When you are new to the painting world, deciding what products you need to get started, can be a daunting task. With this furniture painting supply list for beginners I want to alleviate some of that by listing some of my most essential Dixie Belle items and make it that much easier to get to work on your first project.

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1. White Lightning Cleaner

Cleaning is essential, on every piece, no matter what. This little 8 oz of cleaner mixes into water and goes a long way. It cuts through everything, and when you are tackling decades of built up finger oils, dirt, and furniture polishes, effectiveness is everything.

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2. A Mister Bottle

Whether you are trying to lay on a smooth basic paint finish or master your blending skills, water is essential with your water based paints. An ordinary spray bottle will leave water droplets in your paint that will be a thorn in your side, but a mister bottle lays it on in a fine mist. I always have a brush in my right hand and a mister in the left.

3. A Good Brush

It’s no secret, my favorite Dixie Belle Brushes are the Mini and the Oval Medium. I didn’t start out with good brushes, but having them has made me so aware of their value. My less expensive brushes never cleaned as well, so they required more frequent replacement. The Dixie Belle brushes clean beautifully, so I’m still using the first brushes I ever got after hundreds of pieces.

I’d recommend grabbing a brush or two and slowly increasing your collection. Its nice to have a few sets so that you can rotate through brush washing.

4. A Few Of Your Favorite Paint Colors

Check out my blog post on some of My Favorite 3 Color Blends, for ideas on colors that coordinate well with each other. With 69 colors in the line, plus metallics and patinas, can be a bit daunting. Here are some of my favorite colors as a starting point:

• Fluff
• Caviar
• Stormy Seas
• Vintage Duck Egg
• Tea Rose
• Colonel Mustard
• Driftwood
• Hurricane Gray
• Sand Bar
• Palmetto

5. Satin Top Coat

I love Dixie Belle Gator Hide, but I think for beginners, the Satin Clear is the easiest top coat to learn with. It has a nice long open life, goes on with a slight tint, then dries clear so you can see where it is, is a bit thicker which helps with drips, and can be sponged or brushed. It is a perfect clear coat for starters, get a feel for using a top coat and add that extra protection to your piece.

6. The Blue Application Sponge

These are so inexpensive and make applying clear coat so much easier. A well kept sponge will last through numerous pieces, worth the investment.

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7. Black Wax

I use Black Wax on most every piece I do. Dixie Belle waxes are water based, so I generally sandwich them in between layers of clear coat. Black Wax can be used to deepen colors and add shading for dramatic tonal looks. A 4 oz container will last through several pieces.

8. A Gold Gilding Wax

Gold goes with any color, it gives dramatic highlights to details, and a good Gilding Wax can be applied with your finger or a brush. Gilding Waxes are an easy way to add a high end look, with not a lot of work.

9. B.O.S.S.

B.O.S.S. Stands for blocks odors, stops stains and it does just that! BOSS is a product you don’t know you need, until you need it! Pieces that have musty odors, cigarette smoke, and other mystery smells, need BOSS to encapsulate them. Old wood that is rich in tannins, like mahogany and oak, can seep oils through your paint and cause discoloration. BOSS creates a barrier to stop that bleed through. I recommend BOSS under whites and light colors even when you are unsure if its needed. This is a staple in every tool box

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10. Slick Stick

Slick Stick is a gripping primer made for painting on slick surfaces like glass, laminate, and plastic. It takes those non porous surfaces and gives them something for the paint to bite onto. Slick Stick allows you to tackle projects like painting countertops, tile, Mason jars, etc and know your finish will last

11. The Dixie Belle Sanding Sponge and Finishing Pad

These are 2 small items that make a big difference. I do a simple brush with the Sanding Sponge in between coats for the smoothest finishes. The finishing pad is a great buffing tool for transfers or buffing your finished piece. Great as inexpensive add on items that can make a huge difference in the quality of your finish

Once you have these staples from my furniture painting supply list for beginners in hand, you can slowly expand with additional products for more decorative looks like Glazes, more Gilding Waxes, Patina Paint, and Dixie Dirt. By no means will this get you every possible finish, but it will give you a solid base to build from.