Archives for April 2017

Milk paint is not new, for those who didn’t know that already.  In fact, it’s one of the oldest forms of paint.  It was found in the pyramids and cave paintings.  If you’ve seen, or are fortunate enough to own, an antique piece (100+ years old) with the original paint on it, that paint is almost certainly a form of milk paint.

Milk paint isn’t just a cutesy name out of left field.  It’s called milk paint, because the base ingredient for it is casein, which is the protein found in milk.  In the raw state, casein looks a lot like powdered milk!  (It’s in the top spoon in the picture below.)

The ingredients used to turn casein into paint are, from top to bottom, casein (milk protein), chalk, clay, oxide (natural pigments) and limestone.  That is ALL that is in Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint. Five all natural ingredients.

It comes in powdered form, which can be intimidating for those used to using liquid, pop-the-can-and-go paints.

The reason it’s sold in powdered form, is because once it is mixed, it is perishable.  In powdered form, it will last indefinitely, which is nice if you’re an occasional painter.

When it’s mixed with water to make the powder into a paint, it will last about a week, depending on how it’s stored.  For this reason, just mix it in small amounts, as you need it.

I usually just cover it in Press-n-Seal wrap and then add some water and give it a good stir when I’m ready to use it again.

So, why milk paint?  Why did I choose that paint to sell under my brand?

When I started using it, I was excited to find what I had been looking for in a paint for years – a finish that looks authentically old.  I feel like it has more “soul” and personality than any other paint.  That’s what hooked me, but I’ve come to learn it’s not just a one-trick pony and I’m constantly surprised by its versatility.

As I started using milk paint more and more, though, I discovered that the more I used it, the more I loved it.  Now let’s start mixing.

Resources:

Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint-look book one

Miss Mustard Seeds Milk Paint-look book two

Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint HERE or HERE

Information in this post adapted from Miss Mustard Seed website.