Make Your Own Chalk Paint For $4.00

Hi Everyone.

I haven't used the very popular chalk paint that is all over blogland but I have seen several pieces up close and personal.  I love the chalky appearance of the paint but not the limited colors or the price.

So what is a girl to do? 

 Make her own chalk paint of course!  

I got to experimenting with different products and this is what I came up with.

Chalk is actually Calcium Carbonate and the product can be purchased in health food stores and at numerous on-line stores.  The cost is around $4.00 for 12 ounces.  

Whiting powder will also give you a similar look for approximately $3.00 for a 1 pound package.  I could not find this locally but it is available on-line.

Plaster of Paris also works well and can be purchased at Michaels or Home Depot.  Home Depot sells 3 pounds for approximately $6.00. 

To get the chalk paint look just add ANY ONE of the above to your latex paint.  The amount you use depends on how chalky you want the paint to look when dry.  I experimented using the sample size paints and used a ratio of 2/3 paint to 1/3 product.  You may need to add a few drops of  HOT water to the paint and occasionally stir it if gets too thick.

I saved and washed out glass jars to mix the paint in.  I have used the paint over and over again and each time I just added a couple of drops of hot water and stirred really good. 

Do you remember the vanity I painted recently?  Well,  it was my first trial using the homemade chalk paint.  For this I used the Calcium Carbonate and it worked beautifully.  No priming, no sanding required and it covered in two coats.  It also was very easy to distress. 

For the vanity I used approximately 1/4 of the 12 ounce jar of Calcium Carbonate plus a sample size pot of paint.  The total cost was less than $4.00

I just finished painting two mirror frames with latex paint mixed with Whiting Powder and some small items using the Plaster Of Paris.  All of these worked great and I'll be posting pictures soon.

I did not use wax on the vanity but I did use Briwax on several other projects and I liked the

sheen it gave them. 

You can also create custom colors by adding acrylic craft paint to the latex and powder mixture.  Chalk paint is cheap to make and now you can have it in any color. 

Added 9/19/2011

Just to answer a few questions.

 

 

I prefer the Calcium Carbonate to the other products just because it is easier to

stir and goes on smoother.  I purchased my jar of CC on-line from Swanson

Vitamins.  It is cheap and you can paint many large pieces with just one jar.

 

No need to prime or sand the furniture if it is in good condition. If you are

using the Calcium Carbonate make sure and buy it in POWDER form and

not tablets.There are no exact measurements here. More powder means

more of a chalk look. I used Behr and Martha Stewart satin paint sample pots

 (around 7 oz each) and added approximately 2/3 paint to 1/4 powder and a

about a tablespoon of HOT water.

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I have added a Pin It button located on the left. Hope this works

I would love to hear from you if you give this a try.

 

Pin It

I'll be joining the parties at:
Making The World Cuter
Coastal Charm
Todays Creative Blog
My Uncommon Slice Of Suburbia
The Shabby Chic Cottage
French Country Cottage
Shabby Nest
At The Picket Fence

Take care,
Sherry