DIY's & Crafts

Homemade Chalk Paint

I made my own homemade chalk paint and I’m sharing my thoughts and opinions with you. If you’re planning to make your own chalk paint, read this first!

Chalk paint is so huge right now because it’s so easy to use. It will paint right over anything with no sanding required. If you’re painting anything that gets used a lot, you will need to protect the paint with finishing wax.

One major downside to chalk paint is the price. I just cannot get over how expensive it is!

I decided to make some homemade chalk paint because I really didn’t want to pay that price right now. I’ve seen a few recipes on Pinterest for making your own. First I’ll share the recipe I used, then I’ll share my honest opinion on using homemade chalk paint.

Homemade chalk paint recipe

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As I said, there are other recipes out there for making your own chalk paint. I chose this recipe because I already had all the ingredients at home. Other recipes use Plaster of Paris and I didn’t have any of that on hand. There are only 2 ingredients and it’s super easy to make.

What you need:

  • About 2 tablespoons acrylic craft paint
  • About a teaspoon baking soda
  • Cup for mixing paint in
  • Craft stick for stirring

What you do

Pour about 2 tablespoons of craft paint in a cup and add about a teaspoon of baking soda; stir really well to combine.

Seriously that’s all you do!

My honest opinion on homemade chalk paint

Personally, I had a hard time getting used to using homemade chalk paint. Maybe I used too much baking soda, I’m not exactly sure. I will have to play around with the recipe more at some point to see.

I used this chalk paint recipe to paint 2 candlesticks that I bought last year at a thrift sale. After painting one coat I didn’t like the way it looked or felt. After a second coat, the paint seemed to look a little better.

Sanding was somewhat difficult as I really had to dig in to make an impression.

Will I make this homemade chalk paint again? I’m honestly not sure. I may at some point make it again just to change up the amount of baking soda and see what works best. For now, I’ll be sticking with other paint for household items.

Have you ever made homemade chalk paint? What recipe did you use and what were your thoughts?


Looking for more fun DIY’s using paint? Check out these great posts:
Kirkland’s Knockoff – Chipped Candle Holder
“Can’t Touch This” Cactus Flower Pot
Upcycled Mailbox Planter
Farmhouse Mason Jar Vase
Farmhouse Footstool Makeover


Thank you for sharing!
Michelle

Michelle lives on a small homestead with her husband, daughter, 6 silly hens, 1 crazy rooster, 2 lazy cats, and 1 rescue dog. She loves DIYs, frugal living, crocheting, and reading. She's also a full-time proofreader.

View Comments

    • I know! I'm glad I tried it so at least I know how it is. I think I'll spend the money next time, though. :D

  • Hey my friend! Our minds think alike. I too wanted to paint some trim with chalk paint a few months back and was appalled by the price tag! Plus, most require several steps and that includes separate products. I didn't feel like doing all of that.

    I wound up going to the hardware store to buy Plaster of Paris in the red and white bag. The recipe I used called for the Plaster of Paris, paint of choice and water. It worked really well. If you mix thoroughly, the homemade chalk paint is fairly thick and smooth. Overall, I think it was a definite winner. I'm not sure how it would work on the projects you'd like it for though?

    Glad you shared this. So many people aren't aware you don't have to spend outrageous money to achieve this old, rustic look. :)

    • I'm with you! When I'm ready to paint I want to paint. I don't want to go through tons of steps and several products. I'm not willing to pay all that.
      I've seen the Plaster of Paris recipe, too. I'll have to try that one! It sounds like it works better than this recipe. Thank you for sharing that! :)

  • Awesome! Looks cheap and easy to make and my poor kids are going to have a boring summer so we need all the help we can get Lol!

    • It didn't cost me a thing to make it! :) Hopefully, you can come up with some fun things for them to do this summer. My daughter just wants to stay on the computer all the time. Can you see my eyes rolling? haha

  • I have used this recipe before and it's awesome! I am just so lazy and would rather buy it haha!

  • It's a shame you didn't love the finish as much as you'd hoped but at least you tried! Better luck next time? Or are you sticking to buying it? x

  • This is such a creative ways to keep the kiddos entertained this summer. Plus, I love how simple it is to make. Great idea!!

    • Thank you! It's great that you can use ingredients you already have at home to make this, too. :)

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