Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint Review

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.

I love Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint because it comes in a variety of beautiful colors. It is easy to use and works on a range of surfaces.

What is Milk Paint?

Milk paint is all natural, non-toxic, and contains no VOC’s. It has been used for thousands of years. Miss Mustard Seed’s milk paint is made with 5 ingredients: milk protein (casein), limestone, clay, chalk and natural pigments.

Milk paint is great for furniture, walls, and floors. It can be used on interior or exterior applications, and for achieving a variety of specialty finishes. It absorbs into raw wood exceptionally well, acting as a stain but looking like a paint.

Milk paint creates a breathable finish that is ideal for painting wood, plaster, and drywall. With the addition of a bonding agent, milk paint can be used to paint such surfaces as: previously painted walls, varnished surfaces, ceramic tiles, metal, and glass.

Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint

Packaging

Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint comes packaged in a bag. Milk paint is sold in powdered form and is mixed with water when you are ready to use it.

It comes in 2 sizes:

• Full Size: 230 g (quart) size covers approx. 70 sq. ft.​
• Sample Size: 30 g covers approx. 10 sq. ft.

Mixing

Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint is easy to mix.

1. Simply take 1/4 cup of the powder for something small and 1 cup for a larger item such as a dresser and place it in a bowl​.
2. Add equal part water.
3. Stir with a fork, wooden stir stick, spoon, or whisk.
4. Add more water if necessary, the paint should be thinner than you are used to.
5. Allow the paint to sit for 15 minutes and stir again. There is no need to worry if there are a few lumps in your mix.

Different colors mix differently. Light colors require less water than dark. Just play around until you have a consistency that works for your project. If a color is hard to mix, put it in a jar with a lid and shake it, or use an immersion blender.

Some colors will separate as you use them, so you will need to mix them every 10 minutes or so. You may also find that your paint gets thicker as you use it. Just add a bit more water.

Shelf Life

Mixed milk paint will last a week at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap.

Finishing

​Milk paint can be sealed and finished with an oil or wax. You can also use polyurethane for a more permanent finish.

The “Chippy” Look

The fun thing about milk paint is that it will chip off in spots where the paint doesn’t adhere (this happens more when you do not use a bonding agent). The chipping effect is unpredictable, you will not know where and how much the paint will chip.

Available in 25 Colors

Surface Prep For Milk Paint

• Raw Wood: Milk paint is the best paint for raw wood. It will soak in and stay there for decades. There is no need to prime, but you should sand the wood first to get a smooth finish. You can also apply shellac to any knots in the wood so that they don’t show through the paint.
• Porous Surface: A porous finish will look flat or matte. These surfaces usually takes milk paint really well without and prep. A porous surface could be a flat latex or acrylic paint, a chalk-type paint, gesso, primer or a piece where the finish has dulled or is mostly worn off.
• Glossy or Shiny Surface: Prep is important on anything with a glossy or shiny surface. Anything with a a slick, glossy coat of paint or polyurethane will need to be sanded to give it a “tooth”, something for the paint to grip to. Rubbing a 80-100 grit paper over the entire surface will scratch up the surface enough to paint.
• Oily Finish: Oily wood such as teak or a piece with an oiled or polished finish will require some serious sanding. Old kitchen cabinets will oil build-up from cooking should be cleaned with a degreaser.

What is it Like to Paint With?

• The paint is thin, so you have to be careful not to get drips on the floor. Put a drop cloth down.
• The first coat will look ugly. The paint goes on thin and you see the brush strokes and the surface underneath. It will look streaky and half-painted.
• Milk paint goes on smooth and it is very forgiving when it comes to brushstrokes and drips. It is an excellent paint for sloppy painters.
• The paint dries very quickly. Once the first coat is painted, you can usually move straight to the second coat. Once the second coat is on, the piece will look much nicer.

I Love Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint

I love the beautiful color palette. I love how easy mixing and clean up is, just soap and water. I love the fact that milk paint is so non-toxic, I can throw it on my compost pile. I love the unique looks you can achieve with milk paint, and I love the idea of transforming an old piece of furniture into something new.

Miss Mustard Seed has excellent instructional videos on her website. This makes it easy to find information if you have questions or get stuck.

Pros

• Beautiful color palette
• Completely non-toxic paint
• Can mix colors to create your own
• Create unique finishes
• Transform old furniture
• Works on a range of surfaces
• Preparation and clean up are easy

Cons

• One package doesn’t cover a very large area
• Requires some patience and getting-used-to
• Unpredictable results
• Colors can vary slightly from batch to batch

You Can Get Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint on Amazon

Try Your Hands at Milk Paint Now!lorem ipsum dolor

Have you ever used milk paint? What about chalk paint?

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments below! We always answer. 

This post was originally published on August 18, 2016.