207/365 Painting a Door - Tutorial

OK so more people than I can count have asked me how I painted the blue doors in my house. (This is the only picture I could find of them...http://lisaslame.blogspot.com/2009/06/day-108.html)  Anyways I've been thinking of posting a few how to projects on here if anybody wants to try some craftyness!  I have to repaint a door here that we use as our headboard so I decided to do it in the same style and I thought it might make a good first project tutorial.  So painting a door...

Step one:  Find a door, in San Diego try Architecual Salvage in Ketner.  I have a red door that I will be painting black then sanding through in a couple places to see the red underneeth.  Remove the hardware unless you want it painted the same color as the door.  I wanted mine to look rustic so I removed it.  Start by sanding the door.  Sand lengthwise on the board you are working on.  so the little boards above and beneth the panels are side to side while the long boards on the sides would be up and down.  This is also the way you paint.  It's painting with the grain of the wood.  Since my door is already painted you can't see this but you HAVE to paint and sand with the grain.  Your doors will always look MUCH nicer if you paint them like this.  Here is a picture of the door while I'm sanding it.  I use a medium grit sand paper.

Step two apply the chipping cream.  It's like the consistancy of peanut butter and has a waxy finish.  It allows you to sand through the top coat and see the paint underneath.  All the products I am using are from Caromal Colours.  I highly recommend all their products I have had amazing success with them.  http://www.caromalcolours.com/  You can apply the chipping cream in any willy nilly manner you want, but I still usually go with the grain, again.

Step three:  Wait until it dries completely, then paint it with your top color paint (Go with the grain!).  I am painting my door black, I used Peppercorn by Caramal Colours. 

Step Four:  Sanding.  Lightly sand the door (Don't forget to go with the grain)  Mine turned a little grey after I sanded.  So I cleaned off all the dust with a damp rag.  Then I sanded harder in the areas I want to show through to the underneath paint (second photo).  Use a damp rag to clean off the sawdust and also any chipping cream you can see.

Step Five:  The last thing it to apply the toner.  Again I am using the toner from Caromal Colours, However I think you can get one at Home Depot too.  However I love the results I get with this one.  Brush the toner, with the grain in small sections then wipe off with a paper towel or rag.  Let the toner dry, then replace the hardware.

Now your finished!  I hung my door behind my bed as a headboard.