DIY Chalk Paint
I've already blogged on how to save tons of money on brand new, full sized gallons of paint (see posts 'The Magic of Paint' and 'A Kitchen Makeover for Less than $350!'). But what about those gorgeous specialty paints? Can you save money there, too? Absolutely! Many times, though it's harder to find the specialty paints as a mistint.
I adore chalk paint. It's got that aged, matte finish and my brush strokes are virtually non-existent. But I have spotted one can on the mistint rack in all my years of buying up mistints. ONE. One little pint can. And it was a ridiculously bright shade of neon red. Where am I possibly going to use neon red chalk paint?!
(Yes, I bought it and yes, it's still sitting unopened, waiting for the right project...)
So instead of hunting through the mistints for chalk paint, I hunt through for the right latex paint color and mix up my own.
Here's what you need:
* 2 tablespoons of unsanded grout
* Little bit of water
*Paint brush
*Stir stick
Note: While the ratio is 1 cup to 2 TBSP, I found that mixing up larger amounts was a huge waste of paint. This stuff dries fast so I prefer to work with a cup at a time.
Put the measured grout into a small, non-food cup or bowl and add very small amounts of water at a time. I start with a teaspoon or so of water. Stir the grout and continue to add more small amounts of water until the grout has turned into a paste. Work out all of the chunks until the paste is smooth.
Add your grout paste to the cup of paint, stirring until thoroughly mixed.
Start painting. I usually only need one coat of chalk paint for full coverage.
I haven't had luck storing homemade chalk paint for long periods of time but so far, it seems to keep if sealed well in an air-tight container (cleaned out lunch meat containers are great for this!). Another good reason to make small batches at a time.
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?