How to easily make homemade chalk style paint with regular latex paint, the stuff you paint walls with. Make any color of chalk paint to refinish your furniture with!
Ahhh chalk paint.
- It distresses like a dream.
- Dries faster than latex.
- Adheres to furniture without primer.
- Is perfect for painted furniture makeovers.
- And it’s out go to type of paint for furniture!
But the name brand stuff can get pretty expensive! Plus you’re limited to the brands’ color lines instead of unlimited possibilities.
That’s where homemade chalk paint comes into play.
You can turn latex paint (you know, the stuff you paint your walls with) into chalk paint. It’s super easy to do too!
My go to paint is Behr made into homemade chalk paint. I love the color variety it provides as well as how easy it is to get. I’ve also used Valspar ( from Lowes) and Glidden (from Home Depot) with great success.
To make our homemade chalk paint we use Calcium Carbonate Powder, water and latex paint in the flat sheen.
Homemade Chalk Paint Recipe
- 5 tablespoons (food grade) Calcium Carbonate Powder
- Small Amount of Water (Couple of Tablespoons -ish)
- 1 Cup Flat Latex Paint
Simply dissolve 5 Tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate in a small amount of warm water to create a smooth consistency.
Mix it really good so there are no lumps of calcium carbonate left and then pour that into 1 cup of latex paint.
I honestly never measure exact amounts – eyeballing works great for this.
Calcium Carbonate Powder Substitute
When we first started painting furniture, we made our chalk paint with Plaster of Paris powder. We used the same recipe, just replaced the Calcium Carbonate Powder with Plaster of Paris.
I loved the recipe, it worked great, except it didn’t store very well. So, if you’re looking for another alternative and don’t plan to store any extra paint, Plaster of Paris is a great option!
Painting with Homemade Chalk Paint
Since we spray the chalk paint on most of our pieces, so we thin the homemade chalk paint for our paint sprayer. You can find all of those details here!
But if you choose to not spray on your paint, you’re good to go with your brush and fresh batch of chalk paint!
After your homemade chalk paint is dry, seal it with waterbased polyurethane. Polyurethane gives the furniture a nice smooth finish, makes the paint extra durable, and makes it easier to clean.
That’s all there is to it! Enjoy!
P.S. Chalk paint is great for most pieces of furniture. Keep in mind though, if your furniture has a super shiny or slick finish, it is best to prime before using chalk paint, as the chalk paint cannot adhere properly to those finishes.
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