23 of the best beginner furniture painting ideas & tutorials that anyone can do! Pick the paint and stains you like to design a custom look.
Step by Step Beginner Furniture Painting Ideas
If you’re looking for inspiration to start your first or next furniture makeover project, I have 23 Step by Step Beginner Furniture Painting Ideas for you today.
There’s tons of different colors and styles on this list. So, I think there’s something for everyone. But, don’t forget, you can use whatever colors you want with these beginner furniture makeover ideas.
For answers to common furniture painting questions, check out this post on How to Paint Furniture for Beginners or this post with more DIY Tips for How to Paint Furniture.
Furniture Painting Ideas With Tutorials for Beginners
OK, here are some of my favorite beginner furniture painting tutorials that I think are super helpful for getting started with painting furniture.
Don’t let any of this overwhelm you. It’s easy to learn how to paint furniture. Everyone makes mistakes, but the more you do it, the more you learn, and the better you get. 🙂
Beginner Furniture Painting Ideas & Tutorials
Here's all of my Step by Step Beginner Furniture Painting Tutorials. Each of these has the exact steps I used to get the look. Switch up the paint colors and stains to get the look you want for your furniture makeover. Have fun with your projects!!
Beautiful DIY Pottery Barn Black Paint Finish (Distressed Black Paint Look)
Get that popular black Pottery Barn paint look with this tutorial.
DIY White and Blue Distressed Chalk Paint Look
Layering 2 different paint colors before distressing is one of my favorite ways to get a unique look.
Stain Wood Furniture Without Stripping the Old Stain
If the stain on your chairs, stools, tables, or any furniture is looking worn out and you want to make it beautiful again, here's the easy to follow step by step tutorial.
DIY Gray Chalk Paint Furniture Makeover
Layering white and blue chalk paint under the perfect gray for this eye-catching distressed chalk paint look.
DIY Blue Distressed Paint using Petroleum Jelly
Easy to follow steps for this Medium Blue Distressed Paint Look.
Easy DIY White Distressed Chalk Paint Furniture (Pretty Shabby Chic Look)
Get the perfect shabby chic finish with this beginner furniture painting idea.
How To Stain Over Stain Without Sanding (Quick & Easy Steps With Gel Stain)
Here's the easiest way to refresh a stain finish.
Easy DIY Red Painted Furniture Makeover
Step by step tutorial for painting furniture with an eye-catching red paint color.
DIY White and Grey Distressed Chalk Paint Furniture
Layer grey and white chalk paints and distress for this beautiful finish.
Blue DIY Chalk Paint Bathroom Vanity Makeover
Make boring cabinets rich and beautiful with dark blue chalk paint and dark wax.
How to Patina Paint Faux Metal Finishes, 20 Examples!
Metal patina paints can be used to make unique art and furniture. Here's how to get 20 different looks with Brass, Copper, and Iron Patina Paints.
DIY Weathered Paint Effect with Chalk Paint
Get this beautiful weathered paint effect with this easy to follow tutorial and how to video.
Blue and Copper Chalk Paint DIY Furniture Makeover
Get this fun look using blue and copper chalk paints.
Easy DIY Teal Furniture Paint Makeover Ideas
Get the perfect teal paint finish with this furniture painting tutorial.
Easy DIY Rust Paint Effect - Steps & Video
Rust can be beautiful on decor and furniture, if you know how to use it. Here's a great tutorial showing how to get this look.
How To Make Stain Darker Without Sanding (Easy Gel Stain Before And After)
Make your stain darker with this beginner gel stain tutorial.
How To Get a Smooth Finish with Chalk Paint (Easy Guide & Video)
If your chalk paint finish feels rough, check out these tips for getting a smooth finish.
How To Stain A Table Top - Get a Professional Finish
Get that rich, dark brown, store bought furniture stain look at home with this tutorial.
