What is Chalk Paint? If you have been in the DIY world for any amount of time you have probably dabbled with Chalk Paint. I first discovered Chalk Paint many years ago when I decided I coulnd’t sand furniture. Sanding furniture gives me chills. A friend told me about this amazing paint that you chould use, that you didn’t need to sand furniture beforehand. Once she told me how to use Chalk Paint I never looked back.
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I have tried around 7 different kinds of chalk paint over the course of the years.
My favorite has always been the kind I can get here locally.
3 years ago when we were painting a lot of unique pieces in the house, I decided to make my own, so I researched how to make chalk paint.
I ordered this Calcium Carbonate and used it as needed.
I found that it was cheaper and better than most the name brand stuff out there AND it covered a lot better. Meaning less time for me to paint and less number of coats.
diy chalk paint recipe
-CUP
1. Take 2 tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate and add to your mixing container. I normally use a mason jar. Add warm water (approximately 1 tablespoon) and mix until it looks like cake batter.
2. Add cup of paint to your mixing container.
3. Mix
-GALLON
1. Take 3 cups of Calcium Carbonate ( you will need to order 2 bags) and add to your mixing container. I made sure to have a 2 gallon bucket with a lid on hand like the one seen here
2. Slowly add warm water (approximately 1 cup) until the calcium carbonate looks like cake batter.
3. Add the gallon of paint to your mixing container.
4. Mix
I normally do colors (other than white) in small batches. If i am going to mix a white color I mix a gallon. It stays good for a while. Just remember to stir before each use. Thanks to Natalie over at My Vintage Porch, I fell in love with Benjamin Moore White Dove**. She shared an amazing tip!! To get it less expensive go to Home Depot and have them pull up Benjamin Moore White Dove in their color match system and mix it into Behr paint. Note: Home Depot has a color called Dove White, this is not the same color.
Chalk paint cost breakdown
Approximate cost for mixing a 1.25 gallons of chalk paint is:
Calcium Carbonate (3 cups) = $9
Behr (gallon) = $27
Total cost= $36
Cost per 8oz = $1.80
VS.
Premixed chalk paint from a big box store that cost Approximate $6 per 8oz.
***Note: There are many different DIY Chalk Paint Recipes on the internet. Make sure you check their DIY Chalk Paint Furniture to see how projects turned out first before using any Chalk Paint Recipe.
Look below at some of the projects I’ve recently completed using the DIY chalk paint recipe.
Projects around the house that I have used Chalk Paint on:
Chalk Paint on Kitchen Cabinents – Make sure you degrease first. (Some store brand paint is labeled as Chalk Paint for Kitchen Cabinets)
Chalk Paint on Bathroom Cabinets – They were brand new bathroom vanities. We did not seal with wax, we used a polycrlic.
DIY Chalk Paint Dresser -We have over 10 dressers in our house that has seen some sort of chalk paint on them. If they are in high traffic areas keep an eye on the Chalk painted Furniture for chipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Have you ever made a DIY Chalk Paint with Plaster of Paris?
-No, I haven’t. I once was in a pinch and tried a DIY Chalk Paint with Banking Soda recipe that did not turn out so well. The lamp was very cute in the end but not the look I was going for.
2. Chalk Paint Vs Milk Paint?
I like them both but tend to have more supplies on hand for Chalk Paint so I use it more often.
3. What if you don’t have the supplies on hand to make your own Chalk paint?
The best brand I’ve found off the shelf is Rustoleum Chalk Paint Colors. Rustoleum has a chalk paint spray and ready mixed chalk paint in a can.
