As I’ve said before, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint has changed my world and I love, love, love it! However, in the interest of saving money (and I’m always looking for ways to save money) I decided to try a few of the homemade chalk paint recipes I found online. The first ingredient of each of these recipes is latex paint, in the color of your choice. One recipe specified the use of flat latex paint, another said it could be any type of latex paint. Hmmm . . . maybe one of those old cans of leftover paint sitting in the corner of your garage? Come along with me as I share my experience with you.
The first recipe came from the wonderful blog Elizabeth & Co.
Sharon’s blog has so many great ideas for creating a warm and inviting home and she also hosts a party every Tuesday where you link up your own creations. I hope you’ll take the time to pay her a visit . . . after finishing up here of course!
So, here we go. I mixed the Plaster of Paris with a bit of water first to create a smooth, liquidy paste without lumps. I added FLAT latex paint and mixed thoroughly. I then added a little more water so it was about the consistency of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (ASCP).
My experience: The paint covered well, maybe even a little better than ASCP. I added a second coat within an hour. It is nice that it dries so quickly. When completely dry this recipe has a grittier feel than ASCP. I found that I needed to lightly sand the whole piece prior to adding the clear wax, but this may be just fine with you if you are planning on distressing your piece anyway. Another downside, was that the Plaster of Paris lightened my original paint color a little. I wished I had gone just a shade darker. After waxing, the end result was a smooth finish, but still not quite as smooth as ASCP.
Cost: This is the good part. The Valspar paint sample I purchased from Lowe’s was $2.94 and the four pound container of Dap Plaster of Paris (which will last forever!) was $6.48. This made enough paint to cover a medium sized piece of furniture with two coats of paint.
Recipe #2 comes from LizMarie. This is another blog I am in love with. LizMarie covers of wide spectrum of DIY projects and also hosts a great linky party each Friday.
This recipe didn’t actually mention adding water but the unsanded grout and paint mixture was a little thick so I ended up adding a bit of water to bring it to the right consistency. I think the next time I’ll mix the grout with some cool water before adding the paint, just like I did with recipe #1.
My experience: This paint covered well, even a little better than Recipe #1. It dried a little gritty but not as rough as Recipe #1. I did sand it before adding soft wax as I wanted this piece to be heavily distressed. When I sanded, I noticed several white specks appeared on the piece, showing through the blue. Though I mixed the paint and grout well, maybe an electric mixer would have alleviated this problem. All I had to do was dry brush some of my paint over these spots. No big deal. The unsanded grout didn’t seem to lighten the color of the paint. It took the wax well and polished up beautifully. Overall – I love the piece I created but, maybe if I wasn’t planning on heavy sanding, ASCP would’ve been my choice.
Cost: $2.94 for the color sample, $11.78 for ten pounds of unsanded grout. Again, this will last me next to forever!
Recipe #3 comes from another one of my favorites sites, No Minimalist Here. Sherry, the author of this blog, is a true artist when it comes to painting furniture. She is such an inspiration to me. She hosts a weekly link party on Thursdays.
The great thing about THIS recipe is that Calcium Carbonate is CHALK! The bad news, for me, was that it was nowhere to be found in the city where I live. I tried health food stores, compounding pharmacies, vitamin stores . . . all to no avail. Many places carry Calcium Carbonate pills, but not in powder form. Not to worry though. While I was driving around the city I decided to search out this elusive ingredient on my iPhone, found and ordered it on Amazon.com, and two days later there it was on my doorstep. I knew my iPhone would eventually be put to better use than just phone calls and texting! Thank you dear hubby, for insisting that I needed one. NOTE: I purchased FOOD GRADE Calcium Carbonate as it is very fine and dissolves easily in liquid.
My experience: Again, this recipe didn’t actually call for water but this time I decided to add a little to the Calcium Carbonate to make sure it was smooth before adding to the paint. It covered pretty well. I’ve decided that coverage depends upon the thickness of the paint, not the “chalk” added to the paint and I just prefer two coats, even with ASCP. When dry, the surface of my piece was smooth, like ASCP. It distressed easily with a sanding sponge. I did notice just a few white specks, not as many as with Recipe #2 but this was an easy fix. The color remained true to my color chip, the wax went on nicely and the finish has a soft and beautiful glow.
In my opinion, RECIPE #3 is the winner of the three!
Cost: $2.94 for the color sample, $5.19 (plus shipping) for 12 ounces of Now Foods Calcium Carbonate Powder. Next time I will order in bulk. Five pounds costs only $10.75 and would again, probably last forever!
