So I’ve heard about the glorious chalk paint for a few months now and decided to see what all the hype was about. If you love the shabby look you will l-o-v-e chalk paint. It gives you a nice chalky finish and makes distressing a piece of cake.
One thing I love about chalk paint is it can be used on any surface. AND {bonus} there’s no need for sanding or priming your piece beforehand. Anything that saves me less steps–>I’m there! ;)
I looked up the chalk paint price point and it is about double regular paint. If you’re like me…you try to think of way to do it cheaper. Here’s how to make chalk paint at home.
With a little research and talking with a few friends I came up with this formula. I played around with different measurements and found this mixture to be the best consistency.
How to make chalk paint-
Supplies:
- Paint (I matched ‘white raisin’ by Sherwin Williams at Lowes)
- Plaster of Paris (powder)
- Plastic container
- Water
- Furniture wax
- Paint brush
- Vaseline
- Cloth
- Medium sandpaper (120 works good)
The first thing I did was paint the edges black. I did this because I wanted the distressed areas to show black and not brown. I put the black paint anywhere I wanted to distress.
You can see here how much paint I added.
Then I applied Vaseline over the black paint. This will make the paint easily come off when it’s time to distress.
For the chalk paint I mixed 5 Tb Plaster of Paris and 2 TB water in one container. Then I added 2 cups of paint in the other container (okay, so I estimated). Once the plaster of paris mixture was a smooth (thick) consistency I mixed it in with the paint.
Then I gave my nightstand 2 coats of paint. I let it dry about 2 hours in between each coat. Yes I know it says let it dry for four…but I’m too impatient. ;) Please note: the paint is pretty thick, but it will dry really nice.
The next morning when my paint was completely dry, I lightly sanded the edges (using 120 paper). Since I did the vaseline technique the paint litterally just wiped off in those spots. This is why it’s important to not get too Vaseline happy. Lol! I may have on one side… just sayin’.
The Vaseline technique really did work great. I didn’t have to sit there for an hour and sand my edges. It only took me about five minutes. It also gives the piece a textured look, which I love.
Once I distressed my edges, I protected the piece with a layer of finishing wax. To do this grab an old cloth and wipe a thin coat on the furniture. Let it soak in for about 30 minutes and then wipe it off. You can see my little helpers hands in there too. ;)
That’s it! Are you dying over this yellow paint color?! I’m adding yellow accents to my room and cannot wait to show you how it’s all coming together. Yellow is such a happy color. :)
I seriously love a piece of furniture with curves! I found this night stand at Goodwill for$5. Look at her now! I’m still dying over the yellow paint! It’s the perfect yellow.
To see a few more of my furniture makeovers…
B&W stripe table, Vintage grey desk, Craft desk
So have you tried chalk paint? If not, will you be trying it?
Have a great day! Come back soon! :)
