The best chalk paint and upcycling buys for a weekend furniture rescue

The listing puts five 125ml jars of chalk paint in one box at a mid-range price, and that is the right shape for how most people start. You get to test a shade on a drawer front before you commit a whole table to it, and you have four more colours left for picture frames, a stool, the inside of a cupboard.

It is low-VOC by the listing, which is worth something if you are painting in a flat rather than a garage. Two shoppers have rated it, both full marks. Not much to lean on, but it is in line with the rest of the range.

Against the single small pots, the per-jar maths works out better, and against the litre bundles you are not laying out several hundred rand on colours you have not seen in your own light.

Six 125ml jars plus a free brush, going by the listing, for a bit more than the Pick 'n Mix. The trade is choice: the colours are picked for you in a vintage-leaning set rather than selected by you.

The included brush is not a small thing if this is your first project and you own nothing but a roller from a bathroom repaint.

The catch. No shopper ratings, and the listing does not say which six colours you get, so you are buying the maker's taste rather than your own.

A single pot of sage green at the lowest price on this shelf, and currently well below its usual price. Treat it as a trial run: paint one thing, seal it, see whether you like living with a matte finish before you spend more.

Any of the colours at this price point will do the same job. Peppermint Twist is a forgiving mid-tone that works on small wooden pieces without reading as a statement.

The catch. The listing does not state the volume, so assume it is a small taster pot and not enough for a cupboard. One rating only.

This is the only bundle here that pairs serious volume with the protective coating, and that combination is what a real project needs. Five 1L tins will take you through a dining table, a dresser and the chairs, with the topcoat for the surfaces that get used.

It is by far the dearest pick on this guide, several times the top pick. But compared with buying litres and a sealer separately it is the tidier way to kit out a big job, and the Armour listing claims abrasion and chemical resistance, which is the right ambition for a tabletop.

The catch. A lot of money and a lot of paint to commit to before you have seen the colours on your own furniture. Buy a taster pot first. One rating.

Chalk finishes want a topcoat, and this is the general-purpose one: the listing describes it as a sealer for protecting and finishing wood against wear and the elements. For bookshelves, bedheads, frames and cabinet exteriors it is the straightforward choice.

It sits mid-range in price, and if your job is a table, a kitchen surface or anything outdoors, look at Armour instead, which the listing pitches harder on abrasion and chemical resistance.

The catch. Two ratings, and the listing is vague about coverage, so you may be guessing on how far one bottle goes.

Work out your volume before you shop. Taster pots are for samples and small craft pieces; a wardrobe or a dining table wants litres. The mixed packs are the middle ground and the best place to begin, because the expensive mistake in this category is a litre of a colour you end up disliking.

Budget for the topcoat separately unless your bundle includes one. Paint and sealer are two purchases here, and the sealer is what decides whether the finish survives a year of mugs and elbows. Match it to the job: a general sealer for low-traffic pieces, the tougher clear coating for tabletops and anything that lives outside.

No-sand, no-prime is the selling line, and it holds for ordinary painted or bare wood. Dark timbers, varnish and anything that might bleed through a pale colour are the exception, which is exactly why a stain-blocking primer sits on this shelf. If you are going white or cream over old wood, read that as a hint.

Check the size on the listing before you compare prices. Several pots here do not state a volume, and a low rand figure means little until you know whether you are getting a sample jar or a usable tin.