How To Make Chalk Paint
Did you know that you can make chalk paint by using off the shelf products from your local hardware, renovation, or big box store?
Today we will teach you how you can make your chalk paint using either Plaster of Paris or Calcium Carbonate.
You will also learn about two other recipes you may be interested in trying out.
That's right, a matte chalk paint finish does not need to be expensive or complicated.
There are other ways to make chalk paint but we decided to try a recipe that seemed to be the easiest by using locally available products.
Update April 2020, we had a chance to try out the Calcium Carbonate recipe.
You can check out our video here or continue reading past the Plaster of Paris Recipe to get the Calcium Carbonate recipe.
We were really surprised when we saw that Lowe's had a chalk paint recipe online on how to create your own and didn't even have any advertising on buying their name brand chalk paints.
The recipe they suggested is 1/3 cup Plaster of Paris, 1/3 cup of cool water, and 1 cup of latex paint of your color of choice. It is said that amount is enough to cover a six-drawer dresser with one coat.
If you need more or less chalk paint all you have to remember is the ratio of 1 part Plaster of Paris, 1 part Water, to 3 parts Latex paint.
One thing you need to remember is that the paint color will be lighter than what is on the paint swatch due to the added white of the Plaster of Paris.
Here are a couple of projects we recently completed using the Plaster of Paris chalk paint.
Stuff you will need to make your chalk paint
Plaster of Paris
Materials
- Flat Latex Paint
- Plaster of Paris (we used Dap)
- Water
- Paste Wax or a finish of your choice
Tools
- Paint Brush
- Stir Sticks
- Measuring cups
- Buckets for Mixing the Materials
- Sand Paper
Instructions
- Mix 1 part Plaster of Paris with 1 part Water, mix into a smooth paste, like a thin pancake batter.
- Then mix in your 3 part Latex Paint, make sure there aren't any lumps or dry clumps of Plaster at the bottom of the mixing bucket.
- Start painting your furniture as this paint will dry quickly.
- If you're planning to make a distressed look then put on a thick first layer, usually a darker, then your top coat. Sand lightly to raised areas to create a distressed look.
- Let chalk paint dry then finish with Paste Wax.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Cheap
- Easy to Make
- Off The Shelf Materials
- Easy to Apply
- Water Clean-up
Cons
- You Need to Prepare Mixture before each project
- Need to work quickly as it dries fast
- Paint will be lighter than the original color
These were the first projects where we used chalk paint and were surprised how easy it was to make chalk paint then how easy it was to apply and sand.
Calcium Carbonate
Materials
- Flat Latex Paint
- Calcium Carbonate (we purchased from Amazon)
- Water
- Paste Wax or a finish of your choice
Tools
- Paint Brush
- Stir Sticks
- Measuring cups
- Buckets for Mixing the Materials
- Sand Paper
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Cheap
- Easy to Make
- Calcium Carbonate is Easy to buy from Amazon
- Easy to Apply
- Water Clean-up
- Can Prepare in Advance
Cons
- Paint will be somewhat lighter than the original color, almost not worth mentioning.
- Hard to find in any stores, sometimes in pharmacies.
Here is one of the projects we completed using the Calcium Carbonate recipe.
We were very pleased with the outcome from using the Calcium Carbonate recipe.
It really did go on much easier than the Plaster of Paris and it was just as easy to make and clean-up.
That said, we also heard of a couple of other recipes but have not had the chance to try them out yet but felt they deserved an honorable mention.
Drywall Compound
Tools
- Paint Brush
- Stir Sticks
- Measuring cups
- Buckets for Mixing the Materials
- Sand Paper
Instructions
- Mix 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup drywall compound with 4 cups of paint.
- You may need to adjust the amount of drywall compound to get the desired texture but do not go over 1/2 cup for 4 cups paint.
- Start painting your furniture as this paint can dry quickly. You may require 2 to 3 layers to get the desired look.
- If you're planning to make a distressed look then put on a thick first layer, usually a darker, then your top coat. Sand lightly to raised areas to create a distressed look.
- Let chalk paint dry then finish with Paste Wax.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Cheap
- Easy to Make
- Easy to Apply
- Water Clean-up
Cons
- Paint will be somewhat lighter than the original color, almost not worth mentioning.
- May require more layers for desired outcome.
Unsanded Grout
Not Recommended
It turns out that many who have tried this recipe do not recommend using it. It turns out to be very gritty and difficult to sand.
Seeing that the price is about the same if not higher than the Calcium Carbonate we so no reason to attempt using it on our projects and really can't recommend it based on many other reviews from the DIY community.
Ultimately, our preferred choice is the Calcium Carbonate recipe. It looks and goes as good as the store bought mixtures.
Have you ever used the Plaster of Paris, Calcium Carbonate recipe, Drywall compound or Unsanded Grout? Leave a comment below, we would love to hear from you.