DIY Chalk Paint

A lot of people have asked me lately about chalk paint. So I thought I'd share a simple How to post about it.

First off, what Is Chalk Paint?

Chalk Paint was designed by Annie Sloan and is a formula paint that is designed to go on nearly anything you could ever wish to paint on the inside or outside with no prepping or sanding.  It covers easily, dries quickly and helps you achieve a beautiful patina that is perfect for distressing with very little time and effort.

Chalk paint goes on smooth, dries very quickly and is easily sanded to distress your piece for a well-worn look.  It is called chalk paint because it covers the piece with a soft, chalky patina that is perfect for creating an exceptional antique look.

The problem is that it’s a little pricey at $34.95 and up/ quart.  However, the other wonderful thing about chalk paint is that it is also very easy and inexpensive to make yourself.

Ingredients you will need:

2 cups latex paint

5 tablespoons Plaster of Paris

3 tablespoons of cool water

Step 1

Mix the Plaster of Paris (chalky powder) and water together in a separate bowl.  I prefer to use cool tap water.  Mix thoroughly until the plaster has become smooth with no lumps.  The consistency should be similar to a cake or pancake batter.

Step 2

Then add the plaster mixture to the paint and mix well.  Mine bowls look similar because I'm adding my Plaster of Paris and water mixture to a Cream colored latex paint. Be sure to get all of the plaster stirred up well and dissolved thoroughly into the mixture.  Use your stirring stick to verify there are no lumps in the bottom.  If there is plaster in the bottom then it could end up on your piece. 

The paint should be as smooth as it was before.  The paint will appear at first no different than the paint you had before, but when the chalk paint dries on the furniture you will begin to see that faint, aged and chalky patina that you are looking for. You can double the recipe for a quart of paint, quadruple for a 1/2 gallon and so forth.

* For those artists who don't want an aged chalky patina, after you have chalk painted your piece, let it dry completely and then paint back over the entire piece with your regular latex paint (minus the Plaster of Paris and water mixture). That will get rid of that chalky sheen. And then always Polycrylic your piece a few times to protect it and give it a shine. *

(And remember that your Plaster of Paris and water mixture will dry rock hard, so be sure to clean out your bowl as soon as you have poured your mixture in with your latex paint!)

Et voila!