5 Best Paint for Wood Crafts & Furniture in 2022

Finding the right paint for wood crafts is just a nightmare!

Sounds familiar?

I know the feeling, man! We’ve all been there!

Looks like there are a million types of wood paints available on the market, and you don’t know which one is suitable for you.

And what’s worse?

The different types of paints come up with different characteristics.

Seems like a maze.

When you’re buying paint to work with wood, you need to focus on a few things. Your paint must have the quick-dry feature. It has to be odor-free.

Remember that toxic paint is really harmful.

So checking the coverage is essential too! These are the criteria all you need for buying a good paint for wood crafts.

Still not confident enough?

Ok, I’ll walk you through the whole process of this journey of finding the Best Paint for Wood Crafts.

Shall We start?

Quick View: What is the Most Durable Paint for Wood Crafts?

1. Best Paints for Wood Crafts & Boat: INSL-X CC5601099-1K Cabinet Coat Enamel

2. Best Paint for Wood Signs & Decks: Minwax 70012444 Penetrating Stain

3. Best Paint for Wood Floors: Rust-Oleum 248630-6PK

4. Best for Wood Art & Toys: Retique It Chalk Furniture Paint

5. Best for Wooden Doors & Furniture: General Finishes Water Based Milk Paint

Do I need special paint for the wood crafts?

You need special paint for wood when you’re focusing on painting and giving it a new color. Your paint must have to be long-lasting and durable.

Now, the point is…….

Both water-based and oil-based paints are good for wood, but a preferable option for wood is water and oil-based.

Acrylic is a good option for this application. Acrylic is most likely latex paint. The big difference between latex and acrylic is, latex paint is water-based while the basement of the acrylic is chemical. The paint acrylic contains water and mixed chemicals as a basement.

That’s why acrylic is soluble in water at the same time.

It’s made of pigment from acrylic polymer emulsion. There are other components as well. Silicon oils, metal soaps, defoamers, and stabilizers are also components of acrylic. They penetrate through the fiber of the wood using a chemical reaction. With the help of this chemical reaction, this paint is too much durable on wood.

So, what type of paint is best for wood?

No wonder there is a widespread presence of paint available for wood.

But when you focus on only wood, the scenario is quite different.

Yeah, Sadly.

There are a few types of paint that you need to go for. Among them, the most common types of paints are Acrylic, Milk-based paint, and Oil-based paint.

Let’s be honest……

Acrylic paints are mostly suitable for wood as they stick to the wood real quick and penetrate deeper. When you paint wood with acrylic, it takes a little time to dry the paint off. Besides, wood-based things remain in your indoor. That’s why being non-toxic and environmentally friendly is the key.

Acrylic paint meets all these requirements.

They stick with wood properly, and they are non-toxic, environment friendly at the same time. If you’re searching for the best paint for wood crafts, you can go for acrylic undoubtedly.

5 Best Paint for Wood Crafts, Furniture & Cabinet Review

Let’s jump into the review section on the top 5 Best Paints for Wood that may transfer the look of the wood surface.

01. Retique It Chalk Furniture Paint by Renaissance– Best Paint for Interior Wood

Hi DIYers!!!

Buckle your seatbelt because I got something for you that will blow up your mind.

Yep, that’s right!

When you’re a fan of DIY projects, and you want to add an extra finish to your home decoration, the Retique It chalk furniture paint comes in handy.

Here’s the best part:

It comes up with everything you need in chalk paint to give your furniture a new look and to paint them with new versatile colors as well.

It’s claimed to be the finest wood paint on the market right now because of its Zero VOC feature.

Wondering what the heck is VOC?

Well, The VOC stands for volatile organic compounds. Besides, it’s non-toxic, and it comes up with zero emissions. Finish your project with 1 or 2 coats of the Retique chalk paint, thanks to the brand Retique It.

The manufacturer happily announces that it gives no odor at all cause you know the odor from a new paint is a bad headache oftentimes. The brand ensures you that this one is 100% acrylic coating in a smooth and chalky finish.

Damn cool, man!

The paint is thick, and the coverage of this paint is pretty awesome. The package is manufactured in the USA, so there’s no doubt about the quality. The finish always remains smooth, and it dries up only within 30 minutes of painting.

The brand ensures that you don’t need any kind of sanding or priming to apply this paint as it comes up with a built-in primer formula. This makes sure your effort is pretty lower with this paint. You just unbox it, and you’re ready to go. This solution of chalky acrylic paint is specially made for wood, so you don’t have to worry at all if you’re doing your furniture.

Allergic to paint?

No worry, folks. The design of this paint is weather-friendly and environmentally good. It’s hypoallergenic, and that means you don’t have to deal with allergies by using this paint as the manufacturer got your back.

