August 28, 2017
Hi Guys! We are currently working on a really fun project in the Dairing household that I can’t wait to share with you all. It’s taking awhile to get it done right, but I know that it will pay off in the end (plus, it’s saving me a bundle on an update for our guest bathroom).
In the meantime, I wanted to share a really quick, and cost effective DIY recipe. Not for food, but for chalk paint! If you like to do crafts or home projects, you’re probably familiar with the matte, chalky finish you get with this paint. I love to use it on furniture, and I’ve shared how I used it to turn a run of the mill picture frame into a serving tray for my kitchen.
While I have used actual chalk paint purchased from the store, my favorite is when I make it myself. For one, it’s quite a bit cheaper than the premade kind, and second – you can make it with whatever color paint you want! My biggest gripe with chalk paint is the combo of the two – the color choices are limited and it costs more! No thanks!
The key to getting that nice, chalky finish? This stuff!
The chalk paint recipe is really simple:
- 2 cups latex paint (the flatter sheen the better)
- 2 tbsp water
- 5 tbsp Plaster of Paris
Mix together (I like to hoard old plastic containers for this) and get to painting! Of course, you can make a bigger batch, but a little goes a long way. You can also play with the proportions depending on the look you want. More plaster will make the paint dry chalkier (is that a word?). I’ve honestly used the little sample sized paint cans you get at Lowes for this and covered an entire vintage desk with 2-3 coats.
Once your piece is painted and dried, you can choose to seal however you wish. Choose either finishing wax made to seal and cure chalk paint, or paint on some Polycrylic. Not sure which to go with? If it’s a piece that will take a bit of abuse and/or if you’ll use it in your kitchen, I’d suggest forgoing the wax and picking the Polycrylic. I’ll be honest, it’s typically my finish of choice on any piece I paint.
So there you have it! Have you ever used chalk paint? Are you going to give this easy DIY a try on your next project? Let me know what you’ll use it on in the comments below!
Stay Dairing.
