Ever see a great piece of furniture at a yard sale or thrift
shop and love the look, but hate the finish. I have found a great way to fix
that…chalk paint. This paint is wonderful. It covers in just about one coat and
it can be distressed easily. You do not need to do any prep work to the piece
you are painting except getting the dirt off. The only problem with this paint
is the price. It is $35 a quart. That would be $140 a gallon. WOW!! I am sorry
I am sure the name brands are great but I simply am not sending $140 a gallon
for paint. So I made my own. It was easy and the results are wonderful.
Here are the things you will need:
Acrylic paint any color you choose
Brush for paint
Plaster of Paris
Water
Clear paste wax
Colored paste wax
Lint free cloths (I just cut up an old t-shirt)
2 good stiff brushes for the wax
Containers for mixing your paint - I used my old friend the
solo cup. It is the perfect size.
Step 1 – How to make the paint. Mix 3 parts paint to one part Plaster of
Paris. You will also add water to mix into the Plaster of Paris. Put your Plaster
of Paris into a cup now add a tablespoon of water and mix. If it is enough water
to make it smooth, then you are good. If it is to thick add a bit more water.
It should be kind of like super smooth applesauce. Now after it is completely mixed
add your paint to the Plaster of Paris mixture. Mix it making sure it is completely
mixed with no lumps. You know have chalk Paint.
Step 2 – Paint your piece. You may only need one coat for
this. After you are done let dry. When dry touch up or add your second coat if
needed.
Step 3 – Go over your piece with clear wax. Use a stiff
brush to get it in all the little places and corners. If you like the look you
can stop here. For those of you who want a distressed look go on to the next
step.
Step 4- Distress your item. Use a medium grit sandpaper and
sand the corners, edges, around the handles and anywhere the piece would have
received wear over time. Do not sand the
body of the piece and all the flat surfaces too much, just spot sand them.
Step 5 – Staining the item. This is the scary part. When you
put the colored wax on it will look dark. Work in small sections and put your
wax on and rub it in and off. Take more off in some places than others. Keep
doing this until you have covered the entire piece. Make sure you get the wax
in all the details on the piece. If you find you got to much colored wax on one
spot, take some clear wax on a cloth and rub it over the place where you have
to much colored wax and it will come off. After you have finished this step you
are done. Let the piece sit for 48 hours before you use it.
Tips:
1 - Do not make too much paint at once and work quickly.
This paint will dry fast and it will thicken in the cup as time passes.
2 – Do not make too much paint at once, you cannot store it.
3 – Once you have added Plaster of Paris and or water DO NOT
pour any leftover back into your original paint can. If you do you can cause it
to mold.
4 – Wear plastic gloves to protect your hands
5 – If you over sand a spot, you can go back and paint over
it even if you have waxed it.
6 – Work outside with the wax or in a well-ventilated place.
This stuff does not smell all that great, but don’t worry the smell goes away
after a few days.
Here is a link to my pintrest board with examples of what
you can do with chalk paint
You can paint furniture, kitchen cabinets and just about
anything else you can think of. Give it a try; I am sure you will become a fan.
Thanks for reading!! Faith
