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

*Post may contain affiliate links. It’s free for you to click the links, however, if you choose to make a purchase I will get compensated. To learn more click here. Thank you for supporting my blog!

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’ve seen these recipes. I’ve wondered how they worked. I use a lot of chalk paint and it’s so pricey

    • If I use this recipe again I'll have to play around with it to get it right. At least it's cheap! :D

  • Thank you Michelle. Chalk Paint is very useful and this is a lot of helpful info you have given.?☕️☕️

  • I have read and heard so many people making their own chalk paint. For the trouble and mess for me when I do want to use chalk paint I would rather buy it, but I mostly use Benjamin Moore Advance for my furniture painting and Waverly Chalk paint for smaller projects. I am like you, sometimes it's not worth the hassle. Thanks for giving us your opinion. I appreciate your honesty.

    • There's no way I'd make a bunch of this to paint furniture! I will definitely be sucking it up and paying for it when I paint my kitchen table and chairs. It really isn't worth the hassle and I think purchasing it is a better choice. Thank you!

  • Thanks for the info! For smaller craft projects I use the Home Decor chalk paint you can find at Hobby Lobby. Much less expensive and you can get a 2 oz bottle. But you’re right, if painting furniture you’ll want a really good paint which can be pricey!

    • I think I'll be trying that from now on. This recipe is just not worth it. Thank you for sharing!

  • Hey I’ve used this same homemade recipe before and like you said the texture is weird and just FYI I’ve had it begin to chip or a flake overtime...I read your message above the one Im leaving and I’m not sure if you have a chalk paint that you love when you go to paint your kitchen table and chairs but right now we’re in the middle of a mini kitchen remodel and just used a chalk paint to redo all of my cabinets which I’ll probably do a blog post to show before and after pics and maybe promote the paint brand but in the meantime it’s called Frenchic Al Fresco....Amazing and glides on like soft butter!! I’ve used the Annie Sloan chalk paint before and have noticed that it’s almost too cakey...here’s a link for what I’m using just in case you’re interested..priced at $40 a can but worth every penny!!!

    https://youtu.be/r03Mylt_AaI

    • Thanks for the tip on the chipping and flaking. I'll keep that in mind.
      And thank you so much for the link and the info! I'll look into that! I can't wait to see your makeover and how the cabinets look!!

  • Thanks for giving us your honest opinion, Michelle!! I too tried homemade chalk paint years ago( different recipe) The texture wasn’t great either and it didn’t hold up at all!! Now like you said, I just suck it up and buy it!! Lol!!

    • You're welcome. I have to agree..I think it's better to just spend the money if you want a good outcome. :D

  • I never knew there was a recipe for homemade chalk paint until your post! It doesn't sound like it was easy to work with and when I paint, I need "easy"!

    • It's not that easy and it feels so rough. I'm glad I tried it, but I think I'd rather buy it. :)

  • I needed you today. I have a book that was falling apart and I tried to glue it. I fear I made a mess of it. But I won’t know until I am brave enough to look. Currently I am letting it dry with books on top for weight. We shall see. ??‍♀️

      • For the most part it is ok. The glue came out thicker than expected. So I did have some pages stuck together on the inner margin. But I was able to pull them apart and not lose any writing. ?

1 2 3

Recent Posts

How to Organize Your Living Room When You Have Too Much Stuff

Do you have too much stuff taking over your living room space? Then you need…

2 years ago

Genius Ideas for Storing Blankets

Is your blanket addiction taking up too much space in your home? I get it!…

3 years ago

How to Organize a Small Bedroom on a Budget

Learn how to organize a small bedroom when you're on a budget with this complete…

3 years ago

Maximize Your Bathroom Storage Space with These Great Target Finds

Are you trying to find a way to store all of your bathroom items? Learn…

3 years ago

15 of My Favorite Budget-Friendly Bathroom Cleaning Hacks

Spend more time relaxing and less time cleaning with my favorite budget-friendly bathroom cleaning hacks!

3 years ago

How to Organize Your Bathroom: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting the Bathroom of Your Dreams

A step-by-step guide on how to organize your bathroom to get a more functional space.

3 years ago

This website uses cookies.