This is my first attempt at using chalk paint. I could’ve shucked out the $34.95 for a quart of Annie Sloan‘s, but I just couldn’t bring myself to do it without trying this first. I must say, I was very pleased with the results. That’s not to say that Annie Sloan hasn’t revolutionized the art of painting furniture. In my opinion, she has. But until I can talk myself into taking the leap and buying EVERY color she has, I will stick with this homemade version. This paint is great because there is NO prep-work needed. You can pretty much slap it on anything without sanding, priming, etc. And, when you distress, it’s just way too easy. The paint comes off in a dust form. Once the distressing was finished, I then waxed it with a coat of clear wax, let that dry for about an hour and waxed again with dark wax. After buffing, this is the finished results. Not too bad for a novice, I think!
What is the secret? Annie Sloan paint is so expensive so if I can make my own, my tired dining room chairs could look great!
Laura,
I have found a lot of homemade chalk paint recipes online, but eventually just tweaked it until I got the right consistency. This is mine:
2 cups of interior latex flat paint
1/2 cup of Plaster of Paris
1/2 cup water
You can always adjust until you get the consistency you want. I find that it’s a bit thin, but it dries so quickly and sands and distresses much easier than a thicker application. You can pick up a large tub of Plaster of Paris at Hobby Lobby for about $4 and it goes a very long way. I did bite the bullet and purchase the Annie Sloan clear and dark wax to finish up my pieces. I love the stuff, but it is so expensive. I have found an alternative that I’m going to try when I use all of these up. You can check those out here.
Hope this helps you…let me know how your dining room chairs turn out!
Lisa