What are the different kinds of chalk paint? Can you really make it?

you can grind pieces of chalk and add water and food coloring to color the chalk paint and that is how it was made years ago

You can make chalk paint out of powdered chalk/powdered gypsum and regular latex paint if you want. It works very well. Or you can buy the many brands available. Some brands are better than others and it really depends on what you are working on. You have to take into account how durable you want your paint to be. I prefer using Annie Sloan for projects that will get a lot of wear but for half the price I have used Rustoleum Chalked Paint. Please be aware that if you want to poly over the Rustoleum rather than use wax it is best to use their clear sealer rather than another brand. I learned that the hard way.

It's pretty much just the brand names that are different, Annie Sloan, Folk Art, even Rustoleum makes it now. To make homemade chalk paint, people usually add plaster of paris or household baking soda. I use baking soda and that has always worked well for me. You do get a little bit different texture making your own than buying it already made. Here are some links to homemade recipes:

https://salvagedinspirations.com/best-homemade-chalk-paint-recipes/

http://divaofdiy.com/the-best-homemade-chalk-paint/

If you have an old coffee grinder that will grind the chalk into fine powder and then you just add enough water to make it the consistency of paint add a few drops of food coloring and away you go ....have fun experimenting

ask me anything ....I am a do it yourself-er