The Best DIY Chalk Paint (made fast, cheap, & easy!)

What makes this version of chalk paint the best? It provides beautiful, thick, one coat coverage and doesn't get hard if you put the lid back on the sample pot. Perfect for me because I noticed a spot that I some how completely missed the next morning. I just opened my paint up and used it, no new mess, no wasted materials. It seems thicker than the Annie Sloan Chalk paint I might try cutting the ingredients next time. I'll keep you posted on how that works.

I read and read and read about how to do most things before I just finally try it. My first foray into chalk paint has been no different. I wanted to DIY it, but there were so many recipes out there. I kept reading about different methods or the same method with different users. I thought, "Oh man! I am going to have to try these all!" And then I found a blog that had tested each method and wrote about the consistency and abilities of them all in enough detail that I felt comfortable trusting her. I read through several posts, with updates (which I loved), and was quite excited. She found that mixing Calcium Carbonate and Plaster of Paris was the best method for the above reasons. She had the pint recipe written down and I realized if you halved the recipe you could use a paint sample for smaller projects! I was excited and went off with my information memo about what to buy and how to use it on my phone. I used her recipe and found that it worked perfectly. Now for the idiotic part of my story: I FORGOT TO PIN HER BLOG! I can't find it! If anyone thinks they know who wrote it, please let me know so I can link this to her blog! She deserves credit for all of her posts and others might want to read them too.

Here is a link one reader shared that has a ton of helpful information about chalk paint. Best of all, I think it is the blog that I was looking for!

Materials:

1 Tablespoon Calcium Carbonate

1 Tablespoon Plaster of Paris

1 Tablespoon Water

8 oz. Flat Paint Sample

Directions:

Roughly stir in the Calcium Carbonate & Plaster of Paris with a plastic spoon. Add the water. Put the lid on and shake it up.

Then paint. I prepped my surface by wiping it down with a clean wet rag the morning before and sand it by had for about 5 minutes.

Our powder room cabinet from 1987 had seen better days, but it now looks great again. I am still trying to decide if I want to use a gel stain on it to give it more depth. I didn't distress it because that would have really distressed my husband. Unfortunately, he can't seem to get past the word shabby in "shabby chic." 

I'll write about how I sealed it later. With three kids, the main floor powder room will take a beating. So I had to weigh my options seriously before I committed. Nap-time is over.

Shared at these Party Places & "Wow us Wednesday."