Chalk Chalk Paint??

While awaiting delivery of my upholstery supplies to finish my bar stool, I got to thinking again about painting the inside of my display cabinet. What colour should I paint it?  Not sure - but I didn't want to paint it the same as the outside of the cabinet as I will, at some point in the future, be changing the colour of that.  So, I started to experiment with a few colours and during this time of great mess in my kitchen, got the idea to try making chalk paint from plain old blackboard chalk and guess what?  It worked!

First, I cut the chalk stick up and crushed it using a pestle and mortar, then added a small amount of water.  Result - as above.  A bit gritty but a light rub with fine sandpaper would sort that and on some projects would probably even enhance the finish.  I tried it out on a wood cutting above. This would not be a good idea for large projects for obvious reasons but if you just needed it for a small project like a tray or a jewellery box, it would work perfectly  Once dried, it should be sealed with finishing wax.

Did You know?

I've done quite a bit of research on Chalk paint and discovered how simple it is to make your own - yes, that's right you can make your very own home made Chalk paint by using some easy to find products!!

There are many variations of course, but for me, the best one is using Plaster of Paris, which can be bought at any good DIY or Builders Providers or indeed online.  You simply add the plaster to your regular emulsion paint et voila!

The measurements you use and the paint quality are the important parts.  If you use low quality paint, you will get a low quality Chalk paint so it's best to stick with well-known brands.  I use a matt finish as the whole point is to have the end result as chalky as possible.

Grout and Baking Soda are some of the many other alternatives to the Plaster of Paris, both of which work fine.  If using the grout make sure to use one without sand (unsanded grout).  I found the grout mixture more gritty than the other two.

Here is my own recipe which is not by any means written in stone, make your own adjustments according to the feel and texture of the mixture - which is exactly what I did.

Happy paint making! I'd love to hear how you get on so please don't forget to comment below with your results.