So, how does the best of the homemade chalk paint recipes compare to Annie Sloan? Well, ASCP is still my favorite. I am going to tackle painting my kitchen cabinets this summer and I will definitely be using ASCP because of it’s great colors (Old White is my color of choice) and reliability. For some of the pieces of furniture I’ve collected (now stacking up in my garage) I’m looking forward to having some fun experimenting with the many colors available at my Lowe’s, mixed with Calcium Carbonate.
Oh by the way, one other plus to having Calcium Carbonate powder around the house, one level teaspoon per day, added to orange or tomato juice “provides the highest concentrations of elemental calcium, making it an optimal formulation for supporting healthy bones and teeth”! LOL!
Let me know about your chalk paint experiences (I’d love to see pictures) and please don’t forget to visit the blogs I’ve linked to above. You’ll be glad you did.
Blessings to you,
UPDATE TO ABOVE POST: I’ve now used flat, eggshell, and satin finish paints in all of the above recipes and they all work equally well. I don’t believe I’ll risk semi-gloss of gloss finishes though.
© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved
Thank you
After much tie reading, you seem to be the only person who has tried all three various methods.
Your time and effort will save me time and money, after much reading I shall try the calcium carbonate method.
Your ime and effort is most appreciated.
Thank you. My aim was to figure out the very best recipe and then to pass it on to other. I appreciate your comments. Patti
Exactly thank you Patty !
I have an entire bedroom suite I want to paint (I need to do it on a budget!) and have been looking for this exact information! Thank you for your review! This is perfect! I love the carved detailing of the furniture but the color of wood is kind of yucky and it’s definitely used (and free!). I am new to redoing furniture this way. Do you have any posts about the wax process? Is it necessary or optional?
With chalk paint, the waxing process is what seals and cures the paint, making a harder finish. It can be tricky but what I’ve learned is to brush a thin coat of wax onto one section of your furniture at a time (Annie Sloan wax brushes are well worth the investment by the way)), then wipe away any excess wax with a lint-free rag. Wait a day or so and apply your next coat. For most furniture I’ve applied two coats, for my kitchen cabinets I’m doing three because they get more wear and tear. Finally, buff to a soft shine. Furniture can be easily hand buffed with a soft rag. I’ve been told that the wax takes 21 days to cure. Until then, it is easier to leave scratch marks in the wax. I think mine actually took longer to cure but then it is damp where I live! Let me know how it goes. Patti
I tried the calcium carbonate recipe. I bought a sample pot of Valspar paint (less than $3) and mixed it with the calcium carbonate with a small bit of water. This worked well. I was able to do (2 coats each) the drawers of a 10 drawer dresser, an older cabinet, 2 jewelry boxes,some odds and ends and still have paint left over. With the smaller sample pot/s I can try so many colors and do many projects with just a little money! Thanks for the recipe. I also waxed afterward, just as if I had used ASCP. This by far, is my favorite recipe.
Mine too! Thank you for commenting. I’m working on a dresser that I’ll be posting later this week with this recipe in three different Behr paint colors. Looking forward to trying MinWax as I’ve been reading a lot about it on different blogs. 🙂 Patti
Hi, Patricia! Just happened to find you on Pinterest because this is what I have been looking for–a comparison of all the recipes, and I couldn’t find it anywhere but here 🙂 I was thinking I was going to have to waste my time and do the comparison myself. WHEW! Glad you did it 🙂 Thanks for the info!
Serena
Thrift Diving
You are welcome Serena.
Thank you for testing out all 3 recipes. I have been using plaster of paris and I also got the recipe from Elizabeth & Co. But I do notice it has a grit to it that I have to always sand off to be smooth. When I run out of the giant box of plaster of paris, I am going to give the calcium carbonate a try.
Susan
sunflowerhugs.blogspot.com
You will love it Susan! Thanks for stopping by and for your comment. :)P
You will love the CC Susan. Thank you for stopping by and for leaving a comment. P.
Thank you for your time and review, Patricia! For a newby starting out, this review helps tremendously! I would love to try a chalk paint, but being so new, I was somewhat hesitant to spend the $$. This is right in my budget! lol
You’re welcome Camille. I understand about staying in budget and I hope you’ll enjoy using this recipe! Have fun painting.
I am so grateful for your willingness to experiment and document the results for others. This is very helpful for me and a project I’m working on. Thanks again 🙂
You are so welcome. I enjoy sharing the “how to’s” of the projects I tackle.