The only problem?

Probably the biggest demerit of this paint is it’s not ideal for outdoor uses.

02. INSL-X CC5601099 Cabinet Coat Enamel– Best Acrylic Paint for Wood Crafts

A killer one to enrich your cabinet’s color tone and outlook.

That’s all I can say about this paint.

I don’t know why the brand INSL-X is underrated in this sector. They are so cool! And this INSL-X CC5601099 is their best seller and most probably holding the whole brand up.

Astonishing, isn’t it?

It can provide you with a factory-like finish for different kinds of cabinets, trim, shelving, and furniture. Like the previous one, this paint also comes up with all one formulated solution that requires no priming or sanding at all.

The finish of this paint is durable and ultra-smooth. You can get a silky and thick finish out of this paint. The era of composing a few different materials and finishing solutions is gone now with the help of this cabinet coat.

I am a big fan of semi-gloss finish, All time classic!

And this furniture paint gave me the perfect shade I was looking for. Another thing that surprises me It has the power of resisting scuffing, food stains, water, grease, scuffing, and chipping as well.

The result?

Your cabinet and furniture are safe and colorful for a long time. The coverage of this paint is huge, and it can cover at least 400 sq feet with one gallon of paint. However, there are some precautions for applying the paint. You need to maintain a temperature of 10 degrees to 32 degrees Celsius.

03. General Finishes Water Based Milk Paint– Best Watercolor Paints for Wood

When the dealing is with wood, a generous milk paint never fails to make the wood a piece of art.

You will be amazed after seeing how thick the finishes of milk paint are. Besides, it requires a little coating. That’s why the brand General Finishes came up with the idea of this paint.

This water-based milk paint makes your furniture painting pretty easier and handier. The paint comes in a plastic gallon jug which is sealed and packaged with care. The applying procedure of this paint is pretty easy and simple.

Really impressive!

This paint is durable at the same time. It lasts more than the previous one. The adhesion rate for this paint is high, and it’s specially designed for interior uses. But the brand didn’t set any limit for this paint, and you can use it even outdoor. It has that capability. Thanks to general finishes.

But that’s not all……

You can apply this paint to raw wood directly. Besides, you can paint it over existing paint or coating.

Getting bored with cabinet refinishing and upcycling? Here comes your solution to boredom. The applying process is easy. You need to apply 2 coats with the help of the roller. After a while, you can run on a water cleanup.

04. Rust-Oleum 248630-6PK Stops Rust Spray Paint – Best Spray Paints for Wood

Spray paints are fun, and while you’re dealing with plain surfaces of wood or the cabinet, it becomes super fun to paint those with spray paint.

And This Rust-oleum spray paint is the sought-after wood paint for ensuring the smoothness of spray paint.

With a weather-resistant seal, this paint protects the objects perfectly. And that makes this paint suitable for Woods, metals, concrete.

At the same time, it also has corrosion protection. The paint resists any kind of peeling, chipping, and cracking as well. You’re getting everything in just one sprayer.

I tell you what though……

As it’s spray paint, it’ll cover less space than other paints. It can cover 15 sqft of the object. It dries pretty fast that’s another plus point. The paint is UV resistant at the same time. It’s environment-friendly and non-toxic. You can paint it anywhere as it’s totally odorless.

The rust-fighting feature gives it a new level and speed. This is one of the best paints for wood for this facility. Overall, if you’re looking for budget-friendly all-around spray paint for wood, this can be your priority.

05. Minwax 70012444 Penetrating Stain– Best Paint for Outdoor Wood Crafts

Minwax 70012444 has officially won me over!

Here is why……..

If you have checked out all those 4 paints described above and all of them were less interesting to you, check this one out. This one also comes up with an oil-based painting system to color your wooden things up.

This paint is highly versatile, and the package of this wood paint offers you 28 different colors to choose from. You need to choose according to your preferences. All those colors are classy and premium looking. This paint is specially made for wood.

That’s kinda stunning!

It’s environment-friendly and non-toxic to use for indoor applications. It gives you zero odor and zero-emission. You can also use it for stripped or bare wood surfaces. The paint is ideal for any unfinished wood door, wood furniture, cabinet, etc.

The longevity of the paint is high, and it lasts pretty long. Besides, the coverage is great too! To highlight the grain, this paint penetrates deep into wood fibers. When you’re willing to buy the best one for your furniture, you can rely on this paint undoubtedly and give it a try.

What Paint to Use on Wood Crafts?

There are different types of paint for wood crafts available on the market. All of them are good for wood when they are focused on wood. But the main thing is, the working principle and mechanisms for all of them are different. Let’s discuss a few common types.

Acrylic paint

What is the most durable paint for wood crafts?

