I’m still working on all of my video tutorials for the Milk Paint website. Actually, this will be an ongoing project as I share new techniques and creative ways to use Milk Paint and the companion products, but I’m getting ahead of myself. Today I’m sharing about Hemp Oil, the top coat sold with my line as an alternative to wax.
So, what is Hemp Oil? It’s an all natural oil that contains no VOCs and no petrochemicals. It can be used on raw wood to seal and protect it, on old wood to revive it or on porous painted surfaces as a topcoat. I used it on the interiors of the drawers on my Linen dresser…
It’s so easy to apply. You just dampen a clean cloth with the hemp oil and rub it on. That’s it. You don’t have to worry about streaks or brushstrokes or buffing or anything like that. Just wipe away any excess oil sitting on the surface. It does need about 30 days to fully cure, so it may feel slightly oily to the touch during that time. It’s a great topcoat to use for porous surfaces because it absorbs into the paint/wood, creating a very durable finish. It’s also okay to use on cutting boards and wood counters.
Here’s the video tutorial showing how to use it…
So, when would you want to use Hemp Oil instead of wax? It’s great for raw wood applications and when you’re using milk paint over raw wood. You can use wax in those instances as well, but Hemp Oil’s a nice alternative. I love the warmth it brings out in raw wood and it does a fantastic job reviving dry and tired-looking wood. It’s also a great option if you’re sensitive to the chemicals in waxes and poly or you’ve struggled with applying wax properly.
More tutorials to come (and I just found the perfect dresser at a yard sale to use to introduce my final color – Boxwood.)
19 Responses
Great job! I can’t wait to try hemp oil!
Wow, I’ve never tried the wet sanding technique, it sounds so simple! I will try that with my next piece. LOVE the tote by the way, would love to see a side-by-side before & after pic of it when completely oiled. I wish you could have done more of it in the tut, but I understand you need to share the technique and finish the video. Can’t wait to see your floors done in hemp oil, I need to refinish mine as well, but I’m pretty partial to the Swedish finish.
So excited for you ! Oh your going too be big Marian.Your name in lights. Instead of Michaels,Joann’s or Hobby Lobby it’ll be MMS. a wonderful place to learn new products,take classes,purchase new products,find all kinds of wonderfulness.((is that a word?).
A place to grab a beverage, meet new peeps,try new ways to refinish.
OK so I am getting a little carried away with what I want. How about a line of furniture and accessories?
Oh the possibilities!!
Have a wonderful day on your new adventure.
Mary
I can’t imagine you not carrying the hemp oil! Thank goodness. That stuff blew me away and my husband teased me about what I was going to hemp oil next! SO happy for you on the commercial lease. My mom would always love to repeat the words to me from the Rolling Stones song and say “You may not always get what you want, but you just might get what you need.” and I thought that when you shared the other day. Perfect!!
I just received some of your milk paint in the mail in Ironstone! So excited to try it out. I am so glad you posted your tutorials, I will be adding the bonding agent because I am not a big fan of the chippy look. I have a table I pulled out of a trash pile, small round drop leaf that will be my first attempt. It is a little warped but I think I can make it a pretty piece. I’m so excited to see your new store!
I would love to hear more about refinishing old floors using your hemp oil products. And congrats on the new studio!! How exciting!
Sally @cottagefix
Hi Marian, thank you so much for the tutorial on Hemp Oil..I had asked you some questions about it awhile ago and to see the tutorial helps greatly with those questions….now I have more! Should you clean the piece that you are going to use the Hemp Oil on, besides just dusting it? One of the pieces that I want to use it on is a very old (dark) gateleg table and I can see a Lot of dust on the legs…wondering if I should clean it all with something prior to the Hemp? You also say that it can be used on a metal outdoor furniture. I have a little metal bench that had been painted to give it a chippy look…now I see that it is looking more rusty than not. Would I be able to coat it with Hemp to make it look better?….or just paint it? So many questions…thanks a million for what you do and share!! Diane
I purchased some of your hemp oil and used it on a dried out teak dining table that had some rings and spots. It came out really nicely for a single coat but some rings remain and I’m wondering how far apart to apply coats and should your sand or anything between coats.
Would the hemp oil be good for outdoor wood? Does it help protect it from the elements?
No. You should use Tung Oil for things that will be outside.
Great video, and very timely for my purposes. I was just thinking what to do with a wooden bread box I have, where the wood started drying out. Now I know! 🙂
Comme c’est dommage de voir du français afficher sur les flacons de vos produits et pas pour les tutoriels, snif snif.
Je suis trop nul, je ne sais pas parler anglais et avec un traducteur ça ne traduit pas correctement, donc je ne comprend rien.
C’est génial de proposer des tutoriels mais pour moi, c’est dommage de voir du français afficher sur les flacons de vos produits et pas pour les tutoriels, snif snif. :3
Je suis trop nul, je ne sais pas parler anglais et avec un traducteur ça ne traduit pas correctement, donc je ne comprend rien!
Je suis triste car c’est tellement beau ce que vous faites.
Help!!! I recently painted two stools with Tricycle. They are gorgeous – however…I did the wet sanding technique with hemp oil. I am STILL getting red residue after buffing/rubbing and rubbing with old t-shirts etc. Will this ever stop? I can’t let my family sit in the stools…
I understand that some people use hemp oil and wax on the same piece. How does that work? I would have thought that they would repel each other or serve the same purpose, so both would not be needed. If they can be used together, which should be used first? I guess I may not understand their properties. Could you help? Thank you.
Just a question about the hemp oil. Someone asked if it would stain clothes, if put on thenside a a drawer???? I haven’t had any trouble, however, thought I should ask! thanks!!!!
No, I have not had a problem with that. I would allow the hemp oil to cure for about 30 days, though, so it doesn’t soak into a clothes or linens stored in the drawer.
I just purchased a bottle of your hemp oil. I was planning on using it to protect some knotty pine strips that will go on the ceiling of my cabin. The walls were sealed with Hemp Shield and they look just like raw wood, it did not change the color at all. Will the help oil change the color of the wood or just the sheen?
Thanks so much for all your products and tutorials, I cannot wait to tackle the old table and chairs I have for the cabin. They are screaming to be painted.
Hi! We recently purchased a 80 year old hall and found original fir and larch flooring under the tile. It was recommended to us to use hemp out, we wanted to use a green, natural alternative to the finish. After applying 2 coats and letting it dry for about 2 months now, it is still leaving marks from anything that touches the floors; soft soul slippers, suitcases, any tread from shoes ( not black tread). It’s really frustrating because we did our whole house in hemp oil, and we are finding it impossible to live with the results. Can you please recommend a solution? Perhaps there is something else we can do, or apply??
Thanks very much!
Toni