Like many of your other fans, I am grateful for your review of all three recipes and including tips, cost, etc. I had just bought plaster of paris to give it a try. So thankful!!!
Yay! Send pictures!
I am wondering about the wax that you use. What kind? Where can I buy it? I have never tried ASCP, because it is out of my budget, but would love to try the calcium carbonate recipe. Thank you for this post!
I like the ASCP Soft Wax the best. However, you can also use MinWax Polycrylic wipe on or brush on for a really hard finish.
Hi. I am new to this and was wondering what finish is the latex paint? (flat, egg shell, etc..) Thanks you.
I’ve used flat and egg shell. If you get the sample size paints from the hardware store they only mix them in one finish but it has always worked fine. 🙂
Very informative, Great Article. Thanks!
Think it’s unanimous you’re trying out all 3 recipes is a winner that has helped all of us to save time and money. Your experience is a life saver.
I too went on the hunt for the calcium carbonate with no luck. I don’t have a fancy phone so could you please supply the source you found? I have some unsanded grout I used cause that’s all I had when I wanted to make some chalk paint,(we live out a few miles from a store I could buy things like that from).
I’m afraid the commercial chalk paints like Annie Sloan are just not in my budget at any time so the home made chalk paint will have to do me. I also want to paint my kitchen cupboards which are just the type with the vinyl wood look,double yuk.
I’ve wanted to paint them since we moved in here (almost 7 yrs now) but the thought of having to prepare them has stymied my efforts. I’d love to take the doors off or at least cut the center panels out to put chicken wire or fabric instead. Altho they’re not great cupboards there are several of them, hence my hesitation, just overwhelmed me at the thought of tackling the job. Sorry for telling you more than you likely wanted to have to read.
Found you thru the party and have subscribed. Happy weekend
What type of wax did you use? Where did you get it?
What a great post! I have yet to use ASCP due to the price {and I’m impatient and wish I could pick it up locally}, but I definitely want to.I LOVE the colors available and want to compare it to using homemade chalk paint. I would also like to test out some of these other recipes. Thanks for sharing and I will definitely be pinning 🙂
~Katie @ Upcycled Treasures
I actually just featured this on my Friday Favorites post 🙂
http://upcycledtreasures.com/2013/06/5-inspiring-diy-projects/
Can you use oil based paint to mix with the calcium carbonate? Where can I purchase calcium carbonate? Thanks!
I am curious about this as well! I’d like to try oil based paint since it is supposed to hold up better on cabinets.
I’ve used oil based paint without adding anything to it and it held up quite well. I don’t believe you can use it without doing some prep work though like you can chalk paint and from what I understand, it doesn’t work with a chalky additive. 🙂
Hi Jenny – I hope you come back to check this message. I tried to respond via email but it said you are a “No Reply Blogger”. I have never tried calcium carbonate with an oil based paint so I don’t really know the answer to your question. So sorry, Patti
I tried Rustoleum flat black oil based paint with plaster of paris today. I am currently waiting for it to dry it seems to be ok.
How did that end up working? I have some leftover cabinet paint that I’d like to use on a side table, but can’t find any recipes using oil based paint.
Thanks for your help. There are so many recipes out there, so I’m glad that you personally tried these methods and could compare them. I’m now on the hunt for calcium carbonate where I live!
I live in New Zealand and searched for calcium carbonate everywhere, turns out it is also used in the garden: its called Garden Lime, Go figure!
Thanks for all your efforts.
I found it on Amazon so next is to try it out.
Can you tell me how much calcium carbonate to use to 1 cup of paint? I have seen several recipes that say 2 Tbsps, but that isn’t 1/3. I wanted to have a better understanding of how much to add. Thanks so much.
Can you tell me how much calcium carbonate to use to 1 cup of paint? I have seen several recipes that say 2 Tbsps, but that isn’t 1/3. I wanted to have a better understanding of how much to add. Thanks so much.
In answer to your question Brook . . . 2 parts paint to 1 part calcium carbonate is a 2 to 1 ratio, so if you’re using 1 C. of paint you would use 1/2 C. calcium carbonate. You can thank my scientist hubby for coming up with that as I’m more creative than mathematical. I always just use 2/3 C. paint and 1/3 C. calcium carbonate to make it easier on my brain!