Stripping Paint from Wood Furniture With Citristrip: Easy Steps & Video
Anyone new to furniture makeovers will eventually need to know how to strip the old finish off. Here's my favorite way.
How to Make Chalk Paint with Plaster of Paris
Follow this easy guide to make your own low cost, easy, any color chalk paint!
Now, here’s some of my favorite paints, stains, and top coats to use. I’ve had great experiences with these products and feel comfortable recommending them.
Of course, there are a lot of great options that aren’t on this list. So go with what you’re used to using.
5 Best Furniture Paints
Here’s some of my favorite paints to use on furniture. All of these paints are safe, easy to use, easy to clean up, fast drying, durable paints.
And, all of these furniture paints can be used in my step by step beginner furniture painting tutorials.
- Rust-Oleum’s Chalked Paint
- Country Chic Chalk Style Paint
- Retique It Chalk Style Paint
- Magnolia Homes by Kilz Acrylic Interior Paint or Chalk Style Paint
- My DIY Chalk Paint Recipe with Plaster of Paris and Latex or Acrylic Paint
3 Easy Furniture Stains for Beginners
Here are the 3 types of wood stains I always pick for furniture makeovers and new wood furniture builds.
- Watco Danish Oil – I love this because you simply wipe it on, let it soak in, then wipe off the excess. Easy Peasy! But, it’s more transparent than the next 2.
- General Finishes Gel Stain – Just follow the directions and you’ll get beautiful, rich results!
- Minwax Wood Finish – Great range of colors available at most stores.
3 Best Top Coats for Furniture
I like a subtle sheen when it comes to top coats these days. These top coats have a professional looking, store bought furniture subtle sheen.
And, I always use top coats that are easiest to apply with a durable finish in just 2 or 3 coats. Here are my top 3 top coats for beginner furniture painting projects.
- General Finishes Flat Out Flat
- Minwax Water-Based Polycrylic in Matte
- General Finishes High Performance Top Coat
Best Paint Stripper for Furniture
I’ve used quite a few types of paint strippers over the years. Some high fume, strong chemical strippers in home remodeling and one stripper that works without all the fumes.
The best paint and stain stripper I’ve tried, that’s easy to dispose of, and that doesn’t have strong fumes is Citristrip Paint Stripping Gel.
Here’s a full tutorial all about stripping paint from wood furniture. It has written steps and a walkthrough video to show you how to get the best results with Citristrip Paint Stripping Gel.
Grab the 19 page free printable version of my Beginner’s Guide to Painting Furniture that includes everything from this post, plus answers to 12 Common Questions about Painting Furniture.
That’s it, guys. Thanks for checking out this post full of Step by Step Beginner Furniture Painting Tutorials. Looking for more of my Furniture Painting Videos? Check out this Beginner Furniture Painting playlist on YouTube.
Make your own beautiful wall art with this DIY Acrylic Paint Pouring Wall Art Tutorial.
You might also like this DIY for How to Whiten Tile Grout. It’s a Game Changer!
And, if it is time to Stain your Front Door, check out these steps for how I restain a front door without stripping it or removing it. 🙂
Here’s How to Clean Car Seats At Home, the easy way.
If you’re into woodworking, try this beautiful DIY Geometric Wood Table Top.
Feeling inspired? Now that you’ve seen these Step by Step Beginner Furniture Painting Tutorials, you can do it too. Let me know if you have questions. Don’t forget to sign up for the Abbotts At Home email newsletter to get DIY, Remodeling, and Crafty ideas in your inbox.
Stephanie Abbott has been remodeling homes, updating & building furniture, and working on DIY home maintenance and cleaning tips for over 20 years. Her remodeling has been featured in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. And, her DIY YouTube channel has had more than 8 million views.
Most of the DIY tutorials and videos on this site focus on beginner to intermediate level DIY Projects that can be done in an affordable way without high-end, expensive tools. All of the cleaning tips on this website have been tested in her home.