Homemade Chalk Paint & a Beautiful Desk!

I have had lots of questions about homemade chalk paint and I have to admit I have not personally tried it YET, it is on my TO DO list. 

 However my awesome neighbor and good friend put 2 recipes to the test.  

Calcium Carbonate 

Combine

2 Tablespoons Calcium Carbonate Powder

1 Tablespoon Water

Mix until Calcium is dissolved

Pour Carbonate mixture into 1 cup of Latex Paint

To make a Quart use 8 Tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate Powder and 4 Tablespoons of water to one quart of Latex Paint

Plaster of Paris

3 parts paint

1 part plaster of paris

water

Combine water with Plaster of Paris, adding a little bit at a time until you get a nice smooth consistency. Add more water to break down the powder.  Once the powder has dissolved in the water add to your paint and MIX

My biggest concern with creating your own chalk paint is getting the consistency right.  After my neighbor mixed up the paints she brought them over and we compared the consistency with some Annie Sloan's Chalk Paint I had on hand, both recipes were still a bit lumpy so she took them home and MIXED and MIXED until the paint was smooth-Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is about the consistency of Waffle/pancake batter!

Then my neighbor put both of the paints to test on a smaller project.  After she painted, antiqued and waxed, both paints preformed great and she didn't find a difference in quality!  

She ended up going with Plaster of Paris because it was cheaper to make.

And here is the finished Project, BEAUTIFUL!!

The 2 shelves on the desk are tables she painted and stacked.  Great for added storage!

She also ordered this awesome molding and ran it along a few areas to dress up the desk and the center knob is an old door knob.  

As I mentioned earlier making my own chalk paint has always been on my TO DO list, I do believe it just got moved up to HIGH PRIORITY!  I  have the perfect piece in mind.

Happy Weekend

Brooke