Between Blue and Yellow: DIY Chalk Paint

I'm sure by now you've all heard there is another way to achieve the coveted "chalk paint" look, with out the heavy price tag that comes with the name Annie Sloan. Sorry AS, I have yet to try out your precious paint because I could not justify spending the $40 for a small quart of paint!
I'm an oops paint gal, and that has been just fine for me so far. But I wanted to jump on the bandwagon and see what the big deal was with this chalk paint. Several weeks ago, I found out that 2 tbsp unsanded grout mixed with 1 cup paint will achieve similar results as AS. So I bought this stuff~

I found it at Lowe's and mixed it up with my paint. This dresser was my guinea pig.

I didn't sand or prepare the surface at all, just started painting. Like I said I had never used the Annie Sloan stuff, so I can't compare. But it worked pretty good and I will use it again. I did need to use 2 coats, and I chose to sand it a little after it dried, because it felt a bit gritty.

Then I painted another light coat of just the regular paint on top. I love the look and feel I got from this experiment, I think I will try Plaster of Paris next. Cassie tried it with her chairs and they turned out fabulous!

Let me know if you have any tips about DIY chalk paint.

7 comments:

Erika . . . with a KFebruary 14, 2012 at 2:30 PM
I didn't know you could do this to create the chalk paint look... I have been dying to try this amazing chalk paint but I agree with you... I cant justify spending that kind of money on a small thing of paint!
Cassie BustamanteFebruary 14, 2012 at 7:17 PM
well you already know i think this dresser looks amazing! and thanks for the shout out! i might need to try the grout method, too!
Sharon @ Elizabeth & Co.February 14, 2012 at 8:19 PM
I love making my own chalk paint too. I use Plaster of Paris. Your dresser is a beauty!
Ann Marie @ Twice LovelyFebruary 15, 2012 at 9:56 AM
That's so funny you posted this today, because I was working on my own DIY chalk paint project yesterday! I used the PoP method, but I got a tip from a friend to mix 1/2 cup plaster of paris into 1/2 cup of hot water to disolve it first before mixing it into 1 1/2 cup paint. It worked great and is smooth as silk! No gritties!
AllisonFebruary 16, 2012 at 12:41 PM
This is great to know, Kathleen! I did try Annie Sloan and liked it very much...I tried just the little sample pot for $10. The quarts are too costly for me, too. Your dresser is gorgeous.
UnknownMarch 31, 2012 at 3:00 PM
I made my own chalk paint for the table in our entry, and I used a mixture of plaster of paris, water and paint.
I used 1/3 cup of plaster of paris, which I mixed (well)with a 1/4 cup warm water before adding 2/3 cup of Paint.
It worked really well, and I love how it turned out. I used two coats, and I liked the finish so much that I didn't even wax it afterward. Just sanded it very lightly and gently, and I was ready to go!
RhondaMay 1, 2012 at 5:25 PM
I've never used chalk paint either (cost issue) but I heard you could use baking soda as well! Your dresser is gorgeous!