Yes, I am venturing into the realm of home made chalk paint. I love the way chalk paint looks and the easy application, but it can tend to be a little pricey. Today I attempted once again to make this paint at a fraction of the cost and
success! Here is how it all went down.
Several weeks ago, I made a trip to a local health food store and bought Calcium Carbonate. I came home, put the bottle on the counter and there it sat, and sat, and sat. Finally today I broke the seal and mixed it with some paint that I had on hand. My ratio was 3 parts paint to 1 part calcium carbonate.
I grabbed one of these mixing cups at the hardware store and it was well worth it. there is a convenient chart on the side that makes measuring and mixing a breeze. The calcium carbonate melted right in with the paint. I tried to make home made chalk paint in the past, using plaster of paris and it was to thick and just didn't turn out for me. This, however, worked quite well. I will add that you should use flat paint with this and you may need to thin it out a little. All I had was Satin and I am still happy with my results.
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| This is just after the first coat. |
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| Another first coat shot. |
I did use Annie Sloan's Clear and Dark wax to give it an aged look.
So, if you are in the mood for a little painting you might try this. Plus, I heard on the radio today that Westlake's is giving away free quarts of Clark & Kinsington paint on Saturday. Go to
Ace Hardware to print out your coupon--one per household. If you don't have Annie Sloan's wax, any soft wax such as Johnson's paste wax, will do.
Here is the
before of the table.
And the
after.
Very interesting! I have a question. I have both Annie Sloan's clear wax and dark wax. I find it is 'sticky' even after several hours. What am I doing wrong? I have used other wax and it dries very quickly. I'll so much appreciate a reply from you.
ReplyDeleteCarol cinez123@aol.com
Carol,
ReplyDeleteThe key to this wax is putting it on in very thin coats and buff, buff, buff. Give the wax a little time to dry before you buff. If you get a gummy sticky mess, try wiping it off with mineral spirits. That's what I use to clean my waxing brushes. Also remember to put on a clear coat before you use the dark wax. The dark wax acts like stain or a dark glaze and will permanently stain your light pieces if you don't have a clear coat to protect them. Let me know if that helps.