In this In Detail post, I’m reviewing the recently introduced Milk Paint by Imaginisce. I’m sharing my tips on how to mix the paint, as well as the materials for which I think it is best suited.
Traditional milk paint is made up of milk protein, lime and natural pigments to color the paint. Imaginisce Milk Paint is a non-toxic, powder-based paint that works on any porous surface; its main ingredient is powdered milk.
You will find the Imaginisce Milk Paint in the Ellen Hutson store under “Arts Supplies/Other”. Individual bottles, sold in 1.1 oz. bottles, are available in Black, Blue, Brown, Gray, Green, Light Gray, Pastel Blue, Pastel Green, Pastel Pink, Red, White and Yellow. Sets of two 1.1 oz. bottles are sold in the following pairs: Black & Brown, Blue & Yellow, Pastel Blue & Pastel Green, Pastel Pink & Light Gray, Red & Green, and White & Gray.
The product is VOC-free, cleans up extremely easily with water and dries quickly. The advantage of the powdered form is that you only use how much you need. Mixed paint can be refrigerated for up to two weeks. The directions on the product box say “mix 1 part powder with 2 parts water.” You can mix thicker for a heavier coat or lighter for a stain.
I measured a small amount of the red paint from the Red & Green set with a plastic measuring spoon into a disposable cup.
Per the package instructions, I added two parts water to the cup.
I mixed with a bristle brush I have had many years, used primarily for projects with my sons when they were younger.
I mixed until the powder was dissolved.
To begin, I painted the Maya Road Wood Shipping Tags with the paints. After testing the Milk Paint on wood, Craft-a-Board, grunge board, and glass (those other tests follow), I would be most likely to paint wooden items with the Milk Paint. You can find wood items in the Ellen Hutson store under “Alterable Items/Wood”.
The darker colors covered better than the lighter ones. For all colors, at least two coats of paint would be needed for a finished product. I found the one part paint/two parts water ratio to be too watery. For a more even finish, use foam paint brushes (available in craft stores) for application.
I stamped sentiments from Tim Holtz Handwritten Holidays 1 and Handwritten Holidays 2 on the red and green tags with Adirondack Pigment Ink. The red tag had two coats of paint whereas the green on did not.
I’ve been pinning Mason jar projects the last couple of months and had a painted Mason jar in mind when I started working with the Imaginisce Milk Paint. Although the product’s description reads “works on any porous surface,” I still wanted to test the glass jar. From what I had read about painting Mason jars, it is best to spray paint first with a white paint. I tested the red Milk Paint on both an unpainted and a spray-painted jar.
I left the pre-painted jar to dry.
The unpainted jar took the paint, but after one coat I didn’t like the appearance. I was able to wash off the paint almost completely from the jar with warm water and a little dish soap.
Going back to the pre-painted jar, I thought it needed a second coat. After the second coat dried, there was some buckling and cracking of the paint.
I wouldn’t buy the Milk Paint expressly for the purpose of painting Mason jars, but it is possibly to use the paint for this purpose. Starting with a spray-painted jar and using two coats gave the best results.
Next, I wanted to test how well the Milk Paint could be mixed for custom colors. I added yellow powder from the Milk Paint Blue & Yellow set to my mixture of red paint. I added water as needed for the right consistency. The result was a pumpkin color.
I painted the orange paint on top of the two coats of red paint already on the Mason jar.
After the paint dried, I distressed it with a PolyShrink sanding block. I wasn’t pleased with the way the paint chipped off around the letters, but I was interested to see how easily the paint could be sanded.
With the orange paint already mixed up, I painted leaves cut with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Mini Tattered Leaves dies (now discontinued) from Craft-a-Board and grunge board. I also pre-painted leaves cut from both materials with gesso, as I wanted to find out whether doing so would be of any benefit.
The leaves that had not been painted with gesso had more uniform coverage than those that had been painted with the gesso.
For comparison, I painted another set of leaves with Tim Holtz Distress Paint in Wild Honey. The color is not similar to the pumpkin I custom mixed, but it was the only autumn color I owned. The Distress Paint is a water-based, acrylic with a matte finish. Compared to the Milk Paint finish, the Distress Paint is satiny as the Milk Paint finish is chalky.
With the red and green paints from the Red & Green set I painted wreaths and bows cut with the Tim Holtz Sizzix Mini Wreath & Bow dies.
The green mixture was more watery than the orange mixture (which I had used on the leaves) resulting in less even coverage. These would need another coat of paint before using on a finished project. Again, the items without gesso took the paint better than those pre-painted with the gesso.
For comparison, I painted the wreath with Distress Paint in Peeled Paint and the bow with Distress Paint in Festive Berries.
Imaginisce Milk Paint works especially well on wooden items. The powdered form allows one to mix only what is needed for a project. It's non-toxic, dries quickly and cleans easily with water.
Have you tried the Milk Paint? If so, for what type of projects have you used it?
Before I go, here's a sneak of one of my projects using the new Essentials by Ellen Stamps and Dies. This one features the Christmas Scribbles Stamp Set and the Treat Yo Self Die Set! These products will be fully revealed and available for ordering on October 4th, World Card-making Day!
--Jean
