wet. Dab your brush onto a shop towel to offload any excess. Then, using a very light touch, feather the color on.
Option 3 - How to Whitewash Using White Wax
The easiest way to create a whitewash is by using our White Wax.
Our White Wax has the same protection as our clear Furniture Wax with the added loveliness of a soft white tint. To whitewash with it, simply apply with a wax brush or soft cloth, then buff away the excess.
This can be done over Milk Paint (as shown here over Shutter Gray)…
or over raw wood!
Whitewashing with White Wax (try saying that 3 times fast) is especially lovely over oak. Because of its strong grain patterns and grooved texture, oak catches White Wax like no other wood species. Take this dresser refinished by MMS Milk Paint Team Member, Jenn Baker, for example.
Jenn has a video tutorial demonstrating how she achieved her whitewashed look on her dresser drawers.
The effect is simply lovely! See how the White Wax catches in the grain of the oak wood? Now that’s just plain yummy!
Take it to the Next Level by Layering Washes!
You can create the most GORGEOUS finishes by layering washes of various Milk Paint colors over one another. Take this wooden trunk for example. This was also painted by MMS Milk Paint Team Member, Jenn Baker.
Jenn layered all sorts of colors to create this finish including Trophy, Farmhouse White, Ironstone, Schloss and Grain Sack. You can even layer our Wax Finishes over your washed projects for more depth and interest!
We hope you’re inspired to create a wash on your next piece using any of the techniques we’ve shared. Make sure YOU share your gorgeous creations with us on social media. We love seeing how you’re Moving Mountains in Your Home with MMS Milk Paint™!
