Annie Sloan Dark Wax Alternative!

I bought this dresser on Craigslist several months ago intending to use it for myself.  In the meantime, I found an armoire that fit my space and needs better. My husband tried to talk me out of buying this dresser, it needed a lot of work and could probably never be perfect again (Husband's note: It was also like 45 minutes away from our house and I had to drive there and back to get it :-/ ). It was priced so well that I couldn't pass it up despite all of its flaws.

The top of this piece was missing a large chunk. I wasn't too nervous about it, I'd replaced a top on a large buffet before. My plan was to pry off the layer of wood and cut a new slab of wood for the top. I got my pry bar out and it just wasn't budging :(  I chose to fill in the huge missing space with wood filler. It's not perfectly smooth but with a black painted top it's hardly noticeable. I will still be selling this dresser, but at a lower price because of the imperfection.

I want to share with you a brilliant "aha!" moment that I had. I was running low on my Annie Sloan Dark Wax, and my round waxing brush was also failing me. I only had it a week before the center 'hairs' of it just fell out, and then the whole head of the brush fell out. I wasn't real excited to buy a new one. I have to order my supplies and have them shipped. Sometimes it's a pain.  I was thinking of other waxing options. I usually use other brands of clear wax but how come no one had really made another brand of dark wax? (Not counting Miss Mustard Seed's new line)

I remembered my dad polishing his shoes with a dark wax in a tin every Sunday, and it had that same smell as A.S. Dark Wax.  Could it work?

Maybe you've already figured this out, but to me it was a new thought. I ran to Walmart to check out their shoe polish selection. I chose a black polish and a brown polish. I also noticed they had perfect brushes for waxing- short, soft, and even round. The best part was this stuff was cheaper and I had more selection. There were more colors to choose from. I realize that glazes come in different colors and I have used them over chalk paint before, but when I wash it off the wet rag sometimes it distresses the piece too much. I also prefer the way the wax looks more realistic and sticks to all the grooves.

My biggest concern was that when I went back over the shoe polish wax with the clear wax, it wouldn't wipe off the excess but it worked like a charm. I just followed the same steps I used with the Annie Sloan wax. 1. Clear wax 2. Dark wax (in this case, shoe polish) 3. Clear wax.

I hope this might open up some new options for you, or just gave you the courage to follow through on some ideas that you might be having. Let me know if any of you try it and how it works for you.

Jenine


Linking back to...
romantichome.blogspot.com
www.funkyjunkinteriors.net
missmustardseed.com