You guessed that right, it’s Acrylic. This is the most common and versatile type of wood paint you’ll find on the market. The paint produces a little odor, and the biggest benefit of this paint is it dries pretty quickly.

This paint is water-based that ensures the paint is containing less toxic ingredients, and making the paint environment friendly.

And wanna know What paint will stick to wood?

Again Acrylic. You can find single-coat acrylic paints on the market. The coverage of this type is pretty good. You can go for a double coat as well. When you paint wood with acrylic, you can use water to clean it.

Oil-based paint

Oil-based paints are good for wood as well. They work firmly, and they are most likely long-lasting as acrylic. The main difference between acrylic and oil-based paint is, there are high VOCs in oil-based paints. This is dangerous and hazardous at the same time. So, this type of paint is not recommended for bedrooms.

Alkyd paint

This paint is a combination of water and oil. This is a new generation invention, and oil of this type isn’t popular yet. This type of paint combines the resistance of oil base and natural water base. This paint doesn’t smell at all. Besides, it’s non-toxic, and you can clean tools with water at the same time.

Things to Consider while Buying a Wood Paint

Choosing the right paint type and the exact one you need is difficult. To reduce your difficulties, we’re here to help you out. In this section, we’ll discuss the types of wood paint briefly and the features you must check while you’re buying wood paint.

Different types of wood paint

There are basically three types of wood paint seen in common.

I discussed it earlier in an elaborate form. In case you missed that, here is the gist. The most popular type is Acrylic.

And here is why…..

This type is water-based but works on a chemical reaction. They are the preferable option for wood paint.

Another one is Oil-based paints that work well on wood. But they have high VOC. So, this paint is not recommended for bedroom woods.

Last one is the hybrid and they are a bit expensive. It’s a composition of both oil-based and water-based. It works pretty impressive as well.

Toxicity

When you’re buying paint for wood, you must check out for toxicity. Wooden things are your regular companion. If you paint them with toxic paints, you may harm yourself. So, it’s essential to buy a paint that comes up with less toxicity.

VOC

Volatile organic compounds are a sign of toxicity; you have to make sure your paint doesn’t have this if you’re buying the paint for indoor purposes.

Drying

Quick-drying is preferable. A paint that’ll take a lot of time to dry won’t help you much. You have to buy paint that dries off pretty quickly.

Coverage

Coverage is another important thing. If you buy expensive paint, but it just covers a little spot, that’s not quite impressive. You must buy a paint that’ll cover up your money.

Coating and thickness

Finally, make sure the coating of your paint is reliable, and the thickness is awesome. A thin coating is not long-lasting. To make your wood long-lasting, you need paint that comes up with a thick coating. Besides, the coating has to be smooth.

Should I prime before painting wood? What paint will stick to wood?

Priming is pretty essential before you paint wood. Of course, you can paint wood without priming. But the fact is, priming makes your painting smooth and thick. Besides, priming lets the paint dig through your wood fiber so that it lasts longer. When you apply prime before painting, your wood chemically gets ready for decent paint. It’ll protect the wood and enhance the lifespan.

Now, you may ask, what is wood primer actually?

Well, the pretty simple answer to this question. Wood primer is almost like an undercoat for your painting on wood. It protects your painting and your wood at the same time. Using the prime will increase the paint lifespan and ensure a better and upgraded adhesion.

When to prime wood?

The answer to this question depends on the wood type you’ll be painting with your paint. The simple and plain answer to this question is if you’re painting a new piece of wood and it’s not stained at all, you need to prime it.

The alternative paints are available on the market now. You can choose them as well. They come up with a decent prime solution. With this solution, if you paint directly, you’ll get auto prime as the paint contains every solution and formula of a wood prime. You can buy the first and second paint on our list. They have this feature.

How do you seal acrylic paint on wood?

And the answer to the second question is, acrylic paint will easily stick to wood. They are reliable for wood painting. But, if you want, you can go for more water and oil-based paints. Besides, you can choose chalk paints and milk paints at the same time.

Can I use wall paint on wood? To be honest, I won’t recommend that.

The Silver Lining………

If you’re a DIY person and looking forward to painting your furniture, you need good quality paint.

That’s for sure!

So, I try to cover all top 5 best types of paints for wood available on the market right now. You can choose any of these. All these paints are tested and good enough to blow your mind (especially the first one).

And, the buying guide section will help you to understand which type of paint is good for your task.

Make sure you purchase the right one.

Chao!

Related Post: Best Gold Paint for Wood in 2021, The Best Paint for Wood Stairs, Paint for Bookshelves

Sources:

1. Juan Rodriguez, Tips and Techniques on How to Paint Wood, The Balance SMB, August 11, 2019