How to Paint Wax

Co-authored by Tanglewood Sue and Eric McClure

Last Updated: July 7, 2022 References

Whether you’re getting into candle making or you’re refurbishing some furniture with chalk paint, you may be wondering if you can actually paint wax. The good news is that you can, so long as you prep the wax for painting. Wax isn’t porous, which makes it hard for the paint to stick to it without some kind of assistance. Luckily, there are a few easy hacks here that you can use to give your candles, wax melts, or furniture a fresh splash of color!

Question 1 of 7:

Do you need to strip chalk paint wax before repainting?

If you’re repainting chalk paint furniture, you don’t need to strip the wax. So long as the wax layer has had a few weeks to cure to the furniture, the chalk paint wax will hold any chalk paint you put over it.^{[1]
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Research source} This is one of the reasons chalk painting has become so popular over the past few years. There’s no sanding, stripping, or prep work involved, and you can easily repaint your furniture as you please.^{[2]
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- Chalk paint has a tacky texture and it wears away quite easily. You always need to apply a chalk paint wax after your chalk paint dries, but you don’t need to strip that wax if you’re repainting.
- The only thing you may want to do before painting over the wax is clean your furniture. Use warm soapy water and a lint-free cloth to wipe any dust or grime away. Make sure the wood is thoroughly dry before you get to work.^{[3]
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Question 2 of 7:

How many coats of wax do you put on chalk paint?

One coat is fine, but two coats is best for heavily-used surfaces. Use a wax brush or lint-free cloth to apply the wax after your chalk paint has dried. Work in one section of the furniture at a time. Once you’ve covered a section, wipe the excess wax away with a clean cloth and move on to the next area. For tabletops, knobs, or flat surfaces that people may touch, adding a second layer of wax will help maintain it.^{[4]
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- You can always reapply more wax in the future if you ever notice your previous wax finish is wearing down.^{[5]
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- You must use a chalk paint wax for a chalk painting project. Regular kinds of furniture wax may not work.

Question 3 of 7:

How do you strip wax to paint wood?

Use mineral spirits, acetone, and vinegar. Throw some gloves on and soak an abrasive sponge in mineral spirits. Scrub the surface thoroughly to break the wax up, and repeat this process with acetone. Then, mix 1-part white vinegar with 1-part water. Soak a cloth with your vinegar mixture and wipe the wood thoroughly to absorb and break up any remaining wax. Dry the surface with a clean cloth.^{[6]
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- To clean the wood after removing the wax, dampen a rag with a solution of 1 cup (240 mL) white vinegar and 1 tablespoon (10 g) of cream of tartar. Wipe in the direction of the grain. Rinse the surface with a water-soaked cloth and dry it thoroughly by hand.^{[7]
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- If you plan on re-waxing the surface in the future, removing the old layer of wax may increase the risk that your future wax finish doesn’t adhere completely.
- This will work for chalk painting wax as well as any other kind of wax finish.^{[8]
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Question 4 of 7:

How do you prep wax melts and candles for painting?

Pour a dab of rubbing alcohol in a lint-free cloth and wipe the wax down. Dry the wax by hand with a clean cloth. This will make it easier for the paint to stick once the wax absorbs the alcohol and dries.^{[9]
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Research source} You can paint directly on the wax if you’d like, but the paint job won’t look especially clean.^{[10]
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- Wax melts and candles are both made out of paraffin wax, beeswax, or soy wax. This means that they’re functionally identical when it comes to painting.

Question 5 of 7:

What kind of paint is best for wax melts and candles?

Acrylic and candle paint are great, but you must use a medium. Purchase candle-painting medium at a crafts store and mix a small dollop with whatever acrylic or candle paint you’re using. This will give you rich, opaque colors that will adhere to the wax.^{[11]
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- The medium is a colorless gel. It won’t impact the tone or shade of the paint you’re using.
- You cannot burn anything oil-based, so stay away from oil paint, spray paint, and enamel.^{[13]
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- If you don’t use the medium, your brushstrokes are going to be obviously visible and the paint won’t be totally opaque. It will also rub off of the wax very easily once it has dried.^{[14]
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Question 6 of 7:

Can you use food coloring in candles?

It’s safe to do this, but you probably won’t be happy with the result. Food coloring is water-based, but candle wax is oil-based. Once you add food coloring to your candle, it’s going to break apart in flakes and chunks and it won’t blend into the wax. When the candle solidifies, you’ll see chunks of food coloring specks inside of the wax, but the color of the wax itself isn’t going to change.^{[15]
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- If you are looking for an alternative to candle dye, mica powder is a really neat option. Just add 1-2 spoonfuls to your wax once it’s melted and mix it in. You’ll get this really unique, swirly coloration in your candle.^{[16]
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Question 7 of 7:

Can you spray paint a wax candle?

You can, but you won’t be able to burn the candle. You can use any kind of spray paint to turn your candles into unique decorations.^{[17]
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Research source} However, spray paint contains propane and butane, and your candle may combust if you light the wick. On top of that, burning propane and butane may release dangerous fumes into the air.^{[18]
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- If you do decide to spray paint a candle, just keep in mind that it may take 2-3 coats to get a perfect, opaque finish.^{[19]
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