Thank you SO very much for this post and for taking the time to do this comparison! I just ordered my calcium carbonate, and I can’t wait to test out my homemade chalk paint this week. Your tips are greatly appreciated!
this is an awesome post, and I am so glad I found it, so thank you! I just went yesterday and bought plaster of paris, because I tried the unsanded grout and didn’t like it ). But I have to tell you something funny – during sewing, I notice that white chalk worked really well in drawing a cutting line on dark fabric, so I sharpened my chalk with my eyeliner pencil sharpener, for a sharper line… I wonder if all that powder that comes off when I sharpen the chalk would = Calcium Carbonate powder? I think I might try it = FREE ( maybe I should drink it for my bones, too!) can I ask one more question? I saw your comments above about waxing – I have the ASCP soft wax, but WHEN do you do the buffing? do you let the second coat dry overnight then buff? and also – have you tried any other (cheaper) waxes? ok, that was 2 questions, sorry. Again, THANK YOU so much for sharing this post! your blog is awesome!
Hi! Thanks for posting these wonderful reviews. Jut wondering — still no need to sand or prime with these recipes? FYI – all — I am redoing 2 vintage coffee tables. I did sand the tops because they were in poor shape. But even after 3 coats, the stain was still bleeding through. SO I have primed over my ascp, and am going to try a 4th coat. I found this disturbing since ASCP states no sanding/priming necessary. I did a chair – no sanding at all – and had no problems. Any advice to these scenarios in using the homemade chalk paints?
Thanks,
Alisa
Calcium carbonate (also called whiting) is available at ceramic supply shops. I got a pound for under $2 and 5 lb. is $7.50.
I’ll have to check that out. I buy the food grade CC because it is ground super fine and dissolves in liquid. It will be interesting to see if whiting is the same consistency. Thanks for the tip!
Taking the leap today on my first piece (thrift shop end table w/beautiful details) using the CC recipe! Although I did buy ASCP Old White, I’m going home made first, in turquoise and using min wax. I want to try both alternatives before investing in more ASCP. Although, I have to admit I did buy one of her brushes too! Wish me luck!
Thank you for this post. I have a question about the paint you used/ You said flat paint but samples that come from LOWES are all satin will that change anything?? I have bought the unsanded grout because CC is now where I live!!
God Bless
Shannon- New DIY’er
Hi Shannon – Satin paint will work just fine. Looks like I need to go back and amend my post. Since writing it I’ve used all kinds of paint (except gloss and high gloss) with no problem at all. Have fun!
I have used the calcium carbonate recipe many times with Semi-gloss and it works just fine. Beautiful finishes =)
Have you tried oil based paint?
シャネル カンボンライン 財布 プラダ 財布 偽物 http://www.wcreaorld.com/
I have a ton of Satin Paint sitting in my garage…have you tried #3 with satin paint or just flat?
Hello! Just a little tip I read on Salvaged Inspiration. Someone wrote in under her post about the best chalk paint recipe that you can purchase Reptile Calcium Carbonate from any pet store that sells reptiles…I guess like PetsMart or Petco…if you ever need some and are in a jam. From the ingredients, it’s the same stuff as the food grade.
nice blog.
I like your blog. Its a very nice information.
i like your information.
Great Blog. Thanks for all your experiments. I am working on my kitchen cabinets and have been mixing sample paint with CC and POP. I put two coats on and then seal with Mniwax Polycrylic. Wonder if the difference will show if I do the upper cabinets with a mix of paint and CC only. I love this paint because it is soooo easy. I have painted kitchen cabinets before and it was a real chore. Clean, sand, prime, sand, paint, sand, etc. You get the picture. With this mixture clean and paint and seal no problem. The lower cabinets are coming out wonderful. Have already painted my bathroom cabinet and love it.
I just tried recipe # 3, after applying the first coat I noticed a little grains in the texture. Before going for the second coat I use a sand paper #220 and it became very smooth. The questions that I have is; Do I have to do the same after the 2nd coat, or that will go away with the wax?? Thanks
How did you measure the paint and the calcium chloride? was it a 2/3 pint of paint to 2/3 pint of the calcium chloride? did you do it by weight instead?
Nevermind about my volume/measurement question, I saw the answer in the comments. thanks
Patti, I am the customer service manager for a small mfg company (work from home) and we mfg paintbrushes. I had a customer call the other day about brushes and she had just chalkpainted a COUCH. Here is her recipe: 1/2 gallon latex paint from Walmart; 1 cup baking soda; 1 cup water. Mix well, paint.