Thursday, October 20, 2011

Chalk Paint

I am so excited.  I have a whole bunch of projects to share with you all... next week.  I want to preface one of them with this post on chalk paint.  Have you heard of it?  I'm not talking about chalkboard paint.  Totally different.

From what I understand (and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), Annie Sloan started making chalk paint in the 90's and it is just that.  Paint mixed with chalk powder (calcium carbonate).  Unfortunately it is hard to find (like not available at all in Idaho) and it is expensive.  The website mentions that it costs five and a half Euros (like $10 -- depending on the day) for 100 ml of chalk paint.  That's like a sample size!

The paint is thick and covers well.  Supposedly there is no need to strip or prime when you use chalk paint.  Now if it could be a spray, I'd be all over that!  Okay, I already am all over that.  I made some the other day and used it on a chair (that I'll share Monday).

Sherry from No Minimalist Here experimented and came up with the recipe for this stuff and in case you haven't read her post, I'll share part of it here.


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 water to the paint and occasionally stir it if gets too thick.

When I made it, I used Plaster of Paris that I got at The Home depot and mixed it with some light gray paint.  It works great and I can attest to the "no priming or sanding necessary" claim.  

Again, I'll show you my project on Monday but if you want to go see Sherry's, visit her blog, No Minimalist Here.  

Have an awesome day!

6 comments:

  1. ha! Great minds think alike I just posted about making my own today :) Can't wait to see what you did with yours!

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  2. I've seen soooooo many gorgeous crafts and ideas on Pinterest using chalkboard paint!!! I can't wait to see your projects!

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  3. I look forward to seeing the results of your chalk paint! I had never heard of it but you've got me interested!

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  4. Thank you for sharing this. Annie Sloan's chalk paint is only available through some (I think a few )local dealers who can ship it to you. I researched this online recently. Will possibly try this recipe.

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  5. Hi, Kelli

    I love this idea about the chalk paint and it seem Annie Sloan's paint is the only one on the market like this. Its a good product, but its expensive and its not sold where I live. So no sanding or priming? I wanted to paint my dinner table and chairs black, do you think it might work with black? I'll need to do a test sample. Thank you for the post and thank you for stopping by homesweetbutterfly.com. Appreciate your kind word. I love your turquoise piano too.
    Have a great day!
    Vanessa

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  6. Can't wait to see what you did with yur Chalk Paint! I am DIY-ing to make some!!!

    Did it get thick and stiff as you were working? What about clumps? or are you going to post about this and I'm just jumping the proverbial gun???

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